Life of the Lintee Bean

My friend Merril invited me to the “One of a Kind Show and Sale” at the Merchandise Mart. If you’re unfamiliar with the “Mart”, it’s a mammoth building in Chicago, encompassing an entire city block.  It houses 130 fancy-pants home furnishing showrooms and 2,000 product lines.  I’ve browsed bits of the Mart.  My roommate’s sister works in one of the fancy-pants showrooms.  I’ve seen gorgeous ceramic tiles I can only dream of owning – and maybe owning ONE tile priced at hundreds of dollars per tile, not a bathroom or kitchen full of it.

I thought it’d be fun to go to the “One of a Kind” show with Merril.  It featured handmade items from local artists.  Merril thought it would give me ideas for my recent venture into selling crocheted items.  I just thought it would be interesting to see the artists’ gorgeous work.

Wouldn’t you know it, the very first booth we saw was handmade scarves (knit and crocheted).  I’d barely begun to look at the wares when a woman asked if I’d made the scarf I was wearing.

Scarf I wore to the mart

I had made the scarf.  I adore wearing my own handmade scarves.  I told the woman that I had made it. The booth’s artist overheard, and quickly ran over to examine my scarf.  By now I had realized that she was selling her scarves for a LOT more than I had priced mine.  Her synthetic scarves, the most inexpensive, were $175 each.  The alpaca and wool scarves were priced at $375 to $475.

I didn’t really want her looking at my scarf.  I was a little embarrassed, to be honest.

It was too late, she was fascinated with my scarf.  She asked what yarn I’d used.  It was a synthetic blend.  She wanted to know which colorway it was, as she gushed over the deep purple.  She wanted to know how I’d managed to make the bobbles which, combined with the chain stitches, reminded me of grapes on a vine.

I’d become the focus of the artist’s attention now.  She wanted me to look at her scarves. She wanted me to read and sign the book she’d published about her life and her scarves. I wanted to move on.  I really didn’t find either her book or her $175 to $475 scarves that exciting. I feigned some interest and signed the book.

I was tempted to tell the artist that I had another scarf in the same colorway as the one I was wearing.  It is for sale for $35.  I decided against it. I did tell Merril we should see about getting a booth next year.  We could sell scarves and hats, presumably for much more than $35 each and make lots of money.  I’ve only sold two scarves so far, but I’m incredibly flattered that an artist at the fancy-pants “one of a kind” show would be so impressed with one of mine.

Scarf I have for sale (click on image for details)

Abbreviated version submitted for publication in the Greeley Citizen