09/10/2024
Not too long ago I made a bunch of earrings using a sort of knit technique for fun. I was really pleased with how nearly much all of them turned out... except for one.
I just couldn't put my finger on what I didn't like about them. They just felt kind of meh compared to the rest. Maybe the cutter I used for them was just too big for the intricacies of the texture. Maybe the color was just off enough that it and the shape didn't mesh with any of my beads. I couldn't figure out how to make them shine. I ended up trying out some gold leaf charms but I just couldn't get them to lay right.
I admitted defeat. I wasn't going to make myself love them. I just hoped that when fall/winter rolled around and I listed the knitted earrings on my Etsy shop someone else would see something in them I didn't and want them.
To my surprise, they didn't have to wait that long to find love.
One thing about me is I have an open door policy with my young niece. She is always welcome to come in my room and see what I've got going on. Frequently, I'm working on making jewelry. She knows not to touch unfinished pieces but she loves looking through my dozens and dozens of completed pairs. She is so kind and complimentary, always remarking on her favorites and recognizing the shapes of rabbits and cats and hearts.
Since her ears aren't pierced, I let her pick out a necklace for her to wear and a pair of earrings for me to wear. Ever since I made my knitted pieces a month ago, she always picks the big green ones with with the gold leaves. She has picked them all three times she's seen them. She's never picked the same pair more than once before these.
She picks them over shinier ones.
She picks them over bigger ones.
She picks them over characters she recognizes.
She picks them over ones that match my outfit.
She picks them over newer ones.
She says they're her favorite.
I did not like how these turned out. I was disappointed in my work and looked forward to the possibility of selling them.
Now I'm never gonna get rid of them.
They're Aurelia's favorite.
It may be hokey but it goes to show that sometimes it takes the right person to appreciate something and see what's special about it.
