TheCrookedElm

---About the Elm Tree---
Once, not so very long ago, the streets of many American cities and towns were lined with identically beautiful, tall, straight-trunked elm trees, all reaching for the sun. Fast growing, elegantly shaped, hardy, resilient, and tolerant of poor conditions, the elm was the perfect choice for city life.
Then in the 1950's a single fungus named Dutch Elm Disease swept the land, wiping out very nearly every elm tree in the country. Hundreds of thousands died. That's what happens to any monoculture, eventually.

--About the Artist--
I'm a country girl in the big city, a vibrant soul living in cubeworld. Crafting keeps me sane in a world where elegance and beauty usually bow to the upfront dollar.

I knew I couldn’t be the only elm tree on the street growing with a slight bend, but I couldn't seem to find anyone who wanted to cater to my need for accessories that weren't plain, but weren't gaudy. I couldn't find Elegant Quirk, so I made some for myself, and thus was born The Crooked Elm.

---About the Style: Elegant Quirk---
The business world is all about being streamlined and efficient, but all too often that translates to sterile and anonymous, rows and rows of identical cubes filled with people in near-identical suits. The Crooked Elm was born of a desire to express my individuality while surviving and thriving in cubeworld. The uniform we wear is fairly standardized, so the key for me was the right accessories – elegant, understated, durable, whimsical, and unique.

I want to feel good about the things I surround myself with, and I know you do, too. To this end, my work is designed around the feeling of joy. My accessories should be a joy to wear, to look at, and merely to own. My patterns should be a joy to make – with minimal finishing and simple construction, you are left to revel in the interplay of color and texture, the soothingly hypnotic rhythm of your hands creating a thing of beauty and utility.

Every tangible item in my shop is brought together with my own hands, so individual variations between items are to be expected. For most designs, my materials were acquired in small quantities or repurposed from other items. Some materials I source in larger quantities, but the nature of handmade crafts in general, and my style of working in specific, means that even if I make another something like it, each item will be unique.

---Allergy Information---
I know a lot of people have allergies of various types, so I list every component of my work.

I have sensitive skin and metal allergies. I get a rash at the drop of a hat. Every product I sell was made by my own hands and tested by me, so most people with generic metal allergies shouldn't have a problem. However, I am not everyone, so if you have allergies please check the materials list at the bottom of the listing before buying. Many of my knit and crochet prototypes will have natural materials like wool in the blend.

Every one of my items is produced, handled, stored, and packed in a smoke-free environment. I live with a dog. If you have pet allergies, please let me know so I can properly handle your item.