Mystic Knotwork is a thematically great shop

Rick Koster, The Day, New London, Conn.
·1 min read

May 25—The first time we were walking by the Mystic Knotwork store, I turned to my wife Eileen and said, "You know what this makes me think of?"

"Oh, no," she said, burying her face in her hands. One thing that occurred to me was the song "Knots" by the British prog rock band Gentle Giant, which is a Renaissance-era (mostly) a cappella madrigal based on the works of psychologist R.D. Laing. Eileen describes the song as "headache music" and "one of the worst things I've ever heard." On the other hand, I love it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUpREizsftU

Anyway, we went into Mystic Knotwork because Eileen was correctly certain it had nothing to do with Gentle Giant. Instead, the charming store has a clever variety of home goods, gifts, clothing, jewelry, door mats, pet toys, ornaments and more — all of which are crafted by nautical-tradition rope craftspersons who can nuance sheepshank, Eldridge and constrictor knots with Houdini'd ease.

A friendly employee asked, "Can we help you?"

"Why, yes," I said. Eileen cringed, waiting on an asinine Gentle Giant joke. Instead, I said, "There's a witch on our street. Do you have a hangman's noose?"

Mystic Knotwork, 25 Cottrell St., Mystic; (860) 889-3793, www.mysticknotwork.com.