Matt: I started tying knots long before I could ride a bike. My grandfather taught me the turks head, monkey fist, sennett braiding, cox-combing, splicing and practical knot working during my early years. By 10 years old, I was making hammocks and bottle coverings. By 16, I had made over 100 woven door mats and thousands of turks head bracelets. When people think of the bracelets they wore at a New England beach in the 1980's, they were most likely made by me or another member of the family. Those were either the classic white bracelet or the (retired) dyed nylon bracelet. We mercifully stopped making the nylon bracelets back in 1993 because they fell out of fashion with the jellies and o-ring bracelets. The white bracelets have endured. In the mid 1990's, my grandfather scaled down his business for health reasons. It wasn't until 2001 that I started to take the knotwork business from being a hobby to a serious passion. It is our goal to give everyone the opportunity to own a genuine Sailor Bracelet. We do not believe that anyone should settle for the imported bracelets made using questionable labor practices and inferior cord. If you see anyone selling shoddy bracelets, have them contact us, we can supply them with a high quality American bracelet made of American cord. While you see here our most popular work, we have an extensive library of patterns and material. With over 1,000 pounds of cord on hand at all times, we can make what you want. Since my grandfather's passing in 2003, I lost my mentor. As a result, I reached out to the International Guild of Knot Tyers. We have a unique challenge in that the knowledge has been passed down for 3 generations. At a Guild of Knot Tyer's meeting in October 2009, Matt learned that all the terminology his grandfather taught him is not the common language of the guild. He's learning to translate from his families description into the modern form. If not for Jill, we would still do all white work. She shared with me the color spectrum. She is the creative force behind color selection, design approval, and making sure our orders are packed and shipped by the next business day. Jill: Mystic Knotwork is a husband and wife team - Matt and Jill Beaudoin. The Beaudoin family has been selling knotwork in Southern New England since the 1960's, a tradition started by Matt's grandfather. Every knot for sale and photographed in this store was created by my husband and I in Connecticut. We purchase our cordage from American factories made by American companies. We pride ourselves on our quality, and if you are not happy, we are not happy. We also both love boating and own a sailboat. It is only fitting as sailors that we make sailor knot bracelets!