Ever since we opened in 1993, we are asked over & over again how we came up with the name. As some may recall The Waygoose was opened with 3 owners, JoAnn Shimizu Sweet, Nan Rael & myself (Deborah). You would think that with all of the decisions to be made when trying to start a new enterprise finding a name wouldn't be one of the most difficult. Since there were 3 of us, using one of our names or some compilation of them just seemed awkward. Zyzyx had just opened in Wildwood Shopping Center (Nan had assisted with the opening) & we were intrigued by the use of such an unusual name. At the same time we were aware that many people had difficulty locating the business in the yellow pages or through the operator (internet, what internet?). We decided that we wanted a name that was unusual or catchy enough to stick in your head, but not be difficult to spell or pronounce.

So, we asked friends for suggestions, looked through books, played with words for quite some time. Anyone for "Handmaiden" -- get it "Handmade In", you can imagine the list! However, none really seemed to stick. Nan had started to read through the thesaurus & found "Waygoose" under street fair. That appealed to us because we wanted to create that atmosphere for our customers. A place to go to find beautiful & unique handmade crafts even if there wasn't a craft show in the area. So we researched it even further & found the above definition in the Oxford English Dictionary & that sealed the deal. We loved the connection to the guild system, after all, that's who we were representing, masters of their crafts. It wasn't hard to spell, remember & we didn't think we'd get sick of it after a few years!

Over the years a few people have recognized the word & a couple of customers have found it used in other places: one recalls it from Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales", another "Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe", although we have not been able to track down the actual usage. UC Irvine hosts a student run Wayzgoose every year (http://www.celebrate.uci.edu/wayzgoose/index.php). There is a Wayzgoose Cafe in NSW Australia (http://www.wayzgoosecafe.com.au/) found by one of our fabulous customers!
And we just missed the 11th Annual Wayzgoose Letterpress Steamroller & Smackdown held by Seattle's School of Visual Concepts. (http://wayzgoose.svcseattle.com/about/). And of course there is WayGoose, a management recruitment company in England specializing in the print & graphical markets (http://www.waygoose.com/). This we discovered when trying to set up our website & couldn't register "waygoose.com". For a pretty obscure word it's pretty cool to find it used by others. If you find it somewhere, please share!

 Deborah

A very personal note

A very personal note Dear Reader, Nan Rael, JoAnne Sweet and I had a mission when we opened The Waygoose on North Washington Street in Rockville: offer the best American handmade crafts to our customers. Our criteria was simple: quality merchandise for a fair price. Nineteen years later this mission has not changed.   I am committed to the many talented and hardworking American artisans who rely on small businesses like Waygoose Redux to exhibit and promote their work. I am also committed to you - our customers - who value unique, non-cookie cutter, made to order, American handiwork. We are now one of the very few gift shops of any kind remaining in Bethesda. It's been an eventful 19 years; we have found our home of 2 years on Hampden Lane, in many ways returning to our Rockville roots with free, no fuss storefront parking, easy accessibility from Woodmont Ave or Arlington Rd and just blocks from metro. I realize you have many choices when you shop. If it sometimes doesn't seem easy to make the trip to Bethesda, (as we don't sell online) we are always happy to provide you the same high quality customer service over the phone. We can offer suggestions, hunt items down, email you photos of items that meet your needs and ship, as always, anywhere in the United States. In case of a craft emergency and we're closed - email us and whenever possible, someone will meet you at the store ready to assist! Supporting small, independent businesses is crucial and we are a small business representing many small businesses. Partner with us, as customers, so we can continue to offer you the same high-quality American made work. Shouldn't your gift create a wonderful memory of you? Give us a call, email us, or stop by and we will help you find just the right thing. All my best, Deborah 4926 Hampden Lane Bethesda, Maryland 20814 301-656-1768 www.thewaygoose.com

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We have a new employee, who started shortly after school ended. Haley is 16 years old & this is her first job. Over the many years I've been doing this (not to mention in my previous life) I've hired many "first timers". It's pretty amazing to have the opportunity to watch someone just starting on a path that often has no set direction. Eventually all move on, but many pop in or keep me posted & a few still work at the store occasionally as their schedules allow. But all have proved to be extraordinary people I am proud to know.

 In any case, Haley & I spent a good part of last Friday exploring glass blowing. Starting with Dale Chihuly's  website, which includes some wonderful video footage. Watching videos at the store is always a bit of a challenge since we have no speakers hooked up, so too much talking heads is a bit pointless. We also found a couple of wonderful videos by our good friends at Art of Fire Contemporary Glass Studio (www.artoffire.com) in Laytonsville. While I'm sure there is some great narration included, we still were able to follow along & gain even more appreciation for the art of blowing glass. 

I think the next time Haley works we'll look for some videos of ceramic artists.

As we prepare to enter our 20th year in the craft business, I look around the shop and see the many artisans that we've represented from the beginning. I know how old I am, so have a pretty good idea how old they must be! For the last several years I have worried about what to do as people start to retire. Until recently, an unfounded fear. Which brings me to some sad news.

About a month ago word came down that Kent & Libby Follette are retiring by the end of 2012. While they look for a buyer for their property*, situated on 10.7 of the most beautiful acres in north Louisiana, Kent will continue to only make the Bread & Oil Plate in the Flambeaux Glaze & a small bowl that can be used with it to make a chip and dip. Our order has just arrived & we have some absolutely stunning pieces.

For as long as I can remember Kent has produced some of the most well-loved, time tested pottery the store has carried, including the incomparable "wish bowl". With potter, Bill Campbell, the crystalline glaze we sell under the Flambeaux Art Pottery label was born, adding another dimension to an already solid body of work. Almost as well know for his cooking as his pots, pieces often included Kent's own recipes. How many recall his Ice-cream Bread or Beer-can chicken? Replacing a "staple" is a very difficult task. So many of the very talented young potters are just not creating the same broad range of beautiful, approachable, super-functional; dishwasher, microwave & ovenproof work or just aren't set up for the level of production necessary to sell wholesale. His shoes will be hard to fill.

Luckily, we had received work from Kent not too long ago, so have a nice (if select) group of Follette Pottery. Don't delay, because this work has now moved into the collectible class of American made pottery.

Part of the sadness of this news, is that shortly, there will be no more excuses to call and talk to Kent & Libby on the phone or visit at the shows. The Follette's are those salt-of-the-earth, solid people that just make the world feel grounded. I will miss them as much as I will miss the wonderful pots they've created since the beginning of time! So with a heavy heart, here's wishing them well into this next moment in time!

---Deborah

* The property includes a 2300 sq ft home full of Kent Follette original floor tiles and bath sinks.  Three bedrooms, two baths, a lot of storage and a deck that meanders down to a large, well-stocked pond are just the beginning of what is available.  Two “workshops” totaling 3800 sq ft are equipped with industrial wiring and gas lines.  The 900 sq ft building houses the gift shop/office and can be whatever you need. -- interested, just call us & we'll hook you up with Kent & Libby!

Welcome to our blog. For years I've been told "You need to blog". For years I've resisted, but find that it might be fun to explore. So, stay tuned for artist updates, special event info & interesting bits of information that crosses our paths here at Waygoose Redux!