Crouching Tiger, Knitting Dragon is the third in our ongoing Upturn series. The goal of each Upturn wallet is to depict a story hand picked from submissions to our free wallet program.
the story
Crouching Tiger, Knitting Dragon is based on a story from Bethany Quiles of Truth or Consequences, NM. She sent over this very brief email that got us wantin’ to make a wallet. “I live in the desert. New Mexico, to be precise. It is over 115 degrees Fahrenheit outside at the moment and all I have to keep me cool whilst I work is a small fan. What is it that I do for work in such conditions? I knit blankets. Blankets, scarves, socks, sweaters; all for friends and family and the occasional farmers’ market. It’s hard to make a buck, so when I have a few to my name, I have to spend it on new yarns for new jobs. On the weekends I take the dice I’ve collected over the years and play D&D with my friends in their nice air conditioned home. It’s certainly a wonderful break from the needles and fan.”
We loved the dichotomy of knitting versus D&D and that’s all we really needed to get to work. It was only after we mailed off her free wallet and had more correspondence that Bethany explained her struggle with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. “It makes me have a lot of health problems. I can’t sit or stand for more than about an hour, too much pressure on the spine.”
It made us all the more astonished by Bethany’s life and her D&D character, Xochi Hart. So we asked her to elaborate on her alter-ego. “She’s a level 11 halfling rogue/shadow dancer named after my favorite place, “Xochi’s bookstore” (Xochi means flower in mayan) in Truth or Consequences. She’s a hoarder of magical goods, collecting them over adventures to sell them in her Adventure Mart. She’s rich as can be through her dealings with her current party, but still likes to keep her thieving abilities active by pick pocketing in her spare time. In our battles so far, she has received the least amount of cumulative damage due to her shadow dancer skills. I plan on making her take another prestige class: Psionic Trickster or Arcane Trickster so she can pick locks from 30 feet away, set off traps without any danger, and pick pockets without touching someone. Still have 5 levels to go before that though. In our most recent adventure, the party is against trolls. 2 of the party have died and only one has been resurrected as of now.”
Bethany’s having hip-replacement surgery in September and so we thought it would only be appropriate for a portion of proceeds from each Crouching Tiger, Knitting Dragon wallet sold to be donated to Bethany’s ninja skills yarn fund (for those many days of recovery). It’s important that she get back on her feet so she can help resurrect the rest of her party!
wallet details
Designed by Bob Snead, each Crouching Tiger, Knitting Dragon wallet is handmade in the USA with a hand printed exterior, 4 credit card slots, ID window slot, two hidden pockets (for your business cards), and twenty bucks printed in the bill slot. Full size of the wallet is 8.5”x3.5” and folded 4.25”x3.5”. Developed from a mix of durable canvas, vinyl, and nylon. Limited Edition of 100.
