Farewell Diamonds and Rust!

My favorite shop in the history of the universe is closing. As I am sure is no surprise to anyone, it is a vintage/antique/estate shop! The owners have decided to convert their space and the surrounding land into the Farm Fresh Market, set to open next year.

Whenever I needed a break from Northern Virginia, I would plan a day trip out to Diamonds and Rust in historic Aldie, Virginia. I loved the long, varied ride through congested parts of Fairfax, to eventually see Route 50 become narrower. Farm houses and long stretches of land replaced strip malls, big box stores and townhouses. After three dicey traffic circles, I would pass the Aldie Mill and turn into the gravel parking lot. The first thing I would hear upon getting out of my car was peaceful silence. I had arrived.

The large house with the blue roof was built in the late 1800s and has served many functions for the Village of Aldie during its history. Quite notably, it was a pharmacy from the 1890s until World War II. Since 2005, it has been home to Diamonds and Rust. Like many older homes and buildings, it feels very “alive,” and I could feel this energy when I stepped inside for the first time. The pink and white striped walls reverberate with the history of the town and its people.

Two very kind and knowledgeable ladies, Marcia and Amber, ran the shop. Easy conversation was a guarantee as I floated in and out of the rooms and hallways. I would stay for at least an hour each visit. I needed to explore every room, rummage every drawer, admire each display and even look out every window! Over the years I collected all sorts of vintage items for my home and more. Furniture, art and handmade crafts breathed new life into the décor of my house and my yard. I found authentic Art Deco jewelry at a trunk show during the initial Boardwalk Empire craze. But one weekend at D&R sticks out in my memory for what I found that inspired my knitter’s soul.

Across from the stairwell was a linen closet. Depending on the day, it would be stocked with curtains, tablecloths, blankets and doilies. But on one afternoon, it was stocked with vintage knitting supplies. A large vase was filled with knitting needles made from materials that haven’t been used in a long time. Most of them appeared to be early plastic. I selected for myself a pair of yellow, size 10 Boye needles with rust forming on the metal toppers. I marveled at the well-defined points. So narrow and sharp! Today’s needles are more tapered and not as pointy.

Rusty.

Pointy!

Next was an antique tape measure/pin cushion with just inches on the tape. This item came some time before the metric system! It was in the shape of a little peasant woman, and you reached the tape by pulling it humorously out of her nose. It still had tags on it, and it was in near-new condition. For whatever reason, it was never someone’s “cup of tea,” but I found it irresistible.  

Haha.

In action a few summers ago.

It was wonderful discovering these small items, but I have been saving the true pièce de résistance of the day for last. A well-used, wooden sock darning egg from a simpler time seemed to appear before my eyes on the linen shelf. Before my trip, I had the idea of finding an antique sock darning egg. Not too many of these are made anymore, and are hard to find even in specialty yarn shops. Your best bet is an online catalogue order, and it will probably be made of plastic. What I had yearned for was an authentic, used wooden egg. I turned the relic over in my hands, and I could feel pits and scratches on the surface from where the sewing needle had jabbed it. It mended countless sock heels and toes. Although I reinforce all of my socks, the inevitable day will arrive where I, too, will add my own scratches to the wood.

The real McCoy. 

Nicked and scratched.

With the way life has been going, I will not be able to make it out in time for the last day. Work obligations, holiday obligations, ice and snow and other things have kept me closer to home. Now that I think about it, I’m not as sad about the closing as I thought I would be. I will enjoy and benefit from these items for the rest of my life! The time to collect has ended, and that is ok. In time I will find a new hideaway for when things become too humdrum or hectic. Now it is time for all of us to move into the next phases of our journeys, while holding onto the memories we made. All I have to say is thank you so much for helping me along the way to finding myself, and cultivating my methods of self-expression. It’s been real!

Links:

http://shopdiamondsandrust.com/

http://www.villageofaldie.com/index.htm

http://www.villageofaldie.com/drugstore.html