October 2025 - Rocky Mountain

One of the things I found fascinating about woodturning is the community that is built around this hobby. While turning itself is typically a solo activity, it feels like it is more a group activity given how many people we meet and interact with through our clubs, social media channels groups like WIT and symposiums. Each person you meet inspires you in different ways to enhance your skill set and creativity or challenges you to try something new.

Thinking about all these people who I admire for both their work and the impact they have made on me as a turner, I realized I don’t have any of their actual turnings. I have a couple I collected from holiday gift exchanges, but that pales in comparison to the number of people who are in my close and extended turning circles. And though I love the work they do, I don’t need 40 bowls for the sake of having something from each of them.

This is where Turned Connections comes from. Turned Connections is about connecting with people through our craft and sharing not only our knowledge but a piece of what we create. Lanyard beads are the perfect item to exchange as they are easily shared and can be used on lanyards, keychains or even as a collection in a bowel. Each bead represents someone you made a connection with and something they shared to inspire you.

With WIT’s support and Noele Dodson’s never ending encouragement, we kicked off the initiative at the Rocky Mountain Woodturning Symposium. I feared I would be the crazy lady trying to give my turned scraps of wood away, but the idea caught on quickly and everybody was excited. Due to the late timing of the details coming together, there were not many of us with beads, but the people we gave our beads to will remember the connections they made. I turned a set of beads ideal for small autographs and those were also a hit (next time I will use something other than a sharpie). Another woman (Sheila) had a necklace full of beads wired to look like bees. Everyone wanted a bead from her, marveling how beads can be artistic as well as beautiful.

At the end of the symposium at the WIT meeting, it seemed like everyone was looking forward to the next symposium so they could have their beads ready. I encourage everyone to not wait for the next symposium. Share your connections within your clubs or online friends. And absolutely share them with both the women and the men in your turning circles. Currently most of the beads I’ve received from my club are made by men who wanted to share their favorite wood to work with or their new embellishing technique.

Shorter version:

Woodturning is a solo craft, but it thrives on community. Through our clubs, social media, and symposiums, we constantly meet people who inspire us to enhance our skills and try new things.

Thinking about all the amazing turners I admire, I realized I wanted a tangible way to commemorate those connections—but I definitely didn't need 40 bowls! This is where Turned Connections was born.

The idea is simple: connecting through our craft and sharing a small piece of what we create. Lanyard beads are the perfect exchange item. They're easily shared, can be used on keychains or lanyards, and each one represents a person who inspired you.

With WIT’s support and Noele Dodson’s encouragement, we kicked off the initiative at the Rocky Mountain Woodturning Symposium. I worried I’d be giving away turned scraps, but the idea was an immediate hit! Attendees were excited to see all the beads and pick their favorites. Sheila wired all her beads to look like bees; everyone marveled at their beauty and wanted one. I also had beads to collect autographs from demonstrators. 

The enthusiasm was contagious, with everyone looking forward to the next opportunity to participate. I encourage you to not wait! Start sharing your Turned Connections within your club, with online friends, and with both the women and men in your turning circle.

Let's connect with everyone in the hobby, one bead at a time.