Local shop glad to help with safe return of custom dolls in time for Christmas

A local shop saved Christmas for one Saskatoon man and his customer.

Twig and Squirrel’s Wild Goods recovered two custom crocheted dolls that were stolen from Matt Wolsfeld’s front porch while waiting to be picked up for delivery last week.

Jackie Jenson, who owns the store, says a man came into the store when her partner, Kevin, was working. The man was carrying the two dolls Wolsfeld spent around 40 hours making and a poster that announced they were missing.

“We’ve had every kind of encounter with all kinds of stuff as far as theft and we’ve had people try and resell us our own product,” Jenson says.

The man was asking for a reward for finding the dolls and Jenson says her partner gave the man $50 in exchange for the dolls, even though it looked like the word “reward” had been scrawled on the poster by hand.

Kevin then called the number on the poster.

“We didn’t know anything about it,” Jenson said. “He says, ‘Hey! I’ll be right down there!’

“He was super grateful and super happy,” she said with a laugh. “For us, it was no big deal.”

Wolsfeld paid the shop back the $50 it spent to get his dolls back, ecstatic they would not have to be remade and would be able to make it to their new owner soon.

Jenson said they felt it was what anyone would have done in the situation.

“(It’s) an act of just basic kindness,” she explained. “We just happened to be in the place that we were able to do that.”

The shop owner said their store located at the corner of Saskatoon’s 20th Street West and Avenue E South is one where they see a lot of addiction and poverty.

“We are familiar and connected to a lot of people in the community,” Jenson said. “Because we’re a place that people trust, this gentleman brought these dolls thinking he’s going to get some money for them.”

The shop carries unique merchandise — anything from a large selection of glass beads and ribbons to fur pelts and organic spices — and has a loyal clientele. It connects well with Jenson’s background in yoga and holistic healing.

It’s a place where people come to interact with each other and shop for specific products. The store has been enjoying a busy holiday shopping season this year, Jenson said.

“However we can, we like to support quality craftsmanship where it’s really helping the people,” Jenson said.