Tibetan singing bowls.
An endless knot, one of the eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan Buddhism, has no beginning and no end. This sense of continuity makes it a particularly apt name for the Madison shop that in October quietly moved from its original State Street location to a new east side home at the corner of Atwood and Fair Oaks avenues.
“We see this new space as an extension of what we started downtown, but we’re now much closer to our core customers,” says Sandeepa Lama Palmer, Endless Knot owner and the creative spirit behind the 1,200-square-foot space. The shop showcases Nepali-crafted and -inspired rugs, accessories and clothing.
Born and raised in Nepal, Lama Palmer moved to Wisconsin in 2001 to attend college at UW-Whitewater. There she met her husband and business partner, Jamaican-born Irvin Palmer. After graduating with a degree in business, she decided to make the Badger State her home, but soon realized the traditional 9 to 5 corporate life wasn’t for her. She opened Endless Knot downtown in 2012 as a way to bring the beauty of her faith and homeland to a larger audience.
Colorful statuary, and Tibetan rugs bring home the spirit of the East.
Brightly colored hand-knotted Tibetan rugs crafted in Nepal are a mainstay; Endless Knot is one of the few stores that carries authentic versions in Madison. Lama Palmer returns yearly to her birth city of Kathmandu to visit family and stock up on inventory. “Our rugs have a fashionable feel,” she says. “You don’t have to be a Buddhist to appreciate Tibetan style.” Prices vary depending on size and design intricacy.
But rugs are just the beginning of Endless Knot’s impressive South Asian-inspired collection. Two shelves brim with titles on mindfulness and meditation for all ages. Popular jewelry includes charms made of string-wrapped prayers and dozens of rings and bracelets inscribed with ancient mantras to invoke transformation, enlightenment and world peace. Incense, Tibetan singing bowls and statuary of varying sizes and materials are also store favorites.
Not everything in Endless Knot is imported. Lama Palmer is equally committed to promoting Wisconsin-made goods that fit with the store’s aesthetic. This includes scented soy candles from a Milwaukee company called Big White Yeti and meditation pillows from Neenah-based Barbie’s Zen House.
Lama Palmer wants her customers to see her new location not just as a store, but a resource for the neighborhood, and hopes to host group meditations, speakers and community gatherings. “Of course I want to be profitable,” she says, “but I feel called to promote a better understanding of Tibetan and Nepali culture. I want to encourage people, through the store. It’s the Buddhist way.”
Endless Knot
2929 Atwood Ave. Suite 101, Madison, 608-255-6921, facebook.com/EndlessKnotMadison, 10 am-6 pm Mon.-Fri., 10 am-7 pm Sat., 11 am-4 pm Sun.
