function shoestring( prim, sec ){
		var pType = typeof( prim ),
				ret = [],
				sel;

		// return an empty shoestring object
		if( !prim ){
			return new Shoestring( ret );
		}

		// ready calls
		if( prim.call ){
			return shoestring.ready( prim );
		}

		// handle re-wrapping shoestring objects
		if( prim.constructor === Shoestring && !sec ){
			return prim;
		}

		// if string starting with <, make html
		if( pType === "string" && prim.indexOf( "<" ) === 0 ){
			var dfrag = doc.createElement( "div" );

			dfrag.innerHTML = prim;

			// TODO depends on children (circular)
			return shoestring( dfrag ).children().each(function(){
				dfrag.removeChild( this );
			});
		}

		// if string, it's a selector, use qsa
		if( pType === "string" ){
			if( sec ){
				return shoestring( sec ).find( prim );
			}

				sel = doc.querySelectorAll( prim );

			return new Shoestring( sel, prim );
		}

		// array like objects or node lists
		if( Object.prototype.toString.call( pType ) === '[object Array]' ||
				(win.NodeList && prim instanceof win.NodeList) ){

			return new Shoestring( prim, prim );
		}

		// if it's an array, use all the elements
		if( prim.constructor === Array ){
			return new Shoestring( prim, prim );
		}

		// otherwise assume it's an object the we want at an index
		return new Shoestring( [prim], prim );
	}
The shoestring object constructor.

@param {string,object} prim The selector to find or element to wrap.
@param {object} sec The context in which to match the `prim` selector.
@returns shoestring
@this window