Trips to Toledo

This part of Michigan – where I live – experienced a significant, multi-day winter storm, starting April 13 (Friday the 13^th, of course) and ending April 16. The average April snow fall for nearby Traverse City is 2 ½ inches. Over that weekend, TC got over 20 inches of snow…and sleet…and ice…and other forms of frozen precipitation. I like winter. I like snow. But. Gah!

It started to warm up significantly by Thursday, April 19. Good thing, too, because I was preparing to drive down to the Toledo area to teach some workshops.

The Holey Toledo Knitters Guild had invited me to teach workshops on Saturday, April 21: “Extended & Manipulated Slip Stitches” and “I-Cord Edges and More!” I had so much fun sharing some knitting excitement with 16 of the guild’s members. What a delightful group of knitters! They were engaged, cheerful, friendly. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer day of knitting. And the guild members gifted me a bag of Toledo-specific goodies: yarn ("Bad Amy Knits" How appropriate!), candy, pickles, coffee, and soap. I was blown away. Thank you all, again, for your generosity. In addition, I was treated to two nights out for dinner. Apparently, the Toledo area has a lot of Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants. I got to enjoy some delicious kabobs and falafel. Yum!

The workshops were held in a nearby public library. It was a terrific setting; good light, plenty of room, plenty of table space. And the guild members brought snacks for our enjoyment. Wendy’s ginger cookies were out of this world! She let me take some home. They did not last the drive. I hope I can persuade her to share the recipe with me. I stayed overnight both Friday and Saturday at the home of the guild’s president, Sue. To my delight, Sue had two cheery dogs: Ezra and Josie. And Sue herself was also cheery, and a perfect host. I couldn’t have been more comfortable.

Back to the weather. When I left for this trip, there was a covering of about 12 inches of snow in my yard, and I was a bit concerned that I might not make it out of my driveway. I am happy to report that I did make it out of the driveway. When I arrived in Toledo, it was actually spring. Greening grass, daffodils, and all kinds of bird sounds. Here is a picture of Sue’s back yard.

On my drive home, I didn’t see any snow until I got to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, where there were just hints of sad, melting piles. When I got home, this is what my front yard looked like.

I am confident that all the snow will be long gone by the time I take my second trip of the year to the Toledo area. I have been invited to teach two days of spinning workshops for the Black Swamp Spinners Guild, June 2-3, 2018 in Elmore, Ohio. I’ll be teaching “Blending Colors at the Wheel” on Saturday, and “Variations on Long Draw” and “Ply This Way, Ply That Way” on Sunday. I am so looking forward to another trip to that fibery corner just over the Michigan border.