Happy belated Thanksgiving

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Journey to the Twin Cities

The next day I got a tour of North House, got an excellent coffee at the Java Moose, and explored town a bit. Around noon, I bought some food at the grocery and took off south.

Clear sailing all the way. I stopped in Two Harbors to get another coffee and saw the beautiful lighthouse. I also passed the original 3M location. Did any of you not living in Minnesota know that 3M began on the North Shore? It stands for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing company. The mining part failed, but sandpaper came through for them. It is now on the S&P 500 and located in Maplewood, MN.

I had never been on the road between Duluth and St. Paul before. I was surprised that there was not much between them. I was very thankful for at least one turn off. The gas station in this small... town(?) had a couple restaurants, and,

you know, a meat raffle. I guess it is hunting season.

I got down to where I was staying in good time on Tuesday. My first teaching gig was Wednesday night at Ingebretsen's. So, Wednesday during the day I drove down to Rochester, Minnesota to Mayo Clinic. Our dear friend Sara had been rushed over from South Bend, Indiana in an ambulance a few days earlier. Thankfully, she did not require further surgery, and I was able to visit with her and her husband Paul and a day later they left for home.

I was also able to visit with (a statue of) my great-grandmother, Edith Graham Mayo. This statue of her is in the courtyard of St. Mary's hospital. My dad's cousin, Mayo Koiiman, created and cast it.

One other stop was at my favorite kitchen store in the area: Ace hardware. There, I was reassured that I was, indeed, in the land of Nordic immigrants.

Side-by-side were the following: lefse turners, Krumkake electric makers, rosette wands (with extra heads), and... Nordic ware!

Grand Marais

After Duluth, I drove up the North Shore of Lake Superior. Sooo pretty, and pretty awesome! The birch leaves were at their height, all ablaze in glowing yellow. I was reminded of the shores of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

On the drive up, I stopped at the Knife River. My first stop was an older brick building with a "rag rugs" sign on the side of it. I am so glad I stopped! It was DAC, a workshop for disabled adults. Inside, they made beautiful rag rugs and handmade paper.

The rags used to make the rag rugs.

Further down the street and to the north was Playing with Yarn knit shop -- so much to see there. She had some older patterns I had eyed online and lots of beautiful Nordic yarn and miscellany. Then, just a ways further east was the beautiful silversmith shop of Brad E. Nelson's. The lady at the yarn shop called up to make sure he was open. I'm so glad that Monday was a holiday, because he was!

Brad built the Nordic shop himself.

I got to meet his mom, Winnie, and he gave me a tour of his silversmith work area. Amazing! He is so talented in multiple media -- silver, copper, wood, stone carving. He even has several pieces in which he repurposed old shoe soles in a beautiful and meaningful way.

Brad and an antique, Finnish lunch basket for the former train workers.

I spent quite awhile there looking at all the creative, amazing work. Then, I toodled further up and further in. My goal? Grand Marais.

Grand Marais is a gorgeous lake town that just this year was voted "Coolest Small Town" in America this year! I went because it is the home of the North House Folk School. Based on the Danish craft school model, North House is open year round. It models multiple artistic expressions common in northern climates: boat building, basket weaving, spinning and fiber arts, wooden model carving, iron work. I can't even list them all.

Next February, I am going to be their featured teacher in their Fiber long weekend. I am so excited to be included in their lineup, and I can't wait to travel north again!

the view outside my bunkhouse

Minnesota, the land of knitting dreams

I am having a lovely time in Minnesota. My grandparents were both from here, but, having never met them, there is a bit of disconnect in feeling like this is "home." At least, until I met the fiber enthusiasts!

What a great state for fiber and crafting of so many kinds! Duluth was my first stop on this teaching tour. It is a truly beautiful city on the shore of Lake Superior. I grew up near Lake Michigan, and so the great lakes have a big place in my heart. It felt so different to be looking east over a large body of fresh water, but I certainly could get used to it. 

The leaves were at their height -- I couldn't have planned for a better weekend to be there, and the hills and bluffs around the lake provided so many vantage points from which one could enjoy the lake or the plentiful winds.

The members of the Northern Lights Fiber Guild and Textile Guild were delightful to teach and interact with, and I especially enjoyed meeting Karena, an avid knitter from Northern Michigan who came over for my seminar. I actually didn't get any pictures of the teaching and meeting or lunch. Anyone got an image to share? I also got to renew old friendships in the area, as well, all while sampling great food.

Thank you, Karen, for sharing your home and heart!

The next day was delightful in that I got to go to the Sami Cultural Center of North American, also in Duluth, and gave a short discussion on some matters of the textiles and knitting of the Sámi people. I was able to meet Marlene Wisuri again, and my aunt Cari and uncle Charlie drove up as well. Lastly, Zoe, a student doing her thesis at Amherst, came to make connections and explore her recently discovered Sámi heritage.

with Marlene Wisuri, chairman of the Sami Cultural Center of North America

More to follow!