# Kids n stuff



## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Well now...... I finally got an opportunity to visit BIL, Jeffery, in Charlevoix, Michigan. I got to spend a week with him, my inlaw parents, and a couple neices.
Being the understanding and accommodating sort that he is, on his day off we wasted no time making our way to the Stonehedge Fiber Mill just outside of Petosky. My youngest neice and her friend went with us..... out of some degree of boredom and a faint curiosity..... they must both be around 10.

We pulled in to see an angora goat buck running the place, and the girls sqealed gleefully as they burst out of the car and made their way toward him and the fence beyond that held the rest of the miscellaneous herd.
Of course, as the visit progressed, the girls began to show some concern as they figured out that the angora buck (he was kinda small, so....) was as interested in them as they were him. 

Jeff and I left them to the nice lady in charge and the herd as we took the tour.... 

I'll just say this much....turn of the century (sort of) fiber processing machinery is _*cool*_.

There were little oil bottles and water bottles in handy locations about the place, obviously serving the machines and their proficient operators with a disciplined frequency....

The carder was somethin'...... as was the picker,  and the spinner..... and the plyer, and, and, and..... 

Anyhow, back to reality.... those two little girls had thus far been giving every indication that Old Uncle Tim was some sort of foreign oddity, for some strange reasons that I'll never understand..... but.....

We finished the tour, and headed for the on site yarn shop, about the same time that the girls had had quite enough of being chased around by that playful little goat. 

With a mix of relief from him and a genuine interest in yarn shops (quite recently discovered, no doubt) they burst in the door behind us and took everything in with oooohhs and aaaahhhs....
There were finished knit and crocheted goods everywhere, and rainbows of yarn on one side and a wall full of natural shades on the other. To my delight, both girls joined me in a thorough appreciation and going through of the skeins on that natural shades wall. 
About this time they came to the mutual realization that they wanted to learn knitting.  Brother Jeffery gestured toward me and said, "Uncle Tim can teach you".

Now you never saw such a twin jaw drop.

Immediately after exchanging looks of mixed horror and fascination, they barraged poor Jeffery with questions and bold expressions of disbelief. As the truth of the matter soaked in, Jeff encouraged them each to pick a skein that they liked and the nice lady that runs the shop offered to get the girls each their own set of needles out of her private stash, gratis. 
To my delight, the girls both picked skeins of bulky natural....one gray and one brown.  The nice lady gave them each a pair of #6s. :teehee:

I bought an entire box (15-18... 6 ounce skeins? ) of deep brown bulky and all the odds and ends she had in that and oatmeal colors. I'd have bought a semiload of oatmeal bulky, if she'd had it available. :whistlin: She charged me a little over a dollar an ounce, across the board. I was happy.

So......... with a whole new outlook on life, we exited with happy goodbyes and the girls piled in the back of the car, exitedly poring over their purchases and pelting Jeff and me with questions. I caught them giving me curious glances on several occasions..... whispering between themselves and giggling, whatever _that_ was all about.

Upon arriving home, there was no time wasted, of course, in demanding that the knitting lessons begin immediately. Imagine my delight to find that the little friend (Emiline) was left-handed....and that Grace preferred doing things left-handed almost as much as right. 

I taught them the joys of knitting in both directions. :thumb:

Let me tell yuh, though..... knitting a single strand of bulky on #6s was _painful_ for me.

Anyhow...... they caught on to casting on with an energy that took me by genuine surprise. It took a little more to get the hang of the actual knit. I was relieved when little Emiline assured me (upon my asking) that her grandmother was a proficient knitter.....so I have lots of hope for her fiber future. Grace was a bit more of a challenge to keep on track, but she took her skein and needles to her room after a while and toyed with them while watching tv. She did pretty good for a couple rows, making a few bloops along the way, and I had opportunity to frog her project right in front of her and show her casting on all over again on several occasions. 

That evening was filled with questions and attempts and girly goofiness (turns out my older neice, Acacia, had a friend over, as well. They were both as mind-boggled as the younger ones that UT knew all this stuff about yarn. :indif

It was the following day when the house quieted down and Grace was practicing her knitting alone when she finally spilled it....

Uncle Tim, you look too tough and mean to know this stuff...........


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

Forerunner said:


> Uncle Tim, you look too tough and mean to know this stuff...........


So did you jump into the "don't judge a book by it's cover spiel?? Might have been a good time to bring up the people aren't always what they seem.......IE don't trust boys as you're grow up - they may not be as squeaky clean as they look, lol.

Great job, "UT"! Nothing better then turning kids thought process upside down, not to mention the new skill they are working on!


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

That is awesome! I love it when young kids learn to knit! :happy2:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> He's never really ever looked at me the same since that moment. :teehee







Neither will I...............


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

So, were there no nephews around to go with you? There are more men knitting and spinning these days that there used to be. Perhaps the girls need a picture of UT knitting with them? 

WIHH-:rock:


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## RedDirt Cowgirl (Sep 21, 2010)

Forerunner said:


> Neither will I...............


Talk about The Power of Life! :rock:


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

The whole story was lovely EXCEPT for the dollar-an-ounce part. Dangit, that's cheaper than what we pay to have our wool made into yarn. How can we compete when the mills sell yarn at that price? (The rest of the post is deleted so that Marchwind does not have to throw me off these boards.)


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Awww come on Weever I'm not that mean. After all we know each other's snarky side 

FR I LOVE your story. I do hope you have a photo or two to share with us. Can't wait to hear progress reports


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Sorry....no photos of that adventure. :shrug:


As for the price, _I_ was happy. 
The stuff I bought did seem to be rather VM-rich, but quite pickable.....

As for the rest of your mean and snarky post, I would love to see it. :kissy:


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Now I could might just post pics of the rather stout wool sweater I'm halfway into from that batch of dirt cheap wool yarn. :grin:
Just let me get back to my choreographer.....

I did cheat a little..... fearing a slight shortage and desiring a little more character, I stopped by Elaine's Yarns in Davison just this afternoon to pick up some very compatible Lamb's Pride and some deep chocolatey mohair for the neck (maybe hood, ain't decided yet) and sleeves..... So much for dirt cheap, though. :ashamed:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Oh alright then, I'll let you post photos of your sweater if you really need to 

So FR why didn't you stop by and say, "Hi!" on your way up? I bet you could have even made it to the MFF for a few hours. Werent you up there over last weekend?


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

My transportation is available at it's pleasure, not mine. *sigh*


I would have LOVED to come to the fiber festival.... but it's clear across the state from both the regions I've been frequenting. :sob:

(Charlevoix and Lapeer :shrug


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Okay, but Lapeer is only a little more than 2 hours away from the fair grounds. With enough notice maybe we can put together a gathering. Next time


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

2 hours to Allegan Co. ? (if I recall the location correctly)

What route ?


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## sherry in Maine (Nov 22, 2007)

enjoyed reading about your visit, Forerunner


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Well, if I hadn't told it, I would have eventually burst. :lookout:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Well it's 2 hrs 44 mins from Lapeer to Allegan county fair grounds. That would by via I96, 6, 131, 222


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

My BIL in Burton loaned me a mountain bike with so many speeds I lost count.
How many hours away at 20 mph, average? :bouncy:

He loaned me a backpack, as well...... can you imagine the spectacle if I'd made the trip ? Upon my return journey, from behind, it would have looked like a horribly misshapen hot air balloon wobbling erratically at just above ground level down I96..........


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

LOL! You do have a way with words, Timothy!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Well FR my handy iPad app doesn't do bikes but it does walking. According to this if you walked it is 146 miles, and it will take you 1 day and 23 hours  I would imagine biking would be a bit faster, maybe cur a day or so off the trip.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

If you go to Lapeer, you'll have to go to Frankenmuth and visit the two mills there.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Hmmmmmmm...... now there's a temptation.
Are they rural or in town ?


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

... and in Frankenmuth you have to go to the awesome restaurant for dinner - the one by the glockenspiel, with the good chicken dinners and the cheese domes on every table!

(My grandparents lived in Harrow, just across the border, and sometimes we went to Frankenmuth for dinner. And then to Bronner's, which is just so awesome it is not to be missed.)


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Actually, I would take you to Sullivan's Black Forest, which is just down the road from Zielinger's Mill. It is across the street from the chocolate store.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Hmmmm.....it IS supposed to be raining tomorrow. :whistlin:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Are you still up here FR?


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Yup. Camped out in Lapeer for another week or so............


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Lori would love it if you brought back chocolate. But then there is the difficulty of any type of chocolate in your possession making it all the way back home.


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## Forerunner (Mar 23, 2007)

Difficulty ?



What an odd word to use to describe me and chocolate.



:grin:


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

It's raining and looks to be raining all day.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

LOL! Oh, you and chocolate don't have a problem ... it's the transporting it so there is some left for Lori that has its hiccups!


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