I’m gone and back to Detroit, and I had a great time. You can say all you like about the place (and I know people do) but I tell you this, the people are the best. I had several experiences that were awesome, and they were all human related. From the friendly, welcoming service everywhere I went, to the knitters and the folks I met every where I went, Detroit’s people outshone it’s architecture (which is pretty awesome) and it’s casino’s. (I actually really hate casinos, so I don’t think it’s hard for me to have anybody outshine that. Poor example.)
Things that were awesome.
1. The Detroit river. All full of ice, with Canada on the other side. 
2. This big ex-ferris wheel, where instead of tearing it down, they covered it and turned it into a giant tire. I don’t know why I loved it, but I did. 
3. The city itself is very pretty, and if you look, there’s some wonderfully beautiful things. This is the third floor of the library where I spoke. 
3. The knitters. 
I’m pretty easy to please, no matter where I go I like the knitters, so I suppose this one was a big of a gimmee. I loved the requisite first sock knitters:
Jennifer, Meg and Lisa, who went over the top and presented a first sweater. 
And there was Steven, 
who not only knit his first socks, but knit them for me, which was pretty outstandingly touching. (I’ve had a good look at them too… they’re perfect. They look nothing like first socks. Darned good knitting, even though he had to put a rush on them and finished them right there.)
There were babies too, Amy and Moira and Sara and David – who looks so charming in his sleep that I forgive him for not waking up to amuse me. 
Juliet knit me a carrot. (Very charming vegetable.)
I got to meet SpillyJane (maker of fine mitten patterns) and Knitterella and French Press knits. 
4. Awesome thing the 4th: This is Brenna. 
Brenna is notable because she met me in the bathroom and admitted right there that she had successfully defeated the urge to Kinnear me while I was in there. I loved her instantly, for having the urge, for admitting it and most of all… for resisting it. Other people have not been so strong.
5. I got two more washcloths, a St. Patricks day one from Jason (who was wicked on Twitter while I was planning this) and a UP one from Kristine.
(UP is the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I felt good that I knew that.)
6. I left my iphone in a cab, and the unbelievable cabbie picked it up, waited until I called it, answered and drove it to my hotel, then demanded nothing from me but a hug for bringing it. I gave him money anyway, but the point is that he was totally going to do if for no reason other than that he was decent. I loved him.
7. Our lady Presbytera of the comments, who was my faithful native guide, and Alice, who showed up out of nowhere and was a pleasure to see, especially since she shared my love of the Olympics in grand style. 
8. This. 
Next time I’m going to Motown. Thanks for being awesome Detroit!
Thanks for the picture of the tire. I am going to Detroit next month (NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament) and need to look that up. For the record, I will be taking a friend on a yarn shop trip while there; and knitting is expected to be involved on the trip, though not during the games. (It’s not easy to watch hockey live and knit.)
Yay! Detroit looks like it was a lot of fun. It was so sweet that Steven gave you his first pair of socks!
So glad you came. Even more glad that I was there, too! Thank you for sharing, it was great! Enjoy your week!
So glad you enjoyed your trip to Detroit. I had hoped to come hear your talk, but we spent Friday night babysitting the 3 Grandchildren. Didn’t get to bed until 11am Saturday morning…so 1PM in Detroit was impossible. Hope your will be speaking in our area again soon.
Do people often knit and/or give you items at events? I’m very impressed at the man that knit you socks. That’s really awesome!
My daughter is flying into Detroit Airport on Friday and just felt better about the whole thing after I shared this with her. Thank you!
Thanks for coming and appreciating all the good things about Detroit!
I’m so envious of all those happy people – I wish you could come to Winnipeg, MB, sometime – we could fill a room with knitters too!
Thanks so much for coming to MI! I had a great time at the event, which everyone involved with made fabulous. It was a delightful day.
I am dork, for forgeting my first sock (never made a pair on that first one, perfectly fine sock that it was…), and delightedly geeked-out that my knitting is on the blog, in the Pretty Thing Cowl around First Sock Knitter Jennifer’s neck, which was a Christmas present I knit her this year.
Come back to Michigan anytime!
We had such a great time listening to you on Saturday! I also wanted to thank you for your babies-inside-or-outside-your-belly-cut-in-line rule. My pregnant friend was wanted to meet you but was far too pregnant to wait in the line. Getting to move to the front and having her book signed and photo taken with you made her week! Thank you so much! You’re such a wonderful person!
You have some strange, awsome, knitterly luck with cab drivers!
Love the X-Ferris wheel. I will probably never to to Detroit, but now I have a new positive visual image of it.
I have a thing for very large tires. My dream job would be to drive mining dumptrucks. Yet, even though I grew up in (western) Michigan, I didn’t hear about the x-Ferris wheel tire until last month! And then you go and beat me to seeing it! I’m glad you appreciated it as much as everyone should appreciate large tires.
YOU PUREED A ROTWEILER FOR SAM? You are an awesome mom!
Seriously, what is a roti?
It was awesome (as always) seeing you! Also, in case you needed a reminder, you asked about the yarn in the sweater I was wearing, and after some confusion (and input from a friend) it was decided the yarn in question was Isager Alpaca 2.
any idea where to get the pattern for that Olympic hat?
Awesome! I wish I could have been there to have such a great time like you!
Detroit and automakers have a strong history together. I’m guessing that is part of the inspiration for the tire.
What happened to the hummingbird?
I don’t know why it is so easy to malign Detroit (and New Jersey for that matter), but it’s nice to see the city shown in its glory. And I will try to forget about my friend who really put his foot in it, when he indicated that he thought Detroit was part of Chicago.
Glad you had such a great experience! Any chances of coming to TN in the future?
Yay Detroit!!!! My husband is from the Detroit metro area and I seem to spend a lot of time defending the area. Thanks for helping out.
Sounds like a great trip! I saw that first picture of the sock on the rail I sort of freaked and hoped you were holding tight to the working yarn in case it made a jump for the river. What a great cabbie!
Cool–you met a Yooper!
I hear housing is really inexpensive in Detroit right now, and the weather’s a lot like Canada’s–just saying! Old houses have a tendency to turn into money pits. I’m still plugging away on my Knitting Olympics vest, got it up to the armholes & started on the upper left front! Who knows, I just might get to wear it once or twice before it’s too warm here in Tennessee. BTW, Tennessee misses you very much!
I also love Detroit. Downtown and around. Great architecture and very interesting people. It’s too bad that it has such a bad rep by those who don’t live there (I’m looking at you, Suburbs).
Next time I go to Detroit I have to make it out of the airport.
Wow! you got to meet Presbytera-of-the-comments! I always imagined she went to Lettuce Knit Nights, how wrong I was.
Great that the cabdriver brought back your iphone.
Love the photo of the vaulting domes of Detroit Library – that is a photo I would have taken. I did that when I went to Florence, Italy, what an experience (New Zealand only started getting permanent buidlings in the 1840’s, so we are pretty young here.)
OK, so I was kind of confused about your use of “Kinnear” until I went and googled “Kinnear+verb” and discovered your old post about photographing Mr. K at the airport. I tell people all the time about how I kinneared Dustin Hoffman at MOMA, but I never knew that you invented this awesome and convenient term for it. Hooray. Also, “Kinneared” sounds so much better than “Hoffmaned”.
I have family in and around Detroit. Alas, none of them knit. They happily wear the stuff *I* knit for them, so I suppose it evens out.
Glad you enjoyed your trip!
Thank YOU for being awesome! It was a great day and I’m so happy I got to meet you. Hope you come back soon!
Looks like fun, and my friend/coworker STEVEN was so hysterical about being able to meet you!!
Hey! I’ve got a cowl just like the one that lady is wearing in the picture!
Hey! Meg and I were first socks when you had fun visiting us in GA, when Mercury ate you! How did she get all the way to Detroit? XD
I know this is not appropriate here, but I can’t tweet and I’m addicted to that hummingbird site that you twittered about. Go nature!
What a wonderful compliment you have given Detroit! I’m sure you gave Detroit many reasons to compliment you also! Such good memories always encourages more visits.
A lizard was creeping up on Phoebe’s nest; she attacked and drove him away, picked up egg 1 and removed it.
Wild times!
Sorry I couldn’t make it to see you. So close and yet so far. See you next time you’re in Ann Arbor!
(yeah, I’m addicted to the hummingbird too.)
Hooray to Kristine for representing the U.P! I was born and spent my first 25 years there. You’d be surprised how many people think it’s part of Canada, or Minnesota.
Of course Detroit loved you, and you loved it back … Mo’town and soul go together … and you have more heart and soul than most.
Hugs
x
Am I the only one looking at that first picture and thinking, “Man, I hope a strong breeze doesn’t blow that sock right off the railing!”
(I realize there needs to be a question mark in there, but it looks weird no matter where I put it.)
A city that has had more than its share of hard knocks but really shows its soul — that’s Detroit!
Alicia- I just looked up that picture because I was very confused…me and the other Meg DO look alike! XD
To Stephanie- thank you so much for coming to visit us! It was a great time, and I’m so glad you had a positive experience. I live in the suburbs, but I spent the whole day downtown Saturday- first to see you, then I met up with my family for the Wings game. It was the most awesome Saturday in recent memory.
Oh! And my husband (the one who calls yarn ‘string’) was very tickled that we had discussed him at the event, even if only in disparaging tones.
Sorry about the novel! Come back soon!
Thanks for all the good words about Detroit! It’s easy to miss the good in the luridness of the bad.
Also, you were not only looking across the river at Canada, but depending on where you were, you were looking SOUTH across the Detroit River at Canada!
Thanks for the photo of the tire, I grew up just around the corner and always knew I was home when I saw that tire! Michigan looks the same… cold, overcast and damp, I’m afraid. I am writing this note from my home (of 30 years) in North Miami Beach..
Thanks for the kind words about Detroit Stephanie! We loved having you and can’t wait for you to come back. Enjoy your shamrock cloth!
That sounds like an awesome trip!
Is that a spinner over the doors on the third floor of the library? (blue/white)
Glad it was a wonderful weekend in Detroit. I had a wonderful weekend in Toronto At LK with Laura and an even more awesome Saturday at the ballet. I’m afraid that it might be heresy, but Bridgett Zehr and Zdenek Konvalina in Swan Lake, trumped sock knitting-trumped knitting period. However, I’m back at it again and have 3 new projects started. It was a momentary lapse(and coming up again in June). Cheers and red wine, Hazel.
Thanks for the lovely comment about the cab driver. It’s so nice to hear positive stories, and this is one of the best in a long time.
I was most impressed by the cab driver. That is even better than first sock knitters. What a guy!
thanks so much for the compliment on my socks.
and for fudging the truth since i know there are mistakes LOL.
there is a joke among we lower peninsula people that the citizens of the U.P. are really canadian. it’s no wonder you recognized it!
So glad to hear Detroit was such a positive experience. The “D” needs all the good press it can get. Now don’t be thinking you don’t have to come back to Michigan because you were just here!
Go Detroit! Now that you’re safely back in your insanely busy life, where is Wild Apples?!
It was wonderful to finally meet you and to have you in town (sort of.) I felt myself getting misty-eyed during your talk, but that was probably all me — your talk did not actually drive me to tears.
Thank you so much for coming to Detroit. I loved your talk and your reading. I love it when authors read their own books. Only you know how it sounded in your head when you wrote those words. No one else can ever communicate that exactly. Of course, I love having someone read to me, which is probably why I spend a fortune on audio books. Well, having someone read to me also leaves my hands and eyes free to knit, which might have something to do with why I love it so much.
Anyway, it was AWESOME to have you here in Detroit. It was awesome to meet you. And I’m still totally geeked that you recognised me from the comments.
So, now that you’ve seen how awesome we Detroiters are, when are you going to schedule Sock Summit MidWest? I’ll need to know so I can be the first to sign up.
Thanks for coming – I am so pleased that you made it to the third floor of the library – it really gives a glimpse into the glorious past of Detroit and how important and not a joke it was.
Why didn’t you share with everyone that you read (wonderfully) from one of your books.
thanks again, a friend I brought called your speech nutritional.
thanks.
Thank you for pointing out the good that is in Detroit. I’m from it’s suburbs, but have moved up north (not the UP but Alpena which is almost as far north as you can get without being in the UP!) and miss the city something fierce. I believe it still has potential to become great again, and good publicity helps for sure!
It’s great to see your photos of knitters! We recognise the knitting joy on their faces!
Glad you had a good time! The only time I was in Detroit was for a concert and the Cops were incredibly nice and helpful and humorous. Wow! What a cabbie!
Thanks for the great event in Detroit. It was a pleasure to meet you and hear you speak. Moira enjoyed herself immensely that day as well (as the smiles can attest heh). I’m glad she only hollered at you once from the back row. I was worried she’d want to continue her “conversation” lol. I’m glad you had such a wonderful experience in the city. Detroit has so many great things to offer and often gets overlooked due to it’s poor reputation. Happy Knitting!
Oh man, I would totally KILL for that t-shirt. Or at least do something wicked and unethical to get it.
As a displaced Michiganderer, I’m so glad to see that you had a wonderful time, and got to see the giant tire! We used to drive past it every year on vacation, and every year, just as we drove “under it” my dad would say “now you know how a frog feels right before it gets run over.” Sigh. Such memories. Thanks for bringing them back.
Okay, so I grew up near Detroit and I have driven past that ginormous tire dozens if not hundreds of times. And I NEVER KNEW it was a former ferris wheel!!! How did I miss that? Glad you had such a lovely time in my hometown — yay for the friendly midwest 🙂
May I add a shout-out to Detroit? We were on a cross-country family vacation and the car broke down on a freeway in Detroit. It was 10 o’clock at night and raining. TWO different cars stopped to see if we needed help. Once off the freeway, the hotel staff tried to get us to a ballgame the next day (sold out, boo hoo). After several recommendations, we found a great mechanic. The people were so great that every time I hear bad things about the city, I take it personally! Go Tigers!
Thanks for sharing – loved the ceiling in the library – would never have known about it if it hadn’t have been for your post.
Thanks for coming to Detroit and all your wonderful compliments too! Come back anytime! I can honestly say that virtually everyone I’ve ever met in Detroit (my husband and I frequent downtown and I went to grad school at Wayne State) was incredibly nice and helpful. Glad you got to see that side of the “D”.
I’m so glad you had fun in Detroit! I thought about you all last week, every time I walked past that branch of the library (I’m a post-bac student at Wayne State, and walk up and down Cass a lot, which is on the back side of the library). I really wanted to come see you Saturday, but my son woke up sick, and I had to stay home with him all day. ::sad:: But I’m happy that you had fun here! Maybe next time…
Wondering where to find pattern for that awesome Olympic hat?
Woo Hoo! Glad you had a great time in Detroit and that you were well treated by the downstate Michiganders (or Michiganians, depending on your preference). That taxi driver sure spread some good karma! And bonus points to you for knowing what the UP is.
Maybe you should have a book stop in Petoskey (MI) this summer… It’s quite lovely, we have a friendly bookstore, and a wonderful new yarn shop!
Sorry I missed your visit to Detroit Public Library. I practically learned to knit in the breakroom while I worked there!
Thanks for the love. Detroit is a great city which I wish more people would understand. The tire used to have a nail in it until a couple of years ago. I think they took it out before the Super Bowl.
I am so glad that you came to Detroit! I had a wonderful time and your talk was great! I wish I had been able to meet you, maybe next time :o) You read my favorite chapter. I was actually thinking about it last week as I was scraping dried, sticky strawberry jelly off my kitchen table. I was so pleased when you started reading. I think I speak for a lot of knitters when I say that I consider non-knitting books to be the ones that aren’t “real” ;o) Also, your Olympic sweater was fabulous, absolutely gorgeous. I hope you come back to see us again soon!
Love the story about the Cabbie. It sort of restores your faith in the kindness of most human beings. Nice pics. of knitters.
It was so lovely to hear about the cabbie. I love stories about good people.
Wowsa…look at that sweater Juliet knit!!
:::drooling over the cablework:::
Steph, I really liked that you read from your book. I cannot wait to read the rest. Book readings encourage book buying.
Detroit (and Michigan) are awesome. Thanks for affirming. I have to admit I didn’t know that there was a ferris wheel under that tire. I see it every time we go between Windsor and Ann Arbor.
“Charming” (yet ginormous), fitting carrot description.
What a fantastic day and lovely to meet you as well! Really enjoyed your talk and so glad the 6 of us made the trek there from SW Ontario to see you!
I’m sorry David wasn’t awake to amuse you! He really is quite entertaining when he’s awake. If we hadn’t waited until every one had gone through the line then you could have seen his toothless grin! He was quite worn out with all the commotion and charmed the socks off any one who payed attention to him(actually, I wish he had charmed some socks off! Quite a few of them were very impressive!). Come again soon and I’ll make sure he stays awake! I live in South Bend, Indiana so if you come to speak at one of our libraries I’ll be there in a heart beat!
I’m glad you liked my home town! It seems that the media is only capable of focusing on the negative aspects of the city. On your next visit, you should go to Greektown. And see a baseball game at the CoPa. And go to the Lafayette Coney Island for a *real* chili dawg.
I am homesick now. I wish I could have been there for your visit. When are you coming back to DC?
I’m so jealous that you got to see Alice. Sounds like a fabulous whirlwind trip.
And yeah, when will you be back in DC? I could show you the fabulous sights.
Thanks for coming to Detroit!!! And for seeing the good that is here, even though sometimes you have to look beneath the surface.
Loved your reading. Which book was it from, though???
Yay! Let’s here it for the guy knitters! You know we all fan-boy you! When are you coming for a visit in Western New York?
Those are fancy DPN’s. I’ve never seen them before. I wonder what brand they are.
I’m sad I missed seeing you, but I have to say as a knitter and one who also just happens to be blind your books are not only hilarious but they helped me realize that if someone who has vision makes crazy knitting mistakes from time to time then I’m not doing to badly. BTW, Moira is adorable she and her Mum frequent the LYS around here.
I left my wallet in a cab in San Francisco.
We contacted the cab company, the driver found my wallet and brought it back. He reluctantly accepted payment (my goodness, it was worth at least the fare). I got a great picture with him. It is my best memory of San Francisco. What a faith restorer.
You met Spilly! This is twice now that friends of mine have shown up on your blog (the first time was when you ran into Jonathan De Souza in Chicago). So exciting!
We all had a great time! Thanks for coming!
Detroit is my home!!! I’m glad you enjoyed it, I always do. I couldn’t make it to see you though, because I am stuck at college. But my friends were there! Brenna and Juliet!
PS I LOVE that tire! when I was little I thought it was real.
I lived outside Detroit and never knew the tire was a Ferris wheel! But I looked it up and apparently the Ferris wheel always WAS a tire — they just took the seats off, I guess.
http://www.uniroyaltires.com/about/gianttire.html
That’s my home state and I love that tire too. Michigan has been hit hard over the past few years, but the people there are wonderful. I’m so glad to call myself a midwesterner. It’s fantastic you had such a wonderful time.
Acts of kindness are always the right way to go.Yeah! To the cabbie who returned your Iphone.
Thanks for a great event at the Detroit Public Library, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Come back anytime, we love you here.
The giant tire was a ferris wheel at the NY World’s Fair in 1964 – I rode in it. It was part of the Firestone exhibit and looked like the sidewalls of the tire (the “treads” were the seats of the ferris wheel). When the fair was over they moved it back to Detroit and “retreaded” it. For a while it had a giant nail in it. My kids always wanted to know where the other 3 were. I think it’s going to drive the archaeologists of the future nuts.
I mean the Uniroyal exhibit at the World’s Fair. I was only 9.
Thank you for coming to Detroit and all your kind words!!It was fun meeting some of the other knitters, (Sara and David and their friends, Alice’s husband and Presbytera who we remembered from when you were in Ann Arbor). The pictures are awesome! It’s fun to see that we are in the background of a couple of them. When you come back, you will enjoy Motown. You are without a doubt, our favorite knitting author! And as you said in your talk, most people have no clue! You will always be welcome here! Thanks for sharing with us, Sarah and Brenda
Glad you came to the D and thanks so much for the nice review. I lived there while in school years ago and have a warm spot in my heart for it. The architecture is amazing, the river, the downtown, it has tremendous potential.
I too like Jennifer in Brooklyn covet that t-shirt. I’ve just spent days throwing my R&B,soul,disco cds into i-tunes so that t-shirt just works in nicely. I wonder how many years that tire has existed as I remember seeing it back in the early 80’s (I think it was a Goodyear tire at that point). Is it really a covered up ferris wheel? gotta admit it’s the perfect framework to create a giant tire, someone was thinking.
My daughter, who is a printmaker artist (and has a lovely knitting hands print)(katiemuth.com), was at a craft sale in Detroit last year and came back raving about the lovely architecture and wonderful, generous people. Coincidentally, we were visiting her in Toronto while you were in Detroit.
A little housekeeping now. I’ve noticed that while your grammar is generally good, Stephanie, you do tend to put “it’s” when it should be “its”. “It’s” is the contraction of “it is”, as in “it’s sunny today”. Any other time, you need “its”. “The knitting’s on its needles” (“its” is possessive all on its own, like his and hers, and doesn’t need an apostrophe to make it so) . Not trying to criticize, it’s just that it’s so easy when you know the rule.
Yay for the UP dishcloth & that you know where it is!
I’m from the UP, and everyone thinks I’m from Canada…I don’t mind too much. Glad one of my peeps was there to represent.
Look at all those knitters! Oh my. I find the carrot and the ferris tyre really lovely.
I’m so glad you liked our city! Had plans to attend, with a girlfriend, with lunch and yarn buying, but life interfered. Next time!
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for a wonderful talk! It is always such a pleasure to see/hear you. You never need to prepare a speech–you could wow the room just doing Q/A. I was really glad to hear that you had gone to Traffic Jam for dinner–good choice! Sorry I didn’t stay to meet you in person–the line was too long (pretty lame huh?) From my perspective, I all ready know you from your wonderful blog (and even twitter). I am really glad you were able to see some of Detroit’s jewels. There are many–but so much gets missed with all the garbage going on.
Thank you again–and as always keep me in mind if you need a ride (or any other assistance) on your next trip to Michigan!
Sincerely,
Cathy
Detroit was a great town. Craig and I had a wonderful time even though he was not feeling so fantastic on lecture day. Loved the place we stayed, the library 3rd floor, and all the folks I met. (Hi Kelley and Sandi and Karen and Cathy!) Wish I’d had more time for just wandering around Woodward Ave. Oh well, next time.
Craig agrees about the tire. Definitely on the amazing list.
Hat pattern was invented/re-engineered. Olympic committee may have some objections to it being “published”.
Sweater was my DNF Olympic knitting project.
Looking forward to camp.
Sounds like a wonderful time. I just made my first trip to Michigan (Lansing) a few weeks ago and loved it. It’s a wonderful place.
Oooh, love Alice’s sweater… what yarn is that?!?
Glad you liked Detroit!
Midwesterners are the salt of the earth. They just are. (A former Clevelander myself.)
That should be Salt of the Earth (initial caps) — otherwise it might just be glossed over!
It is so nice to hear something nice about the much maligned Detroit! Most of the US is also very nice! Hey – I have been in that tire – in its former life! It sounds like a totally fun trip!
Looks like you had fun in Detroit!! Nice sock and the carrot is aweaome! What are you going to do with sid carrot? I would hang it in a window or in my kitchen but that might just be me. Hope things are well!
I’m glad you had such a good time in my hometown.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time! Glad you enjoyed the visit!
It was great to see you in Detroit last Saturday, and I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit. Thanks for being an ambassador for the positive side of Detroit – the people who are so generous and resilient. Thanks for coming to see us!
Thank you for loving our city and for recognizing the strong, resilient, misunderstood people who live there. Detroiters, and their neighbors in the ‘burbs can be flat broke but will still give you the shirts off of their backs or the yarn off of their needles. I think a little of the Canadian Nice seeps over the border, and that’s why Southeast Michiganders are the way that they are. Thank you for the picture of the tire. Thank you for showing me a small slice of my home.
I grew up in Detroit and now live in Denver. We ran the Detroit half-marathon in October for my 50th with my brother and loved every minute of my visit back( well, maybe not every minute of the run!). It’s a great city and I’m glad you enjoyed it. Unfortunately, didn’t get to see the big tire since we weren’t on I-94. Next time!
1) Wow, the guy with the socks!
2) I have to ask out of pure curiosity: did you know about UP from reading Gaiman’s “American Gods”?
3) I’m so glad you got your cell phone back. And thanks for talking about that driver, good people should be celebrated.
that first picture is surreal, the blue-green needles (or are they grey?) are perfect just there . . . love it!
But did you share all your lawn care tips? 😉
The Iphone guy is not an honourary knitter in my book. That is awesomeness.
Thank you, Stephanie, for posting all those photographs and details along with them. I had been feeling a bit isolated, literally and even in crowds, but because you share that diary of experiences, it reminds me that every time I pick up my needles (or even think about them), I am part of quite a wonderful world of knitters –and cabbies!
I grew up in Detroit (though I’m a New Yorker now) and I go home often. Thanks for saying nice things about it. It doesn’t happen often….
Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had the great good fortune to spend 6 months living in Windsor. We travelled to Detroit often. It was a great city – very diverse, very friendly, very under-rated. I don’t live nearby anymore, and yes, I do miss it from time to time.
I heart that you hearted Detroit-city. So few do. The tire is my favorite landmark driving down to Detroit. It’s been there forever it seems. And who knew one could knit a UP dishcloth. Go Blue Jason!
It’s been busier that usual so I’m commenting backwards. Considered not, then realized Detroit is a city I’m interested in because of what they are doing with rehabilitating the necrotic areas. Also, that library shot is how I think of libraries, my favorite institution.
Thanks so much for the wonderful, positive comments about Detroit. Detroit doesn’t always get the press it deserves(more fun to read the bad than the good) and Michigan itself it having a bad couple of years.But because we are so close to Canada-we feel a closeness to our Canadian neighbors whether we are trolls(lower Michigan -so called because we live under the bridge) or Uppers (long U) who live above the bridge. Same weather too. Detroit has great theater too-The Fox Theater alone is worth seeing. And most Cabbies are too cool !
I couldn’t make it as I was teaching a spinning class but I will see you soon?
Aww, this makes me miss my city! I’m too far away from my Detroit! 🙁 Glad you had a good time 🙂
Thanks for visiting Detroit. Your kind words about my fair city are quite moving. It’s wonderful to have outsiders see the same beauty I see in Detroit…the people (especially the knitters)!
I miss the Detroit metro area! I lived there (mostly in Ann Arbor) for seven years.
Great place, isn’t it?