Rhinebeck at Last!
What’s Happening?
It’s a great feeling to meet another knitter (or crocheter, spinner, weaver, etc.) out in the wild. It’s so encouraging to see someone else who loves what I love and shares my enthusiasm for our craft. It’s one of the benefits of visiting a local yarn shop.
Often we simply smile and nod in mutual acknowledgement or encouragement. If time and circumstances allow, there might be a conversation about what you’re wearing or working on that allowed you to recognize someone as a fellow knitter.
It doesn’t happen to me frequently, but it always makes me smile to see evidence of other people who enjoy knitting like I do. So when, this year, I finally had the chance to attend the New York Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck and see hundreds of fellow fiber enthusiasts (that’s a nicer term than “wool nerds,” right?), I couldn’t stop grinning.
To say it was fabulous and beyond my imaginings is to undersell it by a long shot. I know we only scratched the surface, mostly looking at the vendors and the sheep (there are workshops, demonstrations, and other fiber animals, too!), but it was a wonderful day.
We stopped by the Valais Blacknose Sheep that were on exhibit to say hello to Mr. Darcy the Sheep’s cousins:
And this video gives a very small taste of one of the many vendor halls we walked through:
If you’ve got some time and would like a more exhaustive look inside the Festival, have a look at this video by The Copycat Stitch:
What am I Knitting?
Of course, I left the Festival with some goodies, including yarn that immediately went on my needles.
I brought home a 6-color set of mini skeins from Fiber Optic Yarns for the Clapotisfest celebration being hosted by Knitty.com. You can learn more about this pattern, its 20th anniversary, and my history with it in this post. I’ve just started the second color in this latest version and I’m enjoying knitting it as much as I have the previous versions. It’s such a rare treat to intentionally drop stitches!
I also bought some gorgeous yarn from Bare Naked Wools to make this beautiful Walker’s Ridge Pullover by Susan Mills Knits. The original pattern has color changes between the leaf motifs that are really gorgeous, but I love the simplicity of the undyed wool and wanted to stay with that theme and use only two natural colors for the sweater.
I’ve just finished the colorwork for the yoke and am about to split for the sleeves. I’m loving both the yarn (a light but sturdy worsted wool and alpaca blend) and the pattern so far. Maybe I’ll have it all finished in time for the next festival we happen to attend.
What are you working on today?
Happy knitting!
Kiersten J
