I recently was thinking back to when I first started reading knit blogs, and I was wondering, "What the heck is Rhinebeck?" It's usually referred to just by that name, and not much explanation is given. So I thought I'd explain it a little bit.
Rhinebeck is the nickname for the New York Sheep & Wool Festival, which is held in Rhinebeck, NY. It's a big collection of vendors that are related to sheep (and other animal fibers) in many ways. You have animal care vendors, animals for sale, fleece, fiber, and yarn all together in one place. It's a little crazy and overwhelming.
The vendors and animals are mostly housed in 4-H barns on the fairgrounds.
As a knit blogger, I feel like I know a lot of other knitters and bloggers, but the amount of people at the festival is staggering. Most of the people there are strangers, but it will seem a little bit like you know them because they're wearing a February Lady Sweater, or a Tangled Yoke Cardigan, or some other sweater you've seen in knitblogland. It's easy to strike up a conversation about yarn or gauge or bad blocking, and it doesn't even seem like it should be weird at all.
If you take the time to walk through the animal barns, you will be able to find llamas, alpaca, and sheep.
At Rhinebeck, you have to plan for the weather, and this year it was cold! (Last year it was hot. I'm waiting for Just Right.) This is good because I got to show off my sweater, and I also go to show off my fingerless gloves and a cowl that Jessica knit. Fortunately, I did not have to show off my jacket, because it would have interfered with showing off my sweater.
At Rhinebeck, there are blogger meetups where I forget to take out my camera at all.
By about 4:30, I'm done with being at Rhinebeck. (Granted, I do get there at 8:00) I'm tired and I've bought all the yarn I can carry home. This year I went to Panera with some friends who spin, who freaked out the dining area with their triplet wheels.
I just enjoyed eating some soup and a little mindless knitting.
Eventually we went to the Ravelry party, which was crazy crowded and cold, but also fun. I do have to say that I was glad to finally get back to a bed to sleep in after that long day!
So this is what I got.
Clockwise from bottom left:
- Brooks Farm Mas Acero. I love Brooks Farm, and this was my first stop. I liked the Acero sock yarn I got in Maryland last year, so I thought I'd give this a try. I also love that it's a pale blue-- most yarns are super saturated, and this one is (wonderfully) not.
- Two skeins (red and dark turquoise) of Maple Creek Farm DK Superwash Wool. I'm planning to use these together in a vest. I went to this booth early in the morning this year, and the colors are definitely better then than they are in the afternoon. I'll have to keep that in mind!
- Trekking XXL in what is I hope a self-striping colorway. I've never tried Trekking before, and I want to!
- Maple Creek Farm sock yarn (the top one that's variegated) in browns and greens and oranges. David wants a pair of socks, and this is what I picked out for him.
- Cormo laceweight from Foxhill Farm. (the middle one that's white) Jody and I both decided to get this because it's so soft, and cormo is supposed to be strong also. We had the idea to use it double stranded to make socks.
- Shelridge Farm Sock Yarn in Marigold (the bottom one). I got this because the yarn is so soft, and because I'm currently obsessed with this color.
- Briar Rose Fibers Worsted Weight. This is a big ball of yarn! I saw a sample knit up in a similar color, and it didn't stripe or pool at all. Gorgeous!
- Green Mountain Spinnery's Green Mountain Green. I get this yarn every year, and I'm planning another session of natural dyeing with it!
I got to wear my Rainbow Venezia, and it was so well received. I was a little surprised at how many people stopped me to compliment me on it, and I loved every bit of it :) It was so much fun, and it made all of the knitting of last week totally worth it! I'm fixing the collar a little bit, and I'll have a full post on the sweater soon!
