#Rhinebeck2015

It's the morning after Rhinebeck. It's the same feeling I had as a kid the day after Christmas. I am on a high from such a wonderful day and yet I'm sad I have to wait an entire year to do it again!

Rhinebeck (aka New York Sheep & Wool Festival) is a huge event that gathers wool folk, sheep and alpaca folk, knitters, crafters, crocheters, felters, farmers, vendors, food, and PRETTY LEAVES!

People travel from all over the country to attend this event.

This year I made the trip with my mom and sister, Liz. Our sister Andee and her family camped a few miles away from the festival but we just took a day trip.

Here is our day through pictures....

On the road by 6:30am

 We made it! oh boy oh boy oh boy!

Yes it is.

This was my first purchase of the day. I bought from them in Maryland and loved it! This will be a cowl to go with my apple green coat. 

The weather was a 10! Blue skies, cool temps. Perfection for a wool festival.

I enjoyed seeing people that I have gotten to know through the Woolful podcast.

This coat! Yes, I stalk people and take their picture.

So soft!

Loved this booth. Sawkill Farm is a farm close to the fairgrounds. She was selling handmade soaps (with super cute packaging!) I bought one. She also had fresh meats from their farm.

 Cool sign. Loving the hand lettering and colors.

 Lizzie was a happy lady. She found these women making fabric rugs and she learned how to do it and is going to make some with our yarn and rug yarn.

This woman couldn't decide what shawl to wear...I totally get it. Wear them all!

Sweater stalking...

Totally intrigued by this half dip yarn. It knits up with stripes in a small project like a sock, but does a half pool in larger rounds like a hat. Hmmmm. 

Good hat for drop spindle spinners!

What pattern is your poncho??!!!! Haha. Liz bought this at Marhals. Yes, Marshals. And people hunted her down ALL day to ask her what the pattern was. We laughed very hard. I told her to just tell people she forgets the name and it's on Ravelry. Andee, I suggest you design this poncho pattern. You'll make millions.

Love this gold and yellow sweater. I stalked her all day.

This is my color palette. Heaven. 

Was happy to see my design is a finalist again this year. I won 2nd place for my design last year. They suggested that this year I stay very gender neutral. I incorporated the giant orange trees that are famous at Rhinebeck. I hope I win!

My mom and her big purchase! This beautiful handmade wool felt bag has been in her mind for a few years now. The woman that makes them is a talented artist that we have seen every year and been dreaming about. It's beautiful!

I am a sucker for that yellow color.

I bought the bulk of my yarn at this booth. I spoiled myself and bought a sweater quantity of cormo! Ahhh!!!! Now to find the perfect pattern to show off this gorgeous wool. Brooklyn Tweed is calling my name. This yarn calls for a classic sweater that will never go out of style.

Another woman I got to know through the Woolful podcast. I loved her color swatch cloth hanging. She is a natural dyer and I loved her interview with Ashley. I was a bit star struck this entire show, but more on that later....

We saw Paige and Miller! I can't get over how many people we ran into. If we had tried to meet up we wouldn't have found each other! 

Yes Miller, I'm sweater stalking and I took her picture. It's ok at Rhinebeck...now if I did this at the grocery store, it might be considered weird. But not here. Totally normal.

Ahhhhhh!!!!!! I met the one and only Amy Beth (aka The Fat Squirrel!) More on that in another post.

This made my day. 

This drummer was soooo not into this performance! We laughed pretty hard about this one.

He looks so sad! But the music was very nice.

Llama and sheep parade!

Heehee. This guys was tuckered out with his bag of random crap.

Just hanging out with my sheep on my lap...normal scene at a sheep festival.

 

We headed into the town of Rhinebeck for an early dinner before heading home. We picked this beautiful restaurant that was once a church. The service was not very good but the drinks and food were excellent!

Here are my goodies. I picked up a new small basket, a calendar from the winner of this year's art contest, 5 skeins of gray cormo, 1 skein of white cormo, purple blue skein of silk, cashmere, merino yarn, and a bar of Sawkill Farm Soap. It was an amazing day and I was so happy to spend some quality time with my mom and my sister WITHOUT OUR KIDS!

Hope you enjoyed my take on the day. I will post another day about meeting some internet friends.

Happy knitting everyone!