Rhinebeck and Webs!

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to make the trip back to Rhinebeck, NY to go to the New York Sheep & Wool Festival. Last year we went as part of a week-long vacation with our Lowery friends, but this year it was just me. But the good news is that I’ve made so many new knitting friends through The Loopy Ewe and Ravelry that I wasn’t alone. I met up with Karen, Amy, Kathy, and Jan and we hung out the entire weekend. It was a blast again, even though the skies were a little dreary, and on Sunday it started raining right after I left. But we missed out on the snow and rain they were predicting for Saturday, so that was good.
On Friday we met up at the Eveready Diner in Hyde Park, NY for a late lunch before checking into our hotel in Kingston. Snackage and knitting ensued shortly thereafter. Speaking of snacks, Karen brought us all cupcakes from Crumbs in NYC – oh, my word – they were awesome!
Saturday morning after a quick breakfast run to McD’s, we hit the fairgrounds and headed straight for The Fold to nab some Socks that Rock. I bought 3 skeins of Lightweight in Tanzanite, and on Sunday went back and picked up a skein of Rare Gems and a Mill Ends skein.

I wanted to concentrate on fiber purchases this year rather than yarn, but I blew my budget right out of the gate when Karen and I decided to each buy a portable spinning wheel. She got the Hitchhiker and I bought a Road Bug in red. We tried to convince Amy to take up spinning, but so far she’s resisting. I think a pet angora rabbit may be in her future, though.

Since we had new wheels, we really concentrated on fiber. I bought some Grafton fibers, Into the Whirled, Louet, and some bags at Little Barn, as well as a 1 lb. bag from Decadent Fibers that Karen had to ship to me because it wouldn’t fit into my suitcase. (For the record, had I not bought a wheel, I would have been fine on the packing front.)
Sunday we went back to the fair and Amy and I hit The Fold again, and then we got to sample the famous chicken pot pies – because at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, there was no line, unlike Saturday, when the line lasted at least 2 hours. My only other real splurge was to get a Bosworth spindle from Journey Wheel. I’m excited to try it out.
I left my friends around noon and started the drive to Pioneer Valley. I ran into some snow in the hill towns, and by the time I got to Hadley, MA, it was a miserable dreary rainy afternoon. I took a 2-hour nap, then got out and picked up some tomato soup from Panera Bread. Back in my hotel room, I put on my flannel pants, turned on the Patriots v. Titans football game (so glad I had Tom Brady going in my fantasy league and that I dropped the TN defense – 59-0 – sheesh!), ate my soup, and knitted on Shawl that Jazz.
Monday I got up and headed 2 miles down the road to Northampton, MA, home of Webs. I got to meet the oh, so charming and sweet Kathy Elkins, and spent a good 90 minutes shopping there. I could have stayed longer, but I did still have to drive to Albany to catch my flight. I picked up some Malabrigo Lace in Vaa, Malabrigo Sock in Solis, and some other miscellaneous skeins. 90 minutes later and I was enjoying my 2nd favorite onion rings at Smokey Bones in Colonie, NY, and then at the airport.
It was a fabulous long weekend, but I’m glad to be home for a while. And I think I’m pretty well set for fiber and yarn to get me through the winter (except for some certain gift knitting).