Rhinebeck 2009

This is the first year that I regretted not taking a camera to Rhinebeck for the Sheep and Wool festival.  Usually I don't miss it.  Even when I carry it I don't tend to use it.  I don't take pictures of other people, I don't take pictures of myself.  Usually I take pictures of things that inspire me and this is the first year that I really missed having my camera.  Note for next year.

So all you get, as usual are pictures of the haul.  

I went in saying I wasn't going to buy anything, which I knew was a lie, that I would buy something.  I think I did well.  I bought more than I intended to buy but I am okay with it.  I only came out with one bag of yarn and many years I have done far far worse.

The first purchase came within a few minutes of arrival.  We stopped at Tochay's Rainbow Yarns, where I have purchased yarn in the past.  I was happy to see them as they were not there last year, at least not there on Saturday, and I missed them then.  Unfortunately I did not expect to see them this year and I don't remember what I wanted last year or what project I had in mind.  Nonetheless I bought something.

Although they have mohairs and yarns in a variety of gauges, it is the big thick yarns I love from this vendor.  I love the color, I love the way the yarn knits soft and drapey; did I say I love the colors?  I fell in love with the muted plums in this yarn but there is not much of it, only about 250 yards, even at 1 1/2 stitches per inch  it will probably end up being only a scarf.  I might be able to get a shrug out of it, doubtful, but I might find a way, perhaps using another yarn for the edges.  I went for it anyway.

They had another yarn that wasn't out yet.  I didn't plan on two yarns, but the second one was so lovely.  G like both and couldn't decide and frankly neither could I, so both came home with us.  There is a tad over 400 yards of this one so I know I can knit a shrug or short cardi.  I just have to figure out what I want to do.

It is nice to have a spouse who likes to go to sheep festivals and look at yarn and I am not complaining that he came with me.  Sometimes he backs me up when I am feeling doubtful about something, and he has a way of reading my mind:  "not this, yes that".  There were probably some things I didn't look at because he was around but at the same time he kind of egged me into buying a few things I had sworn to ignore, such as this small batch of roving.

I have several boxes of roving at home which I have neither spun nor felted.  I sometimes wonder about spinning.  I would like to learn, but I doubt it will ever be a major interest, I mostly want to spin just to use my grandmother's spinning wheel.  Felting is more interesting but wet felting is a lot of work and also requires a good bit of time, something that has been in short supply lately.

But G really liked the colors in this roving, and as I looked at I was struck with the perfect inspiration.  I did not need much, a small handful, and I believe the final result will be lovely and even something I am likely to get to in the near future, by which I mean before next year's Sheep and Wool festival.

I met my knitting group at the Fairgrounds and we spent most of the day Saturday wandering around.  Several of us admired a felted scarf at one vendor and bought a skein and a couple of us bought a hank of merino/tencel to give it a try.  

We stopped in Briar Rose Fibers because one of my group had purchased some gorgeous yarn there last year.  I ended up with yarn despite myself.    I just love the shades of green in this yarn.  The yarn is called Legend, it is between sport and dk weight; I already know exactly what I am going to knit.  Stay tuned.