Hello! This is my Rhinebeck Recap post! Well, sort of.
Why sort of? Because I took a lot of fun NYS Sheep and Wool photos on my camera, only to then a) break the viewing screen of the camera; and b) also manage to leave the camera behind at the Rhinecliff Hotel when I returned to NYC. Luckily, she was found and when the camera makes her way back to me, I’ll share my shenanigans from the wooliest festival in the world. The pictures include some pretty photographs of the incredible weather and foliage that we enjoyed on Saturday at the festival, as well as a fun photo of a mini Ravelry designers meetup with the very talented Becky Herrick of Sugar Tree Designs and Triona Murphy of Triona Designs. (Be sure to check out their bevy of designs; gorgeous!)
In the meantime, how about some pictures of Rhinebeck purchases/treats/goodies instead? I knew you wouldn’t mind. 🙂
First up, yarn. Obviously, right? There were innumerable yarn and fleece vendors in the many barns and booths, and so many wonderful local producers. I enjoyed all of the wares, but in the name of yarn stash maintenance (and not yarn stash growth), I snagged just a couple of skeins of some sought-after Cephalopod Yarns in wildly vibrant colors. (And yes, the 45 minute wait in line to get them was worth it haaha!)
Talk about difficult colorways to photograph! On the left is the chartreuse-y “Tree Frog” colorway and on the right is the deeply rich and royal “Purple Soldier Fly” colorway. The colorways are named after insects, I believe. Both skeins are the “Skinny Bugga” blend of superwash merino, cashmere, and nylon. This type of blend has it all: the warmth of cashmere, the spring of merino, and the hardwearing durability of nylon. Perfect for whatever fingering-weight project comes your way, and honestly – I’m thinking of using both colors for a project. Why not? They are complementary colors, after all.
And what do you need for knitting with this yarn? Stitch markers!
Created by hand in Franklin, Maine at Shipyard Point Glassworks, these handcrafted glass stitch markers were too cute to resist. I got a set of 3, including 2 of these black markers and one red marker. Two of the markers are currently in service on a project that I can’t quite show you yet, as it’s a wee surprise. But I love supporting these independent artisans. Shipyard Point Glassworks had an incredible display of these stitchmarkers, as well as other items including jewelry, in a wide variety of colors. Enough variety to satisfy any knitter!
And speaking of independent artisans, one of the most popular vendors at Rhinebeck every year (as evidenced by the long line waiting to even enter her booth) has to be Jennie The Potter from Minnesota. At every show, she unveils the cutest selection of handmade mugs, bowls, vases, jewelry, and other pottery paraphernalia. This year, she had the most beautiful casserole dishes. And guess who came away with one, thanks to her super kind mommy? This girl!
Isn’t the leaf motif gorgeous? I can’t wait to use it. It also has great depth, so it can hold lots of veggies, or whatever I decide to bake in it.
I also noticed that it could work perfectly as a yarn bowl – a knitter’s still life, if you will hee hee. 🙂
Not photographed, but equally great, was some of the soap that I purchased from Bittersweet Ridge. With its incredible scent (I chose the “rosemary mint” variety), it’s a great all natural vegetable product – check out their website for all of their neat varieties.
So those are the few goodies that I grabbed. I was a really good girl! Maybe I was so good because the Sheep and Wool Festival was not the only fun to be had last weekend. It was also the weekend of my brother’s wedding!
Andrew and I were lucky enough to spend part of the weekend with my siblings in an elegant old house in neighboring Staatsburg, NY. Although Friday was a stormy and windy day, the weather cooperated perfectly for the rest of the weekend and the picture above was our vista from the front porch, taken with Andrew’s fancy “panorama” function. Incredible, right? Here are a few more photos taken from the front door; the house also served as the perfect location for some pre-wedding photos. The scenery could not have been more idyllic:
(You can see the Hudson River shining in the distance.)
(I couldn’t resist the gratuitous fireplace shot. Is there anything cozier to wake up to on a weekend morning?)
I was also touched to be part of the wedding party. The bride, Sara, chose silver and sapphire as her wedding palette and this included stunning sapphire gowns for her bridesmaids. Completely coincidentally, the color of the gown matched my Avian Shawl! So I knew that I had to bring it along to keep the late autumn chill off my shoulders during the reception. Here’s a quick snap outside the church of me in all of my finery:
As you can see, the scenery and the weather and the day were perfect, and justly so for such a wonderful couple.
The reception at the Rhinecliff Hotel was a delicious and fun affair as well (oh, the short ribs with the red wine sauce; I’m still dreaming of them). We danced and laughed throughout the night. And a beautiful sunset certainly capped off an unforgettable weekend.
Now you see why I love Rhinebeck. 😉
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