Category: Inspiration

Rhinebeck

Published on by Jane8 Comments
By now you know that Saturday’s sky looked like this:


And that there were lots of these:

That’s about it!

Just kidding.

I didn’t do so well in the photography department, but I sure did have a wonderful time! We — my friend (blogless) Judy and her daughters, the Amazing R’s — stayed in our new favorite motel in Hyde Park, which is just five minutes up the road from our favorite place to eat, the Eveready Diner. We enjoyed breakfast on both mornings, the better to fortify ourselves for the days ahead.

That’s right, Sandy, No Crybabies!


Saturday: full of pancakes and sausages, we parked and made a bee-line to the big building to visit the peeps at Spirit Trail — Jen and Martha and Purlewe and Shelia. Hugs all around, with a little squealing.

Then we spent a while going in circles, discovering things like this:

  • Brooks Farm’s newest yarn, Acero — 60% superwash, 20% silk, and 20% viscose. It’s beautiful, and not yet available on their website.
  • Susan Borger’s lovely lavender sachets, of linen and cotton, some with delicate embroidered patchwork designs.
  • Grafton Fibers batts. I did not realize that they were those batts until after I had purchased some.
  • Spirit Trail’s incredible silks and fibers and sock yarns. And everything. I’m going to wait till Jennifer’s appearance at the KR Retreat.

By the time we made it out into the open, it was clear that the crowds were bigger than ever. Weaving in and out, trying to stay together, we saw the most beautiful knitting being worn by just about everyone. Shawls of every type and color, with knitters stopping knitters to ask what pattern? which yarn? Sweaters, hats, scarves, socks. And fingerless mitts! The fingerless mitts were on just about every hand (including the R’s, because I finished theirs just in time).

I didn’t go to the big blogger meetup, and I’m only a bit sorry that I missed it. You see, we were already having a magical, wonderful day, and I didn’t want to interrupt it. Next time.

We took a car break in the early afternoon — we stowed our purchases and had twenty minutes of peace, a chat about our plans for the rest of the day, some water, and we were good to go. By the time we met up with a friend in the late afternoon, we’d made it up to the top of the fairgrounds. I got lost in the Morehouse booth, emerging with enough beautiful variegated lace yarn to make a little shawl or a big scarf. I’d also found the fiber of my dreams at Carolina Homespun — Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks Cashmere-Tussah in a color called Hallie’s Berries. One R caught the knitting bug right there in the middle of Building 31. Cotton yarn to make a placemat for Grandma. Good thing I brought my needles!

After a delicious dinner at our traditional Saturday Rhinebeck spot, the Rhinebeck Grille and Cantina, we went back to Hyde Park to rest up and knit and sew (the other R was working on a fantastic felt creature). And gab. When you’ve known someone as long as I’ve known Judy (34 years!) (we were babies, I tell you!) and you can still make each other laugh so hard you can’t breathe, then I’d say you’re best friends, wouldn’t you? And when you immerse a pair of girls, starting at birth, in your Philosophy of Friendship, then by the time they are almost thirteen they’re right there with you, making you go breathless, too.

~:~

So that was Saturday. It’s late now, and my work day was a long one, and I’m still basking/recovering. I’ll be back.