*** warning: picture heavy post***
We couldn’t have asked for a better day to go to the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival! The weather was amazingly warm, no rain, beautiful foliage and a slight breeze — PERFECTION!!!! The jacket I wore ended up in my handbag for the entire day — that’s how perfect the weather was.
My friend “Sudi” and I took Amtrak to Rhinecliff NY with a short taxi ride (less than 5 mins) to the fairgrounds. The sights, the smells, the yarn — OMG!!!!! It was a crafter’s heaven with major yarn overload. There was much opportunity to get sidetracked by “oooo pretty”, but I’m proud to say that for the most part, I stayed on target and got what I went for — including fudge! 😀 I have to say though, this year, there seemed to be less vendors than last year. Additionally, the selection although great, was mostly fingering weights, lace weights and sock yarn. I had a tough time finding DK and aran weights, but I think I got some items that’ll do the job!
The yarn crafts community was amazing as usual. Random people saying “hi”. They came up to me to talk about my purchases and ask me about theirs. I got more “newbie must know” spinning advice than I thought I needed. I even met one crafter at the train station on our way back, who showed me her stuff and went through mine like we’ve known each other forever. LOLOL!
Equally hysterical were the non-knitting men who came as “beasts of burden” to carry their significant other’s purchases. It was hilarious to me to hear the comments — “yes dear, here’s the credit card”, “lets go do anything you want to do since this is your thing”, “let me carry that, that’s why I came … right?”, “no honey, you don’t need anymore yarn but you’re going to get that … right?” 😀
Yesterday at Rhinebeck, we came out in droves. At times the crowd was super thick but I think for the most part, we all ended up with what we came for and a little of what we didn’t. 😀
So let me stop the blabbing and get to it — wanna see? 😛
I’m venturing into the world of spinning and asked the Rav community for some advice on what to get. The general consensus seemed to be to get longer fiber with particular content that’ll be forgiving and accommodating to a new spinner. I stopped by “Into The Whirled” where the owner and some spinners shopping there were amazing. Rather than point me to her most expensive unspun fiber, she gave me tips on which was best for newbie spinners. Once she pointed me in the right direction, others spinners came up to me with additional tips and techniques and shopping help. For my soon to start spinning adventures, I got:
I also got:
Self Stripe Roving from Painted Spring Farm Alpaca and an Ashford top-down spindle from another vendor.
Outside of spinning goodies, I got yarn for four of my five projects which to me is still a win! I had to do some substitutions so I might have to do some project Math, but I think they’ll turn out alright. I ended up with these:
Blue Moon Fiber Arts : Sport Weight in Pond Scum to be used for the Honey Cowl
Shepherd’s Wool: Worsted Weight in Orange to be used for the Garden View Shawlette
(I originally bought this yarn as a gift for a friend who’s birthday’s coming up but I changed my mind about that this morning. :P)
Angora Online: Sock Yarn Hand-dyed for the Cedar Leaf Shawlette OR I might use
Lisa Souza’s: Hardtwist Sock Yarn in Coral
Blue Moon Fiber Arts: Sock Yarn in Boysenberry for my “Age of Brass & Steam” Shawlette
My only impulse yarn purchase was for my first adult sweater:
Shepherd’s Wool: Fine Worsted in Turquoise
Other than that, I’m determined not to let lace be the death of me so I got two ChiaoGoo lace circulars in sizes 2 & 3. I also picked up some “Moth Away” herbs to keep those pesky critters out of my stash.
I had my fan-girl moment when I met Edie Eckman and got a signed copy of her newest crochet book ” Connect The Shapes — Crochet Motifs”.
I’d say I did pretty well — I went out of pocket $48.00 for the sweater yarn but I shouldn’t complain since even with that purchase, I brought home $70.00 bucks in cash!
Status: Mission Accomplished!!!
D'NALI 
You got some great stuff! Next time I’ll be on the lookout for you so you can be my shopping coach, haha!
LOLOLOL!!! I’ve heard that so many times before!!!! Hysterical!!! There were so many goodies, I had to self-coach so I didn’t go broke. 😀
Oooh, I am seriously drooling over your acquisitions. Love the yarn your selected for your first adult sweater. I am attempting my first one as well. Can’t wait to see what you create with all your lush goodies.
And I’ll be doing the same with you. Can’t wait to see what your first sweater looks like!!! 😀
Whoa! That’s an awesome haul! I’m jealous. I’d love to go to a festival like that sometime.
OMG! You live so close … we should totally meet up next year so you could go! I’m going to hold you to that! Have you ever gone to the MD festival? It’s usually in May.
I almost named my post mission accomplished, LOL Next year, we’re going to need a car, a weekend at a bed and breakfast, and a case of some of that wine and cheese to commemorate our stash purchases, lol
BTW, it’s “Sudi”, not “Soodie”, although my friend Marcelle writes it as “Suddie”, lol
LOLOLOL!!!! You know Sudi is for you and Marcelle, but duly noted and subsequently changed!!!!! I’m down with “alla dat” for next year! We really should do it! 😀
And P.S. whatchu dewin’ up at 12:36 am? Don’t you have a plane to catch? 😛
beautiful! I love all of your purchases and you have made me want to run out and go yarn shopping! X
OMG!!!! Let me just get over my fan-girl moment!!!! 😳 😀
So good to have you come visit! If you go shopping, I wanna see pictures!!!!!
*googly eyes* O_O. So jealous of all the goodies you got. You made out pretty well! Do you know what kind of herb mix that is to keep the moths away? -Nizzy
If you’re nice about telling me the next time you’re coming my way, maybe I’ll think about sharing … maybe. 😛
I’m not sure whatelse is in the bag, but some cedar chips are in there for sure. The woman I paid was not the booth owner; the owner had stepped out and the bag doesn’t have an ingredient tag. Maybe I could Google it. 💡
Oh, everything you got looks so great! I went to Stitches Midwest in August, and saw Drew Emborsky and Kristen Ohmdahl, and got autographed copies of their latest patterns. I blogged about it here: http://mlissabeth.blogspot.com/2012/08/stitches-midwest-2012.html
It was awesome! I got some yarn and books, but I did stay within my budget. Right now, I am making a cowl from some of the yarn, and will post pictures on that blog soon.
I can’t wait to see what you’re making, I miss your regular participation in WIP Wed & FO Friday.
Aren’t those yarny festivals just the best? You have all kinds of fan-girl moments, see all kinds of yarny crafters and get to bring home some yarny lusciousness. Awesomeness all around!!!
You have such beautiful fiber to start spinning with! And Ashford spindles are really great, I learned on their student spindle. Its so relaxing to spin, you will definitely enjoy it. I’m having serious spinning and knitting envy over here!! I’ve been so good not buying yarn but you’re making me want to be bad!
Thanks Lady!!! 😀 I really wanted to be good about my purchases this year and make them count!
I have yarn up the wazoo, so come Jan 1, I think another “Craft From Stash Only” venture is going to be on. I think the only purchases I’ll make for the rest of the year is some more Dishie for facecloths (I’ve become addicted to making them), then that’s it. I had to look for something last night and I found yarn I didn’t even remember I had. I gotta get with it too; stick to your no purchasing guns, you’re giving me some added motivation. 😀
Let’s do this together! I’m starting now because I’m moving I can’t take 8 tubs of yarn with me -__- and that’s technically 10 because two of the tubs are huge… And it’s not including my fleece tubs or the nooks and crannies I have random skeins or roving hiding in, sheesh this is worse than a drug addiction -__-
Yes ma’am!!! I’m in!!! I have 5 tubs (2 of them are large) and some small WIP miscellanous stashes all around my apt.
I purged two weeks ago because I want to move in the next couple of months (time for some kind of change) but I still have alot! What I need to do is make a pass through one more time, then come up with a list of projects so on Jan 2 we could start promptly!
Where’re are you moving to? Will you be settled in your new place by the end of the year?
I’m moving to kentucky in may so I still have a while, hopefully as the time gets closer my mom will let me purge my stash of all of my acrylic yarn, lol!
This is hysterical … guess what I’m going through RIGHT now … yep .. my acrylic stash!
I wanted to start a winter blanket after the holidays but I cannot hand wash the size I want to make so I can’t dump my acrylic like I thought.
Too funny. 😀
haha I’m a hardcore environmentalist, it fills me with guilt to have acrylic yarn lol
I just use it for stuff that I plan to never dump. 😀
I don’t even knit or crochet, yet I have a nerdy grin on my face LMAO. Pretty yarn & colours. 🙂
LOLOLOL! Yarn will do that to a person! 😀 You should totally learn how to do either one or both! It’s really relaxing and it keeps your mind active you know … And just so you know, your neck of the woods has it’s own version of Rhinebeck! 😉 😛
Cool. 🙂 Maybe I’ll make learning to knit and/or crochet a resolution for 2013.
I’ll make sure you do when you come over for Christmas! 😛
🙂