The Wild and Wooly Weekend

It's not the first time I've said it: thank goodness the Yankees and the Mets crapped out in the playoffs this year and I got my family back (at least until pitchers and catchers go back to work on February 15th) so I have to cram as much togetherness activity as I can until then.

And what better togetherness activity than the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival? The two hour ride gave me many opportunities to say: look at those trees! Makes me want to knit something! Can we stop, I need to pee!

Having been to Stiches East and now Sheep and Wool, I'd recommend saving all your pennies for spending at the Rhinebeck event. Unlike Stitches East, most of the vendors at Rhinebeck were small producers of both fleece and spun wool. If you got bored with the fiber -as if!- you could watch the pumpkin catapult or eat parts of the sheep, cooked. Or listen to a sheep tell a joke like this girl:


Yes of course: what did I buy?

Run, don't walk, to the Briar Rose Fibers website. I bought 1,000 yards of this for only $40, enough for a sleeveless shell. For me, this was the pick of the show.

Tintagel Farms shared some space with Persimmon Tree Farm and I picked up some mohair/wool blend from both. I think they were among the best dyers there, their colors were very natural and rich, and I thought the prices were good: $16 for 200 yards of a rich purple dyed blend, and $10 for 125 yards of a complimentary stripe.

More tomorrow about the bloggers when I upload some pix.