Another year, another New York Sheep and Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck) in the books. I love my annual opportunity to spend a few minutes in person with people that I usually communicate with online. It is also fun to be surrounded by people who love making as much as I do – it is a place where you can stare at someone’s sweater and they understand it comes from admiration. Being among your people is deeply comforting.
As always, I enjoy the shopping opportunities that Rhinebeck provides. This year I brought home:
- jerky for my husband
- When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles for my daughter
- two necklaces from Jennie the Potter
- Vanishing Fleece by Clara Parkes
- Knitting Outside the Box: Drape and Fold by Bristol Ivy
- rose face spray
- washi tape
- a nålebinding needle
- my favorite lanolin lotion from Long Island Livestock Co
- a mud-dyed tote bag(!!)
- Making a Life by Melanie Falick
The tote bag and rose spray and needle were from my swap partner, as part of our house swap. We draw names on the first night and give a gift to our partner on the last night. She totally nailed my color palette and my favorite scent.
The Jennie the Potter necklaces are particularly special. I bought one of these for myself 5 years ago and have worn it nearly everyday since. Whenever I go out of town I leave it with my daughter, so she can feel close to mom when she is far away. This year on the first night of Rhinebeck I got a panicked phone call that my daughter had lost the charm – she kept sobbing how sorry she was. It was so sad that this object I meant to bring her comfort instead stressed her out, and I was really thrilled to see that Jennie had them in stock this year. I got two so my daughter and I can each have our own. And amazingly, on Sunday night she managed to find the missing charm, so now we have three of them. Plenty to make sure anyone who wants one has one.
It was another wonderful year at Rhinebeck, and I look forward to attending next year.
