kim (sadly, blogless) is helped to the car at the end of our Excellent Rhinebeck Adventure, and her first-ever fiber show, supported by beckie and karen who are basking in her afterglow.
i think the phrase goes something like, “we did it so long and so good, our knees were like jelly afterwards”.
so where should i start??
determined to be a better blogger at rhinebeck this year, i got home tuesday night with over 200 pictures and 489 emails to go through. wow. that’s a lot of sorting. maybe it was better last year when i had only a dozen photos?
but i decided to divide the pictures up into Places We Went (and People We Saw) and then Fiber We Bought and Played With.
so today you will get Places We Went (and People We Saw).
we left home thursday morning before it was really light in beckie’s pickup (the better the cargo room, my dear), packed to the gills with wheels, luggage and many pounds of wool to be delivered to the mill.
it was a blast to watch kim watch the midwest and pennsylvania go by; she had never been out here before. as we moved eastward, we saw more and more of this
our leaves had not really started turning yet so this was welcome sight for us too. we all knit in the car on the way out. but still we were really REALLY glad to see our house when we finally got in—we had some directional mishaps near the end.
in fact, for some unfathomable reason, the theme of this whole trip turned out to be “we would have been here and hour ago if we hadn’t got lost”. but really, what better place to get lost?
this is the big attraction of rhinebeck for me—the atmosphere. there is no place on earth like New York State in october, and the catskill mountains are the quintessential fall destination—quaint houses, mysterious landscape, spectacular foliage displays, good food and crafts, and nice people.
we were SO happy to arrive.
the first thing we did was set up our spinning wheels. then we put the quiche in the oven and did some predrafting and some knitting while we waited for dinner to be ready.
we topped off the evening with a long session of spinning, chatting, coffee, and chocolate.
on friday we headed for hyde park and the CIA (and yes, we took the wrong route yet again); we had lunch reservations and were meeting up with david from Sweater Project
a fellow foodie, knitter, and blogger (we stalked him at the CIA last year while he knitted kilt hose and drank coffee, then again at the fiber show, so he kindly joined us for lunch this year to avoid a repeat of that behavior).
the CIA of course was awesome . . . you get pretty food
skilled, attentive, and adorable service from soon-to-be-chefs
and showstopper desserts if that’s your thing
seriously, i am SO going to try this next time i make bananas foster at home (trust me, never).
peeling the entire banana with a fork and knife (no fingers at all) was the kicker for me.
the grounds are a compelling environment for any gardener
my favorite was the composition using tricolor swiss chard along side the boxwood and other evergreens—masses of it taunting me (mine never got higher than about 6 inches). the tuscan herb gardens were also very beautiful.
after lunch we drove to sheep’s clothing, the morehouse merino shop (soon to be closing as they move to a web-only presence). we warmed our credit cards up for the weekend there with purchases of their fabulously soft, kettle-dyed merino yarn (more on that tomorrow in the Fiber We Bought and Played With segment).
not as much damage as last year, though; i stayed away from the sale yarn this time. phew (i am not even going to contemplate how it is i spent more than twice the amount on sale yarn last year, which may sit in my stash forever as far as i know, as i did this year on full-priced yarn that is exactly what i need for a sweater. but i learned.).
since we were already in poughkeepsie, we headed next to the knit night at the marriott in hopes of finding some blogger friends to knit with
which we did. we even got to see carole’s bee fields shawl, but not on carole
in fact, i’m wondering if carole ever got it back . . . . kim seems awfully comfortable (and pretty!) in it in every picture i have of that night.
kim picked up her norm hall wheel on saturday and i haven’t seen or heard from her since. hmmm.
saturday was another full day; we got up at the crack of dawn so we could leave the house around 7-ish.
we wanted to get to bread alone in time to grab some scones and other sustenance before hitting the show.
here we go; say good-bye to your cash girls.
these two guys cracked me up—they seem really glad to be inside in the shady recesses of a wide-open space of 10 or 12 square feet. because believe me, it was a jungle outside there.
fiber people and shoppers everywhere.
and it was fun, too. though this guy may not have been having as much fun as we were.
we shopped, we walked, we visited with people. there was no shortage of people.
lots and lots of people stopped me to say hello and it was a thrill to meet you all
wow, i had no idea that my hair was so recognizable til this weekend and no idea that it had gotten so white over the last year. (i saw myself in a reflection—gasp—and wondered who i was. no, i mean literally, i did. i thought recognized myself but wasn’t able to place a name with the face).
good to have reading on that . . .
anyway, we wandered the crowds and made some purchases. and did NOT make others.
this is me proving to kim that i should never wear a hat, even when i find one that does fit.
the exception for me seems to be a beret, but even that has to be small.
we ran into more friends (dude, i did not think i had this many friends)
look at this happy family—monica sure knows how to get a kid immersed in the fiber world (monica, she totally looks like you . . . and scott).
we closed the show (after opening it first thing), and headed out for dinner with chris of briar rose fibers. do i have pictures of that sweet lady and her lovely family?? no.
but another good meal was procured at miss lucy’s kitchen, during which we got our strength back for the ravelry party in kingston, on our side of the river.
and party we did.
with more friends.
that’s david again, and jess from ravelry. stephanie waved us down to come to their table, where, as soon as i was settled, i kinneared her
but when i looked closer at this picture, i see she is up to the same tricks on someone else. it looks like juno might be the victim this time. but you never know who will be next with that one . . .
that’s ok; kim got a good one in at the show. foxhill farm booth, 2 pm. kauni sweater. kinneared.
hee-hee—kim’s husband calls stephanie the YaHo. i love that.
anyway, the party was fun and some people we know even won prizes.
this picture is my favorite of the night
two tired fiberholics slumped in the parking lot, crying into their cell phones.
that about says it all.
sunday was pretty much the same, except we went home in the evening to spin—it was great.
however, we also spent the evening monitoring the situation in san diego; kim’s family evacuated their house and much of her hometown has burned as you all know. thankfully, her little neighborhood was spared; the wind shifted just in time, but just barely. and they’ve had to re-evacuate as well.
please keep the families of west coast in your thoughts over the next little while . . they will need all the help we can get to them.
monday we slept in and took off for woodstock, which was a destination on beckie’s wish list. we found stuff for everyone’s kids, walked a LOT, and visited the wool shop there.
(does anyone know what this sculpture is? looks like pan but has a very odd combination of features, including what looks like a yarmulka on its head . . . i can’t quite come up with a reference, but it seems like i should know what it is.)
woodstock has some of the nicest shopkeepers i’ve met in the area . . . they really are a warm, generous bunch of people, especially considering how much tourist traffic they see.
tuesday we packed up and headed home in the rain, dropping kim at the airport in newburgh on the way out of dodge.
that ended our travels in the area . . . tomorrow i’ll show you the goodies i brought home.
i miss kim. maybe i should move out there . . . or maybe just visit; her kids might get confused by a new (crazy) addition to the family.
meanwhile, i’ll savor the evidence that she was here
chocolate leaves from see’s, dark for david, milk for me. see, that’s why we love her.
42 thoughts on “not a virgin any more”
That was an excellent sum-up of the trip. I have already cataloged my yarn stash in Ravelry, by the by. (hee)
It looks like a fish with legs to me.
What a wonderful time you had! I would have probably needed some quiet time with the alpacas after sensory overload. Great post. Enjoy the See’s! I’m with David on the dark chocolate.
WOOOWW!!! Thanks for the awesome post about Rhinebeck Anne 🙂 I’m so glad you had an awesome time with all your friends!
lovely fall tree colours. and lovely bee fields shawl. just drooling at both. 😉
cant wait to see the yarn!
and I’m afraid I agree on the hat situation. not your most flattering look there.
and yes, you are recognizable by your hair. and your tats. and the well muscled calves. however, those last two were likely covered up most of the festival.
it’s all that fabulous posing that David has you do for your FO pictures.
Wow what a wonderful experience! I do hope to be able to go one of these years… Rhinebeck falls on my wedding anniversary.
I can hardly wait to see the Haul yarn and fiber:)
Fabulous pictures! I wish that I had seen you on Sunday to tell you more about Moriah Anne (grin).
It was GREAT to see you and to meet your friends! Kim’s yarn is already on it’s way out west.
Drat that Carole made me give up the shawl…….I guess I am going to have to cast on very soon 🙂
See’s candy………….oh I miss Arizona…..but you had a fab time…can hardly wait for more!
I can never have enough stories of Rhinebeck and the adventures of the participants. It’s like the knitters’/spinners’ Mecca. Someday I hope to make the obligatory trip.
Oh, I want to go to Rhinebeck SO BADLY.
Come see us in MD next year, maybe???
Anne! I saw you fly by at the blogger meet up and then when I tried to find you again you were gone! I kept my eyes open for you but missed you all weekend!
Nice photo tour! Thanks for the virtual walk thru RB – and the fall leaves. 🙂
I am still laughing over the fact that you drove multiple states to go to a fiber festival, and your first purchase of fiber wasn’t even AT the fiber festival. We are all completely hopeless, aren’t we?
Welcome back! So glad you had a great time! Visit Kim regularly, her family will welcome the addition. No hats for you I agree. I can’t wait to see the yarn and fibre! As for the white hair, I wish mine would just go white instead of taking forever. White looks good, very salt and pepper not so.
Thanks so much for sharing the trip with those of us who are living vicariously from out here in smoky San Diego! I’m so very glad to hear that Kim’s home is OK — it must have been stressful to hear about the goings-on out here while so far away! It looks like you all had an excellent weekend, fully of fibery goodness. I’m inspired to start saving for next year 🙂
I’m so glad you made it to Miss Lucy’s Kitchen and had a great meal. It was nice to run into you if ever so briefly. Glad you made it home safely!
oh, i’m glad y’all had such a good time and got to see such pretty scenery. can’t wait to see part 2!
Anne – thank you so much for the Rhinebeck Roundup. I’m right about to leave SF for a weekend Upstate and I’m SO HAPPY to hear that I won’t be missing the leaves, even if I missed all the good yarn. Me and Teosinte will have to make up for it somehow… 😉
I tried to make off with Carole’s shawl too, but she was too sharp-eyed for me. Maybe next time. It was so nice to see you, I wish we lived closer. But spa is coming in just a few months! We can look forward to that!
Great report, thank you! Can’t wait for part two!
I’ve been thinking about Kim and hoping that all is okay with her family in San Diego.
And I look forward to seeing you at SPA!
I was only there for Saturday afternoon. You have learned how to really revel in the whole scene. I am very jealous.
I haven’t blogged the new additions to my yarn treasury either.
Such beautiful photos! They made me want to travel to the New York state countryside immediately–until you mentioned the mysterious houses, which somehow got me thinking about the Blair Witch! (I guess it was those slender-trunked trees. )
Lovely narrative, the best I’ve read so far on this year’s Rhinebeck. Can’t wait for the fiber sequel! I don’t think you look all that bad in the hat–I can’t imagine THAT hat being flattering to anyone, except maybe an actress with augmented hair.
Did you wear your sweater? If you mentioned it in your post, I missed it. I’m glad you had such a good time. Thanks for giving us a taste. I’m working on the creature in Kung Fu pose. Hmmmm.
WWWWWAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I want to go back to Rhinebeck!!!!!!!! THanks so much for inviting me Anne!!! It was totally 1000% amazingly wonderful. And now I am cooped up at my sister’s house, still evacuated, with all my Rhinebeck purchases safe and sound (and not in the fire!!). And YESS!!!!! You can move into my cabana!!! hahaha. (I think it’s still there…) The kids are already used to you cuz I’ve used your arguments against them!!! (No Rex, you may NOT go to that party friday night if there is no adult supervision; even ANNE agrees with me!!!!!) Make sure you invite me back again next year or I may just have to pull a ‘Gypsy’ and bring a dead chipmunk to your backdoor to gain admittance to the girls’ party!
Wow, what a gorgeous area! There is something about autumn pictures that is just so lovely. I’m glad you had a great time!
Awesome! Thanks for the great wrap-up. haha Ilaughed out loud when I saw you use of “Kinneared” and link to YH. So Cute. Next the YH should release a dictionary 🙂
love your photos. am so jealous. wish I’d been there.
It sounds absolutely wonderful… I sorely wish I could have been there 😉
Looking forward to the “Fibers we bought and played with” post – should provide interesting reading as well!
Looks like you had a fabulous time, gf. Very glad to hear that Kim’s house is fine. It’s been frightful here. You don’t want to move to southern California. Trust me. Not only would you have to give up the most glorious season of the year (autumn) but it would be replaced with one that is distinctly less pleasant: fire season. But do come out to visit some time!
Great recap, Anne. And yes, I got the shawl back. Heh.
This was my first time at Rhinebeck, and it was awesome! Great sum up, I look forward to seeing the bootie!
Rhinebeck was so much fun. Even my non-knitting sister had a blast. It was great meeting you there!
what an amazing journey! i can’t wait to see the “things you bought” part!!
I saw you too, but you looked like you were in a hurry so I didn’t want to interrupt you. Might have been a fiber emergency, ya know? Looks like you had a great time. I forgot my camera, dunh! Perhaps we shall meet next year…
What a wonderful time, I wanna go so bad! It’s on my calendar for next year!
Thanks for the letting us “live” Rhinebeck thru your post – I’d love to see more!! I got the feeling that, as experienced a knitter you are, it’s just as exciting as the very first one you went to – new friends, new things to buy! and the companionship of good friends! ps- love the new Wooly Wonka kit 🙂
Sounds like such a wonderful time. I am so hoping to be able to go next year.
Anne,
I am really glad I got to meet you and hang out with you so much over the weekend. I’m really looking forward to seeing you again next year. And who knows? Maybe before then.
So how about that man-lace?
It was glorious EXCEPT that I seemed to miss so many people this year–ships in the night, I guess. It made me a little sad, but I did what I could retail-therapy-wise to make up for it. 😉
Thanks for letting us share a bit of Rhinebeck too 🙂 Now I am even more determined to come just once. You all had such a great time together !
No hats for me too 🙁
Darn it! I missed you all weekend. I think I got a glimpse of you while on a quick bathroom break Sunday, but then again I’m not totally sure 🙂 It was such a perfect weekend – and I’m sure our paths will cross somewhere in the future.
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