The Sheep, The Wool, The Fun

The Sheep, The Wool, The Fun ... this is how I think of the New York Sheep and Wool Festival held in Rhinebeck, NY.


2012 NY Sheep & Wool Festival
 at Rhinebeck, NY

I was to have participated in this fun annual event on Saturday, but just minutes short of pulling into the parking lot I discovered I had completely forgotten about a prior commitment.  I turned the car around and vowed to return on Sunday.

When yarn gets motion-sickness.

Ever wonder what happens to yarn when it gets motion-sickness?  Yarn vomit.  There I said it.  It was the running joke of both trips to and from Rhinebeck. Mini~Dee had brought a friend with her (one that had attended the CT Sheep & Wool Festival this past April) on both trips: she crocheted, her friend knitted.  And they both worked on cleaning up the yarn guts.  LOL

The kids enjoying the beautiful weather at Rhinebeck.

Fortunately the weather on Sunday was just as beautiful as it was on Saturday; the sun was shining, the air was warm, everyone there seemed to be smiling, even the animals!

I concentrated on finding the "gems" of the festival: things I couldn't live without.  Every booth was filled with beautiful treasures so I really had to narrow it down.  I purchased a pair of green crochet hook earrings from SassafraCreations; some notions from BitsyKnits (including a pair of Knit Picks knitting needles that I can use with my recently aquired Interchangeable crochet hooks (with hopes of trying the Portuguese Knitting technique)); and some dee-licious lightly beaded, hand-spun angora yarn from AngoraOnline.  And scored a tube of "Heal My Nose," a must for the winter season!

Angora treasure found at Rhinebeck

There was a ton of food at the festival, including some hot sauces reportedly some 650+ times hotter than jalapeno peppers.  Naturally the kids decided to try it, and then instantly regretted it!  LOL  One of the biggest hits in the food building was the DeeDeeDesserts -- we came home with four flavors.  Am I saying this just because they have the name "Dee" in them?  No; the kids really liked it and want to make the holiday desserts with it.  The lamb burgers were fantastic, as was the "roving looking" maple cotton candy. 


The other enjoyable activity was in watching all the people -- it was like a Stitch Feast for the Eyes, with non-stop action of finished crocheted and knitted projects everywhere.  The only sighting that seemed to raise the kids eyebrows was the man wearing the very short knitted shorts.  (I'm not sure if it was the shorts that got them to giggle or the day-glow brightness of his legs. I'm sure the stitch work was nice, but I dared not to take a closer look!)  This year there seemed to be a lot of crocheted ponchos and sweaters in beautiful color arrangements & fibers. 

Here's looking forward to next year's event!  :)