I started out by rushing out of work on Friday to meet up with my travel buddies so we could hit the road. After one false start (can't forget to print out your tickets!), we were off. We did hit some traffic on the way but it wasn't a terrible drive and we were able to get to the hotel with no problems to make it an early night in preparation for the weekend ahead of us.
Timing was on our side as we headed out early for the fairgrounds. There was minimal traffic getting into the parking lot and we were close to the front of the line. It was the first of many line waits ahead of us. Rhinebeck gets more popular ever year and the crowd grows so that you are waiting in line a lot for food and sometimes yarn vendors. But I did find being stuck in line forced me to talk to more new people then I normally would have. I am amazed at some people's ability to carry on conversations with complete strangers. Our next line was at Jennie the Potter's booth. Even though we were close to the front of the line and just around the corner we ended up being in Jennie's line for an hour waiting to get a chance at a Rhinebeck 2013 mug. I was lucky, they were putting out the last of them when I got my turn to pick one. But I got it!
After heading back to the car to safely stow away our breakables it was time for more buying. I snagged three great skeins of a funky purple mix called Smokey Plum in Sliver Moon's Superwash DK. Maybe this will be next year's Rhinebeck sweater. Saturday was super crowded so I spent a good portion of it hanging out and enjoying the festival atmosphere. I got a few more must haves done in the main barns. My only skein of sock yarn was purchased at Into the Whirled. I picked up a calendar from Sheep Incognito for my new cubical Some surprisingly good salad dressing also got purchased. In the afternoon I was able to pick up my pre-ordered Rhinebeck Sweater book, signed by Ysolda Teague. Then spent the rest of my Saturday fair time hanging out, knitting and watching the sheep dog demo. Saturday shopping comes down to, know what you want, get in, get out. Then you can just relax knitting and enjoying the festival atmosphere.
It cooled down in the afternoon and we headed out around 4. We hit some more traffic on the way out but nothing too bad. Lucky for us The Perfect Blend in Saugerties hosted their yearly after Rhinebeck knit night so the party didn't have to end. Saugerties also has a zombie crawl Rhinebeck weekend, so we were able to see some fun zombies and ended up at The Dutch with a zombie waitress. I would definitely recommend The Dutch bar. I had an awesome burger and garlic smothered fries, topped off with an amazing local hard cider. Big thanks to The Perfect Blend for recommending it.
We had a good time going over the day's events with wine and tea. We oooooed over the mink yarn they had. I picked it up in a spring green color to make a lace scarf like the one they had on displays. I also got some hazelnut truffle tea and a cable needle. Not a bad haul so far.
Sunday was much more relaxed and quiet. We got a little later start but still didn't have a problem getting in. The crowds were much less intense and we could actually peruse the smaller barns without feeling claustrophobic.I love seeing all the different small vendors that come and picked up an all natural lotion bar for my super dry hands. We stopped for lunch just before 12 and didn't have to stand in line too long that way. Then picked up some cider donuts for Jer and some maple cotton candy for the knitters that didn't make it. One last run through the main barns, a purchase of a spinning wheel by one of my friends, seeing other friends and we were ready for some pretzels, cheese and hitting the road.
All in all it was a great relaxing weekend full of laughs with good friends, snuggles with good fibers and an amazing feeling of belonging. You're at a place that celebrates something you love, it can't get better then that. We were lucky that we had perfect sweater weather. And after seeing all the fiber, it makes me want to learn to spin more, maybe this year will be the year I get my drop spindle spinning.
I slacked when it came to picture taking like usual but here is my haul in one shot:
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