Rhinebeck: The Goods

Now, I know I gave you all the rundown of what I saw at the Rhinebeck festival, but I didn't get a chance to share the goodies I picked up yet, so here they are!

Front to back: Cephalopod Yarns Beastie in Snallygaster, Traveller in Hobart, and Merino/Silk fiber in My Squishy

I loved being able to peruse CY yarns in person. It was even more special because those first two skeins of yarn were gifted to me by Marianne and another sweet and anonymous Raveler because of some difficult times I've been going through lately. Such kind and generous acts remind me that everything is going to be ok because there are all sorts of nice knitters in the world looking out for others. It's truly touching!

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Marine Silk Fingering, colorway Moon Jelly

I've been coveting this colorway and this base for a while to make a Verve shawl. The yarn is a wool/silk/seacell blend that I've used before in worsted weight for a cowl. It was very difficult to talk myself out of acquiring more Socks that Rock yarn (my absolute favorite sock yarn) or some of their new cashmere/silk blend yarn, Worthy, but I did resist.

Sheep Incognito artwork

For the rest of the fair, I tried to only purchase items that I would not have come across otherwise. This calendar of adorable sheepy artwork is a good example of that.

Feederbrook Farm yarn

This yarn was so sheepy and such an interesting blend, I had to try it. It's a worsted weight Shetland wool / alpaca mix. I haven't knit with Shetland yet and the alpaca gives it a lovely density. I'm excited to try it out, perhaps in some colorwork?

Merino/Tussah Silk top from Shadeyside Fibers LLC

I picked up some merino/silk top and some Shetland roving (not pictured) for a great price at one of the booths. It was difficult to choose which fiber to buy since there was so much available but I kept an eye out for blends that were priced reasonably and prepared well, and this stuff is just lovely. Soft, flowy, drafts easily, and the color is wonderful spun up.

That's a little sample of 2-ply heavy laceweight yarn that I spun from the top above. That is the thinnest yarn I've ever spun! How did I do it, you ask? Well, I had a secret weapon...

A brand new, teeny-tiny, 0.5 ounce Golding Tsunami purpleheart spindle! This was a total impulse purchase and I don't regret it one bit. I love the yarn I was able to produce with this due to its lighter weight and I know that I will enjoy spinning with it for a long, long time. Plus, it's so tiny I could easily stick it in my purse and take it with me everywhere! I'm going to become That Lady Who Spins In Public. 'Tis a lofty goal, I think. I was inspired by a few people I saw walking around the festival spinning casually during conversation like it was no big thing. Do you spin in public?

I think Kay summed up one of the major dangers of Rhinebeck in her Do's and Don'ts post on the Mason-Dixon Knitting blog:

"4. A word of caution. Rhinebeck can alter your state of mind to the point that it seems reasonable to take up a brand new, equipment and materials-laden, lifelong pursuit for which you have no prior skills or training. Friends, I speak of lucetting, needlepunch, Shirret, rug hooking, spinning, and--the scariest category of all--animal husbandry. Temptation is everywhere."

She couldn't be more right! Rhinebeck: where fiber fanatics go to shamelessly enable each other. What's not to love?