The Rhinebeck (2011) post

If I'd known I was going earlier I would have made more preparations, researched who was there and where. But it wasn't until Tuesday when my dear friend Arnetta asked if I would be interested in going. It wasn't until Wednesday that I knew there'd be room for me. It wasn't until Thursday when it hit me that I was actually going to the 39th Annual New York State Sheep and Wool Festival (affectionately known as "Rhinebeck") in just two more days. It wouldn't be my first time going, but the last time I was there, in 2006 (?), I was still on my knitting hiatus. That earlier visit was one of the events that would help shape my return to knitting.

Yesterday, I was visiting as a knitter/designer. And it was wonderful, even without plans. Here are my personal highlights:

• Re-connecting with longtime friend Arnetta  Until recently, it had been many years since we'd seen each other. It was absolutely great catching up with Arnetta on this trip.
• Meeting new people -- June, Millie, Claire (who organized the trip), and more; it was especially wonderful meeting Twitter friend Vicki Stiefel, co-author with Lisa Souza of 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters. Yes, I bought a copy and got it autographed. And yes, this knitter in the fastlane likes to layback and chillax from time to time. I look forward to reading and savoring this book.
• Barn 27, the Llama & Alpaca Barn  It was my favorite barn on my visit last time and my favorite barn yesterday!

Oh yeah, I bought some yarn. Not alpaca, merino. It's the deliciously rich, red, Royalty colorway of Sami Queen fingering weight yarn from Creatively Dyed Yarn. I'll be writing more about it once I've knitted some up.