Letters
Rhinebeck 2018: The Time Is Nigh!
Dear Kay,
I’m beginning to think that the New York Sheep and Wool Festival—“Rhinebeck” for short—is a state of mind as much as an annual gathering of tens of thousands of knitters and shepherds and purveyors of wicked snacks.
I think about it more often than you know. The mood of the crowd, the occasional parade of alpacas, the feeling you get when you realize you’re in the company of people who are way, way, way into this world—it’s just really fun.
For those who don’t scrawl RHINEBECK!!! across their calendars months ahead of time, it’s coming up the weekend of October 20, at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York.
I’m looking forward to many things at Rhinebeck but three things in particular:
1. The Lounge at Indie Untangled
Friday, October 19, 1-8 pm: MDK is sponsor of the Lounge at the Indie Untangled Trunk Show. (We like to focus our philanthropic efforts on sitting, knitting, and drinking.) We’ll be there all day, so please come have a restorative beverage and a bit of knitting. This is the fifth year for this one-day-only gathering of independent dyers and the knitters who love them. Founder Lisa Chamoff has found a much larger space for the event, up the road in Saugerties, New York, across the Hudson from Rhinebeck.
Tickets are sold out at this point, so she asks that you show up only if you already have a ticket. We of course are sad about this, but we also understand that the fire marshall needs to be placated. Also: it’s not like the next day you won’t have five billion tons of yarn to shop at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival.
Speaking of which . . .
2. The Book Barn
Saturday and Sunday, October 20-21, most of the day except when we’re shopping and eating and evaluating fleeces: The Merritt Books booth at Rhinebeck, in Building B.
All eight (eight!) of the MDK Field Guides will be available, and we’ll happily sign them for you.
On Saturday at 11:30, the delightful Thea Colman will be on hand to sign Merry Making, the brand-new Field Guide No. 8 that features her small and delicious projects for speedy gift knitting. Please come say hi!
Here are all the authors appearing in the Merritt Books booth. What a fantastic group.
3. Jill Draper’s Open Studio
Saturday, October 20, 6:00-9:00 pm. The beloved dyer opens her studio in Kingston, across the river from Rhinebeck, for a spectacular shopportunity. You need to register here to attend, because it gets very busy. And very fun.
Aids for a Successful Rhinebeck
For the first-time visitor, “How to Rhinebeck: A Primer” by Kay Gardiner.
The vendor list. Warning: your scroll finger will be sorely tested.
The schedule which frankly made my head hurt there’s so much going on.
The map. (I especially like the icon for “Rest seating.” Really ought to be called “Kettle Corn Recovery Zone.” “Artichoke French seating.” “Cast-on-the-yarn-you-just-bought seating.”)
Who’s coming? What’s your plan?
Love,
Ann
I’ll be there, hope to meet you!
It’s on my bucket list, but for now it conflicts with teaching. Have a grand time! Can’t wait for the pictures!
I live 15 minutes from the DC fairgrounds but that weekend I will be at Nazareth College in Rochester NY for family weekend. I’ll have fun, but sure wish I could be at the sheep and wool.
We’ll all be there again but this time with a baby who eats real food, toddles, and sleeps more!! Huzzah!! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
I always call the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in September “the most wonderful time of the year,” or Christmas in September! I mean, December Christmas is nice and all, but there just isn’t as much fiber!
Don’t forget the Ravelry meetups, don’t consider it competition, we Yarn sisters need to stay together.
Looking forward to seeing you again!
Looking forward to another wonderful weekend spent with knitters! I was not fortunate enough to score a ticket to Indie Untangled this year but plan on seeing you on Saturday!
Ill be there! This year, instrad of a Rhinebeck sweater, I set out to knit a Rhinebeck competition entry. Wish me luck!
What is a competition entry? I have never been to Rhinebeck.
The festival has some things that are reminiscent of a state fair, including sheep to shawl competitions, etc.
Good luck!
Oh! I dream about this weekend the moment it over! I will be there! I hope it not as hot as the year nobody could wear their knits, and so cold I was looking for more gloves and hats to buy and wear!
If you come to Indie Untangled stop in the village of Saugerties. We have been busy yarn bombing parking meters, there will be sit and knit spots and of course my personal favorite LYS, the Perfect Blend Yarn and Tea Shop. The Village of Saugerties is ready to welcome you.
We will definitely be in Saugerties!
I am buzzing with excitement! Husband and I will be there on Saturday. We (I) am sad we will not be able to partake in the Indie Untangled MDK Lounge Festivities but we make it a day trip only from central NJ. He has no new Rhinebeck sweater (last year was special, since it was our first Rhinebeck), so he is giving me some grief (good natured, of course). My Savage Heart is my official Rhinebeck sweater but based on the weather, this my change. My Parallelogram Scarf will sadly not be finished on time because I got a bad case of castonitis. We will stop by the Book Alley, of course, to say hello, and I will be my usual enthusiastic self. The time we get there is probably contingent on how fast it takes me to find all of the green/gold/yellow yarn and what the donut line looks like. I only have a rough plan (very unlike me!) but I know which vendor I want to stop by first (Spirit Trail Fiberworks!). I am hoping to run into people and meet new people and I am wondering how many jugs of maple syrup will be coming home with us. So excited!!!
Have a wonderful time! Even if your hubby doesn’t have a new Rhinebeck sweater I’m sure he will enjoy himself. It is really wonderful that you guys are able to do this together.
Thank you, Diane! I appreciate that he accompanies me to knitting events.
I’m going! My first year. I will be volunteering at the souvenir booth all day Saturday and at the workshop registration table Sun afternoon. Stop in to say hello to me! Goingnt to Needles up Friday afternoon. Cant wait!!!
Can’t wait!!
The incredible choices of yarns are a contrast to the time when I started knitting in 1983 ! It’s remarkable and welcome for the creative side in all of us who use yarn as our art form. Beyond cool
I won’t be there this year but I wish I would.
So close, but so far. I’m in Pittsburgh to direct Le Nozze di Figaro, in rehearsals that weekend. HOWEVER!!! I’ve discovered another festival, Raggz, which is only an hour from Pittsburgh. It looks marvelous, and I’ll let you know!
Report back!
This is definitely on my bucket list! But alas, since I live in Minnesota, it may be a long while before I can head that way for a weekend! I’ll be there in spirit until that time.
I’ll be contenting myself with your Rhinebeck recap – can’t wait! Video please?
I’m totally going. I have a big event for work that I foolishly scheduled for Saturday night but I’m going to just have to work around it!
Have a wooly wonderful time!
You she-devils! I’ve never been to Rhinebeck, but I made the mistake of clicking on the vendor list link. I’ve spent the past 3 hours researching the different vendors and I’m only to the letter C! I wantz dem all!
This year I will have actually finished my Rhinebeck sweater (well, a vest, actually) in time to wear it to Rhinebeck. Planning to go to Jill Draper’s studio evening. Hope to find some gorgeous non-superwash BFL DK somewhere among all those booths.
Looking forward to catching up!
I’ll going for the first time ever this year! Woot-Woot!
I clicked on the authors list while I was eating my lunch. Holy sheep!! Please bring some duct tape to put over my mouth because I’m already starting to nerd out about it.
P.S. I have to apologize to Clara Parks. At Vogue Knitting last year, I had reached extreme fannerdom (is that one n or two) and couldn’t string words together correctly so I said nothing.
It is definitely on my bucket list! But will have to wait until retirement, which is 1 year & 8 months away. But who is counting?!!!
Yes to “the feeling you get when you realize you’re in the company of people who are way, way, way into this world.” There is so much to see and learn, and I relish every fiber festival I attend, and all the vendors, textile art, fiber, and animals there. Someday I hope to get to The Mother of All Fiber Festivals, aka Rhinebeck,” but right at this moment I am still in the afterglow of the small but excellent Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. I can’t wait to discover the glory (sorcery?) of the non-pooling hand-dyed yarn I purchased from Boss Kitty. That will have to wait until after Halloween knitting, though…
What, people who crochet aren’t welcome?
What would make you think that?
I’m going…2nd year in a row. It’s still too overwhelming to plan…we just take lots of money! Hope to find your booth and purchase a few signed books!!!
“It’s still too overwhelming to plan…we just take lots of money! ”
Ha – that’s MY kind of festival-goer!
It’s my first Rhinebeck! I’m so excited that I keep jumping up and down.
Oh, you’re in for a lot of fun, Robin!
Hubby in wheelchair and we do things like this together. Are the paths paved or gravel?
Hi! Here are the general accessibility guidelines from the Dutchess County Fairgrounds:
http://dutchessfair.com/fairgrounds-events/general-info/#accessibility
As I recall, most of the paths are paved. Inside some of the barns, it may be dirt flooring. I don’t recall any gravel, but maybe someone else can shed light on this.
Hope you can be there! So much fun.
Yes, lots of paved paths. The tents were doable wheel-wise, and vendors were very nice, allowing me to take precious skeins of yarn to my mom to see when her scooter didn’t fit in a crowded booth. Also, we loved the electric scooter rental guys located by one of the entrances.
My mom is so old school, each time I say “I’m going to Rhinebeck” or even “I’m going to New York Sheep and Wool,” she says, “Oh you mean Duchess county?”
EACH and EVERY time. (Never asked me to accompany her though.) I used to live well below the Modern Daily so I was a SAFF girl and this will be my first Rhinebeck. I’m taking the yoke design class on Friday and then I’ll mainly be trying not to get trampled. Thanks for the Jill Draper tip. Hopefully I’ll be there. And I’ll be wearing my new cardigan, which is so close to being off the needles….
OMG!!!! I’m going for my first time. I was wondering if MDK would be there. Very excited, I’ve wanted to go for years. I’m going on a day bus trip from Boston area. Good thing because I won’t be able to buy out the place.
Kristine
I will see you at Jill’s!
Wish I could spend more that a day but it is not in the cards this year.
My first Rhinebeck! With my daughter! Double exclamation points!! Just bought rain boots as insurance.
I will be at Rhinebeck on Saturday with my daughter and granddaughter! We will be head over to both B as soon as we get there!!!!!
Yay! This former Nashville girl (now a Pennsylvanian) is looking forward to meeting ya’ll! My first Rhinebeck (I’ve been in training the past two years at MD Sheep and Wool), and my sweater is ready, the weather appears to be cooperative, and I scored tickets to Indie Untangled AND the Jill Draper preview! Now if only my bank account will cooperate…..
I’m going on Sunday. This will be my third or fourth festival, I believe. (I’m local enough that it doesn’t take much planning.) I missed 2017, as I’d just had a baby, and will be bringing my year-old daughter with me this year. That should be an experience – I’ll bring the smallest stroller, and the cutest sweater.
Also – Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Co. (190 Yantz Road in Red Hook) are having expanded hours during the Festival. (Thursday and Friday 9am – 8pm, Saturday 10am – 4pm, Sunday noon – 4pm) They raise Shetland and Icelandic sheep, process their own wool on the farm, and have a sweet little shop. You can tour the farm and the mill, and pick up homegrown yarn and fiber plus commercial yarns and local goods. The people who run it are lovely, and if you’re really lucky Dex the border collie will be around.