Letters
Coming Attraction: Rhinebeck
Dear Ann,
Like Christmas and your birthday, the New York Sheep and Wool Festival (Rhinebeck) sneaks up on you. It’s next weekend, October 18-20!
Our Rhinebeck 2019 Plans
Listen up, Ann, we’re signed up for all of this. (People who aren’t going to Rhinebeck: scroll down for Knitting Content.)
Here are the things we are doing over the weekend.
Friday, October 18, from 2-6 p.m.
We will be in the throng at the first annual Rhinebeck Yarn Bazaar at the parish hall at 6436 Montgomery Street in Rhinebeck, New York. Admission is free! Excellent indie vendors! Join us!
Saturday, October 19, and Sunday, October 20
From 10-3 on both days, we will be in the Book Barn, in Building B on the fairgrounds, wedged behind a table, meeting and greeting, selling and signing (MDK Field Guides), and having a fantastic time. Please stop by and see us.
Special Event!
On Saturday at 2, and Sunday at 1, also in the Book Barn (Building B), we’ll be hosting a talk with Melanie Falick, author of the forthcoming book, Making a Life: Working by Hand and Discovering the Life You Are Meant to Live.
Making a Life doesn’t officially launch until October 29, but Melanie will have a limited supply of advance copies for sale at Rhinebeck.
We’ve been waiting and watching for this book since it was a gleam in Melanie’s eye, and now that we’ve seen it, we’re in awe, and we’re in love. Melanie is a true visionary. She has also been the editorial eye behind so much of the beauty in the knitting and fiber arts books we love.
So come meet Melanie, see the book, and join us for one of the talks.
Saturday Night
On Saturday night, we’re heading to Kingston for Jill Draper Makes Stuff’s famed Open Studio Night. It’s always an amazing night, getting to see Jill’s special farm-to-skein, hand-dyed yarns up close and personal. For details and (free) tickets, here’s where to go.
Special Guest!
We’re beyond thrilled that Jen Arnall-Culliford, brilliant knitting teacher and extraordinary human, author of A Year of Techniques and Boost Your Knitting, is traveling over from England for her first Rhinebeck. A trusting soul, Jen has put herself in our hands, so when she’s not wandering the fairgrounds, sheepy-eyed, she’ll be with us. (We promised her cider doughnuts and kettle corn.) If you see her, say hi.
In the MDK Shop
Knitting Report
The rows of my Superscript Shawl are getting shorter, and for once in my knitting life, I am not happy about this. This has been such a fun pick-it-up and put-it-down knit, I’ll be sorry to see it end.
But I’m excited for the applied embellishments.
I’m heading to Nashville today, leaving home at o-dark thirty and arriving Chez Shayne before Kermit has had his breakfast. I’m pretty sure that the knitting of my Superscript Shawl will be in the books by the time I touch down at BNA.
One of the things I’m most looking forward to about this trip is the opportunity to photograph my Superscript Shawl on your magic table by the window. The one with That Good Light.
Kermit knows the one.
See you soon!
Love,
Kay
Cannot believe Rhinebeck is finally here! We (and our new sweaters – both of us this year!) will stop by book alley on Saturday to see you both).
Sounds like great plans. One day I will get to Rhinebeck. Is that last beautiful photo Astrid by Junko but as a cardigan? https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/astrid-24. It’s beautiful. As is your shawl.
Just knit it with an extra 7 stitches in the front. Then steek it. I do it all the time & it works great.
Wish I could be there. Please give Jen a hug for me!
Thanks entirely to Mr Chapeaubien’s generosity of spirit, I too will be there! I’ve started packing already and even have a new sweater to wear by some miracle. Wouldn’t miss seeing you ladies for the world! Save me a copy of Big Joy!
Can’t be sure but I think Astrid starts the colorwork straight from the top, instead of the main plain color first right around the neck and shoulders. Have a terrific time at Rhinebeck.
Well, it isn’t the last picture. I rolled through them on my phone this AM and got the sequence wrong. It’s the one next to Kay hugging the lady in the beautiful shawl. She has a scarf around her neck. The sleeves say Astrid so, that’s my guess.
I’m missing Rhinebeck this year! But it’s my daughter’s first parent weekend at college, so…. Fall is chockfull–hopefully folks will post about all the great stuff you’ll be doing. Knit (and felt) thee well!
Is your daughter at UVA? I am also missing Rhinebeck, first time since 2015, and that’s partly my reason as well. But also I needed a break. Too peoply. But, the FOMO is real!
Our group’s annual knitting retreat is the weekend after Rhinebeck and it’s not in the cards (or the finances, LOL) to do both. That said, I get so much vicarious enjoyment from your reports, though I miss the vibrant autumns of the Northeast! This is a definite Bucket List item!! Hope you all have extra fun for the rest of us:)!!
I went for the first time last year, and unfortunately cannot go this year… gah! So please- send lots of photos out so I can do some vicarious Rhinebecking!
I can’t wait for your pics! Take lots!
Ann: Don’t forget to pack your stitch markers for Rhinebeck. You never know when you might need one.
Kay: Hope you feel better soon, now that you’ve learned how grumpy Kermit is before breakfast.
The mittens….is there a pattern ….need those now ,!!!!!!!!
Share pictures please!
And a magic window?
We have a ‘Magic Coffee Table”
(If you never heard of this, check out YouTube).
Have fun all you lucky people going to Rhinebeck!!!!
I’ve never been before, but I’ll be visiting New York for the first time and realized that I have one day to explore so guess what? 3 hours each way, we will have a few hours to spend. And I do mean spend . Hope to see you there!