An Update About the Awesomeness of Rhinebeck, a Week Late

Last weekend, I and my trusty car buddies Lsquared42 and Fiendishchef, hit the road at 5 AM from Massachusetts and made our way to Rhinebeck, NY for the NYS Sheep and Wool Festival. This was my first event of this sort and I have to say it was pretty awesome. Technically, the reason we went is that we are knitters and knitters need wool, so why not go to a wool fest to get wool. But I think the REAL reason I went was because of the food. I have been hearing about the food at Rhinebeck for 9 months since I joined my knitting group. I was so excited about the prospect of eating Apple Crisp and Maple Cotton Candy.And mannnnnnnnnnnn, was it good. The Apple Crisp was by far the best Apple Crisp I have ever had. I even ate a Lamb Hot Dog. But I didn't stop there -- Maple Cotton Candy, Pumpkin Fudge, my first taste of Venison Sausage, tons of different cheeses. It was amazing. I spent so much of my yarn budget on food. Too be very honest I cannot wait to go again JUST to eat more yummy festival food. So of the best quality festival food I've ever had. (See picture below, where I am enjoying a lamb hot dog)

I GUESSSSSSSSS, since I am a knitter and this is my knit blog I guess I better talk about the yarn and needles I bought. I have to say I was a bit overwhelmed by the yarn. It was just skein after skein and rack after rack. I felt like I HAD to buy something but I had the hardest time to commit. To be honest I ended up buying the skein I bought because Fiensdishchef said, "let's go back and get my mug then you can swing by and get that purple you liked." And so I said "okay" because I knew I wouldn't be able to pick something on my own. This "purple" we are referring to a a BIG ASS hunk o' merino wool from Creatively Dyed. It's some of the prettiest, softest and snuggly-ist, most expensive purple yarn ever.  Unfortunately, I could not find my real camera before I started working this stuff so you'll just have to settle for my overexposed and wrongly colored iPhone camera shots of it....

I started trying to make a sleeveless cardi with it but I am not one for gauging and there was no way I could make it with the 425 yards. I was gonna fall short so I had to rip this loverly beginning to a sleeve cardi...

Again the exposure is all wrong, there appears to be pinkish bits but it is really more of a greyish purple. I was depressed to rip these gorgeous cables but I think it will be nice to have a matching set of hat and mittens for my second New England winter. I started a third pair of Bella Mittens by Subliminal Rabbit. I made one of the first pair, and 2nd pair for my boss Chris (see below), and now this loverly purple will be MINE ALL MINE. I am almost finished with the first mit, I'll post next week.

The best purchase and also the most extravagant knitting related purchase ever. I have been in the market for a new SET of interchangeables for awhile and was damn near about to buy the nickle knit picks set but held off until "after Rhinebeck." BUT instead of spending $69.99 on a whole set, I bought a single size 10 24" hand blown glass needle. Its GORGEOUS but it is one one needle in a size I hardly use. BUT it was black and orange, and  y'all know how big black and orange are in our house between Tristan and me. 

These things are like knitting with buttah! As in the Barbara Streisand pronunciation of butter. They are amazing and I am so annoyed that I am knitting my mittens on non-glass needles right now because I don't know how I can ever not knit on glass again. It is so smooth and beautiful. I am completely in love with them both in look and function.

I have decided though that after I finish these mit I'll force myself to knit with size 10 for the rest of my life to justify the purchase of a $60 pair of needles. Or I'll just go to the guy's website glasspens.com and buy more in the sizes I use more frequently. 

That's it for me now, I'm tired. =)