...But I’m happy to be home!
During the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival , I stayed at the Grand Dutchess B&B in Red Hook, just up the road a few miles from Rhinebeck. I love staying there. The festival houses a number of the workshop instructors at this charming establishment. This year, the group included Daryl Lancaster , Abby Franquemont , Donna Kay, and Andrea Wong – all absolutely delightful folks! I was, however, recovering from a cold, suffering from a very sore throat and overbearing cough, so I didn’t join in on the late evening knit and chat sessions. But! I did enjoy the conversations over the fabulously delicious breakfasts that proprietress Beth Pagano made for us – sometimes under unusual circumstances. On our first morning, the electricity went out. Beth improvised and we had a breakfast by candle light!
My classes were loads of fun, with really delightful and interesting participants. I didn’t get much of a chance to shop because of my teaching schedule, but I still managed to snag some very lovely Wensleydale locks from Crimson Shamrock . I had met one of the owners, Lori Wall, a few years ago at the Mid Atlantic Fiber Association Conference in 2009.
One interesting sight at Rhinebeck: there was a spinner, Suzan Stapleford, demonstrating spinning on a pendulum spinning wheel. I’d only ever seen one of them once before (at the Octagon House in Watertown, Wisconsin). Suzan’s husband built the wheel for her. I didn’t take a picture, but I did find a YouTube video of her at the wheel. Click here.
After Rhinebeck, I spent two days at my my cousin’s house near Scranton, PA. She loves fiber too. Trish now works full time for the Mid Atlantic Alpaca Association. We did manage to have one “fiber day”, spent mostly spinning and knitting and playing with her new Hansen Mini-Spinner that she’d just purchased at Rhinebeck. I love that little thing! Here’s a picture.
Trish has an interesting Rhinebeck tradition: she gets a pedicure before going. This year, she had her toenails painted a lovely red, with special fibery images on the big toes. See? This picture is quite out of focus. I hope you can still get the idea…..
Trish has a new kitty too. It’s name is “Lucky Kitty”. Les, Trish’s husband, found the kitty under the hood of his truck – after he’d driven over 90 miles. The kitty was filthy dirty, but not injured. Lucky kitty indeed! And way too cute for words. So, here’s a picture:
After too short a visit, it was on to North Carolina. This was my first time at the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair, and I had fun! My classes went well. A few of the classes were quite full. My Sunday class, in contrast, only had 4 participants. That was my “Slip Stitch Knitting” workshop. You know, I really had the very best time with those four ladies. They jumped right in and played with slipping stitches this way and that way. I left that 10th-workshop-in-10-days on an inspired high. In fact, last night I had a dream about a really really cool sweater that incorporates slip stitches.
Love those knitting dreams!
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