Letters
Rhinebeck/Pie Party Scrapbook
Dear Ann,
As I type this, you are in a yellow taxi on your way to La Guardia airport, bound for home. How did the past four days go by so quickly? And the weekend before last, when we were both in Nashville and gave a rehearsal dinner for Liz (now) Olson, MDK’s heaven-sent ecommerce manager? That seems an entire lifetime ago. We have got to slow down time.
In such situations, one can simply fire up the Kodak Carousel-S and try to recapture the experience through images. Here we go! Brace yourself for memories!
Friday Night: Indie Untangled Trunk Show
The Indie Untangled Trunk Show was off the chain! It was so crowded that we hung out in the bar until things cooled down (literally, it was hot in the room). The line to get in before the doors opened at five was insanely long, and incredibly fun. People were in a state of bliss that Rhinebeck was about to begin. Rope drop fever! Here’s our highlight, though:
Baby Isabella: all the cuteness, in an MDK muslin bag. Thank you, Zenaida B (not pictured), for sharing your darling girl with us, and finding the best possible use of a branded muslin bag.
We also ran into these two cuties who hang out at Knitty City, my LYS:
Shameka and Melissa. (Why is Shameka not wearing pink? Was she feeling all right?)
Rhinebeck: It’s All About the Sheep
We spent most of our time in the book barn, meeting and greeting, signing books, getting our books signed by authors we adore, and generally having a fabulous time. But we didn’t want to miss out on the sheep!
Here’s a friendly sheep with unusual markings and a kind of grunty bleat.
Ignore the sign that says this is a tortoise. This is not a tortoise! It’s a long, brown sheep at rest, relaxing with some hay on its back, as sheep are wont to do.
City folk underestimate the athleticism of sheep, but we attendees of agricultural fairs know better. This sheep caught 10 frisbees in a row!
OK, the fact is, I saw no sheep at Rhinebeck 2017. I used what precious wandering-the-fair time I had to run into the arms of friends I met, and to sit on the grass eating pirogis and kielbasa. I feel TERRIBLE about not seeing any sheep. What is wrong with me? Please send me your finest ovine imagery, people! I have to make it all the way to Maryland Sheep & Wool, next May, to get some proper sheep-viewing.
The Peeps
The best way to see people at Rhinebeck is to stand in one place until they pass by. If you keep moving, you will miss all the people you want to see. (I learned this when I got lost at Pioneer Village in Minden, Nebraska on a childhood visit with my family. I wandered for hours, fear mounting, until I had the idea of sitting on the floor by a Conestoga wagon with my head in my hands. Then they found me.)
Lucky for us, we stood still a lot. These are just a few of the friendly faces that stopped by the Merritt Books store in Building B. I did my best to take notes on names and sweater identifications as I snapped photos—I believe you praised me lavishly for my efforts—but now that I’m home I have a list with notations on it such as “Pam.” Just Pam. What was Pam wearing? What are her distinguishing features? “Deborah ombre,” now THAT’S a useful notation. [Scans phone, looking for ombre.]
Mary Anne, Courtney and Karen, who all knew how to dress for the sunny 70s. (Well, maybe not Mary Anne, but her Park Slope Top was worth risking a little heat exhaustion.)
Becky in her stunning dress, Pam by Junko Okamoto. (Hey, maybe this is the “Pam” in my notes!)
Cheri is smiling because she is not wearing wool. We trust that Cheri has plenty of sweaters but the good sense not to wear them in the heat. (There is a super cute photo of the three of us on Cheri’s Instagram, @villagecrone.)
Julibeth in one of the loveliest Sunset Highways we saw. And we saw many of them. What a clever idea for using handpainted yarns in high-contrast colorwork.
I think this is Gail and Cheryl! (I have a note that says “Gail & Cheryl.” I’m just not that good at notes.)
This must be “Robin and Chris—matching scarves.” (Perhaps my finest note.) They are members of a Westchester County, NY Stitch & Bitch that made themselves matching scarves for Rhinebeck. This is a thing that would be so fun to do, and take so much group cohesion and discipline. Well done!
Here’s Jan in a Stevie cardi that fit her perfectly.
Christine was so excited about her first Rhinebeck that she also knit a Rhinebeck sweater for her guy, Colin.
Mary Heather dropped by to be radiant and show us the start of her log cabin baby blanket.
Tiffany had gathered the ingredients for a mighty fade, wearing an incredible apple green dress.
On the left, Mary Beth, wearing Birkin, a sweater we kept seeing, which looks fantastic in every version, on every person. On the right, Sara, in an equally stunning Bressay dress.
Here’s Thea in Cranberry Gose, her own design.
And here’s Nell in Roger, her own design.
Roger has convinced me that my next cardi will have cloth pockets. I tried it on and the cloth pocket feels so good.
It was a pleasure being stationed across the way from Bristol Ivy, here with her proud mom, Darlene.
We were also temptingly near the Pom Pom sample rack, which was dominated by beautiful knits from Bristol’s new book, Knitting Outside the Box. This is going to be one for the ages.
Nicole knew how to beat the heat, in a vibrant ensemble of machine-knit shorts and top, of her own design.
Just in time to make a great day 1000 percent better, these three goofballs showed up. Left to right, Kim, Yvonne (wearing her magnificent Hadley) and Karen.
Kim earned a spotlight photo, with her mohair horse-portrait pullover. A handmade thrift shop find. Who has this kind of thrift-shop karma? We could not stop looking and touching this work of art. It blots out the sun, and it even made us look away from the gorgeous colorwork pullover Karen is wearing.
And Then There Was Pie
Saturday night’s pie party was everything we’d hoped for, and more. So many friendly faces. So much delicious local pie (30 pies, to be exact, from Adams Fairacre Farms in Kingston).
When sisters Rebecca and Margeau Soboti, aka The Wooliers, received our instructions that they’d be asked to remove their shoes at the door, they did the knitterly thing: they knitted up slippers just for the pie party. The pics up top, by photographer Gale Zucker, bring back sweet memories of a great evening, including party slippers.
Thanks to our generous host for sharing her farmhouse. Thanks to Gale for sharing her joyful images. Thanks to all who made time in your Rhinebeck revels to join us.
Love,
Kay
I want the pattern for the Pom Pom slippers. Where?..
They also look like Family Slippers from Churchmouse Yarns, free pattern on Ravelry.
They said they did a pattern search for “slippers” and found a free pattern. I’ve seen this style of slippers for years (in fact I think it’s the same slippers that were my first knitting project at age 12). They looked a lot like these: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/toesties-garter-rib-slippers
Oh my goodness, this was my first knitting project! Grandma McNair and my Mom taught me to knit these slippers. I think I was 7 or 8. First slipper was too small, second one was too big. Their pattern looked like the picture in the middle but with the added pompom. Been looking for this pattern for ages.
Thank you, Kay. Now when to put down my nine patch blanket to make some of those cute slippers.
We made those slippers in sixth grade also!
Well aside from all of the wonderful knitting, you have given me another reason why I like knitters so much. They are intelligent women who know to wear comfortable shoes! That picture with all of the shoes looked like an ad for every comfort shoe known. In fact, I wished that I could see the label of some of them. I can never understand when I am at someplace that requires lots of walking (like Rhinebeck or an airport), women wearing stiletto heels. So walk on ladies!
awww – so much fun!
I want to go back. 362 more days to go.
Thanks for the vicarious Rhinebeck! Many of these snaps brought on a spontaneous “ooooh!” And that one at the top with all the shades of brown…perfect, to my eyes.
Fabric pockets!! I discovered fabric pockets on a handknit sweater at the Vermont fiber fair (the one that hosts the Cashmere Goat show) last year, thus proving – as if proof were needed – the importance of attending fiber fairs. I still harbor a strong urge to knit an entire cardi just so I can add pretty fabric pockets.
Thank you for sharing all these wonderful photos of Rhinebeck. I kept wanting to hit the love button. ONe day, I’m going to make it to Rhinebeck!
Looks like a great time. I love the slippers and that little shorts outfit. I am not sure I will ever make it to Rhinebeck but I look forward to seeing you at Maryland Sheep and Wool.
Rhinebeck is Comic Con for knitters! It’s all about the costumes and the posing. And buying stuff too. I had fun watching the instagram posts all weekend. I get so many good ideas.
I want the pattern for the Westchester matching scarves! Any ideas?
The pattern is Bosc Pear, a free pattern. They bought the yarn at Webs but I’m not sure of the brand
Thanks!
Let’s hope they see this and chime in. I’ll edit the post to add the question!
What a weekend! I was a lucky Pie Party attendee (and the pie was fantastic). It felt like a reunion with people I had just never met in person before! Knitters are the best people with Kay and Ann being tops among us all. As quickly as it went, next year will be here in a flash- just hoping it’s a bit cooler for 2018.
Thanks again!!
All beautiful handmades and worth sweating to show off. If I had made the dress “Pam”, I’d definitely want to show it off. Works of art!
I confess that after reading and then looking more closely at your “sheep” descriptions, I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1st!
Finally somebody reacts to my silly joke! Thank you, Laura, for humoring me.
You didn’t hear me laugh out loud at the sheep joke? Except I really can’t tell what the second animal is….
Next year I am soooo coming to the pie party!
Kay, your sweater is gorgeous. Details?
The one with all the red stripes is a vintage Kaffe Fassett pattern called Smoulder. Yes I’m old enough to own “vintage” clothing that I made myself. This style of sweater was not supposed to look good on me (in my mind) but in reality every time I wear it I think it’s perfection. It’s cotton: Rowan Cotton Glace. It was a lot of ends to sew in. It was the lowest pain one could experience knitting a Kaffe Fassett pattern: many colors (colours) but no intarsia! 10/10 would knit again.
In other photos floating around Instagram, I am wearing my Hadley pullover. It’s warm but I was fine, as long as I was indoors and not moving very much. Worth it to show off my mismatched sleeves and the great fit of Véronik Avery’s clever shaping.
Kay, is this your attempt to get us to ignore your failure to finish the Big Flower jacket for the second year in a row? Didn’t work.
My friend just messaged me that I was on your blog! I’m am thrilled. It was a pleasure meeting both of you since I am a big fan. Thanks!
Are you Robin of the matching scarves? See my query above.
Thanks for the lovely pictures and descriptions!
I may never make it to Rhinebeck but I HAVE been to Pioneer Village. One was fascinating,,,the other looks like a Mecca for knitters.
Oh Ginny! Pioneer Village is such a vivid memory for me. I saw very little of it due to getting lost in one of the buildings and being afraid to leave…
Thanks for capturing the whole event so perfectly, and for hosting the yummy pie party. Sometimes we have to suffer for our craft, like wearing that sweater designed for a 20 degree cooler day. I always come away from Rhinebeck with that warm and fuzzy (pun intended) feeling. Cheers to you both
I didn’t know there were pierogis! I love pierogis. Next time! Thanks so much for including us!
I feel like a star! Been in pictures twice in the past week! I’m sitting in the rocker in the blue t-shirt. Next to me is Sue…she told me all about being one of the first female firefighters for the National Park Service! The pie was delicious! I had cherry….and the house was gorgeous!
Ohhhhh, thanks for sharing! Someday I will make it to Rhinebeck. A bit of a trek from the other coast! Especially if one is feeling shy…
It was a great weekend. I had to talk my husband down from calling the fire department on Friday night. There is no way that was code there in the Best Western. We left because crowds = panic buying and later credit card debt and deep regret.
The sheep were aaaamaaaazinnng. So amazing. We sat for an enormous amount of time and watched the auction. One day I will be so batty I’ll pee in public like sheep do. When you gotta go, you gotta go.
It also turns out the amazing falafels are available in town and without a really long line. And next to a liquor store. Perfection!
We stayed up in Hudson, no traffic, no crowded restaurants and amazing food, people and the cutest little dog named Sylvia. Already planning for next year!
If the comments allowed for photos, I’d post a sheep pic from Rhinebeck, I took a few while my friend waited in line to buy some yarn!
I met you, bought the log cabin book and had it signed! You both were so nice, just like you seem to be in your blog!
Oh my gosh! That’s the best photo of my Stevie! Much better than any I have taken. By a weird coincidence I, too, got lost at Pioneer Village; we lived in NE back in the day when my dad was stationed at Offutt AFB. Thanks so much for the inspiration and encouragement this year, ladies. Looking forward to next time xx
Thanks for sharing. Everyone looks like they had a blast!
My friend and I were just saying, this is the event for next year. Wonderful family of knitters and yarn…blessings
Loved the pie party. So relaxing, and a great chance to meet new people. I would come up just for that next year, then maybe go to the festival on Sunday. Starting to think that the tailgating is more fun than the ‘big game’.
Is it possible I could be the Pam in question? We chatted for a while at the book signing stall where I told you I felt bad about telling you last year at VK NYC that I only sometimes read Snippets. I read it every week-really I do! And then we chatted again at the wonderful Pie Party. Or maybe you remember the Silk beaded Bulls Eye vest I was wearing? Or maybe you just remember talking to a really nice person (sorry couldn’t resist). In any case, whether or not I am the Pam on the brain, I loved chatting with you and can’t wait to say hi at VKL NYC. And can’t wait to read next week’s Snippets.
Thanks for posting all these wonderful Rhinebeck pictures. Hope no one thinks this I heresy, but it must be hard to decide whether the people, the projects or the yarn is the best part of the festival. I do hope I can make it to Rhinebeck at some point!