Rhinebeck Trip...Day 3 - First Day of the Festival

The weather was absolutely fantastic - you couldn't ask for better weather for the NY Sheep and Wool Festival! The fall colors were gorgeous! The surrounding countryside was gorgeous as well - just before peak color. This photo shows just a small sampling of the colorful trees.

The fairgrounds were alive with festive "wool seekers". Even though the festival was quite crowded, it felt deceptively "uncrowded". Perhaps the perfect weather and the scent of wool rendered the crowd invisible?



Most Predictable Purchase
A few booths had long lines...like Toni Neil's booth, "The Fold". She had tons of "Socks that Rock" - and the colors were fabulous! Of course, I fell in love with a few color ways and was "forced" to wait in the line. Even though the line was a bit long, it was still an enjoyable experience. The wait gave me time to chat with the other knitters...sharing knitting stories and tips. (I don't know what it is about "Socks that Rock", but they're impossible to resist! The variety of colors is incredible!)

Most Unexpected Purchase
One "surprise" item I purchased was a Bosworth Moosie. The Bosworth's actually had a few for sale at the festival, so I just "had" to get one. I'm already on the waiting list to select one in April 2008, but this was an unexpected opportunity. One can never have too many drop spindles - they're always great conversation pieces...especially when the whorl is made of moose antler!

Most Unusual Purchase
Morehouse Farm had the most interesting and unusual scarves! These alligators were my absolute favorite! I can't wait to make them - it will definitely be a "conversation piece" once it's done. How many people do you know that would "wear an alligator around their neck? (Just in case you're not as enamored with the alligator scarf as I am, they do have other scarves - like the dragon, rat race, the catepillar, and a nice variety of "standard" scarves!) (Click on the photo for a closer look!)

It was a great day - so many interesting things to see and do! One of my favorite experiences was watching my friend, Colleen, take 3rd in the National Angora Goat competition with two of her goats! Wahoo! You go girl! (I actually missed seeing the 2nd win as I was busy shopping...but I WAS there in person for the first award!) Now for a shameless plug - you can check out Colleen's farm here: Giant Cricket Farm and if you want some fabulous mohair, check out her etsy shop! I've purchased some of her roving and it's wonderful - very soft and wonderful to spin! Her yarn is fabulous too!




What a proud shepherdess!








Later, I caught up with her prize winning goats again and managed to catch this fabulous photo - don't they look sweet? I love how they "posed" for the camera.





As a seque to the "sheep shots" of the day, here's the NY Sheep and Wool Festival Mascot. It was a bit warm out to be bundled up in that costume. This was not a typical October day - the temperature was in the upper 70's and the humidity was a bit high.



Some shots of the Rambouillets, BFLs, and other cuddly breeds.


















At the end of the day, I caught a candid shot of the Yarn Harlot enjoying the festival as well - we were all fascinated by the guy riding two horses at once!

Finally, on the way to the parking lot, I spotted a rainbow. How special is that? I'm POSITIVE that the other end of the rainbow was here at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds - the "pot of gold" full of yarn, roving, and inspiration!