What a glorious day Sunday was! The weather was absolutely perfect for shopping. Cool, sunny and a bit windy. My traveling companions had a leg up on me in the shopping department having been at the festival all day Saturday. Sooooo………I left them standing in the dust when we arrived……I was off and running…..LOL!
Now, I have this lovely new Sony digital camera that takes fabulous pictures and did I take pictures…….Nooooo (ggrrrrr). Something comes over me at this festival. It is like being a child in a toy store, so much to look at, so much to touch……..so many temptations and wonderful friendly vendors.
My first stop was at the Spinners Hill booth, but I had no illusions of much fiber left, and I was right. Thankfully I had picked up some roving from her at the NH Sheep and Wool festival. I was semi~relieved that there was nothing there that I felt I just "had" to have………goodness knows I don’t need any roving…………
So what you may ask is this?? 
As I was strolling thru one of the barns, I came upon Kid Hollow, another vendor I have purchased lovely rovings from in the past. Of course that green had Kim written all over it……and the other was roving from last year and marked at half price……so can you blame me??
No………I didn’t buy a new wheel…….fooled ya didn’t I?
This is a picture of the lovely Robin wheel that I purchased a number of years ago from my friend Gil Gonsalves. Over the years, he and his wife have become very good friends of mine. (trust me……this is going somewhere) When I stopped by Gil’s booth, he asked if I would come back at noon and watch his booth, so he could get lunch.
Imagine his surprise when he came back to a completely filled booth of women happily chatting away and spinning on his wheels…LOL! Julia, Nathania, Vanessa, Cara, Sharon, Laurie and Theresa came to visit…..How fun!!. Theresa was a natural behind that wheel. Julia and I stood by watching, completely amazed at how quickly she picked it up!
Only one of the girls succumbed to temptation however, and she fell hard………but I’ll never tell…….<grin>…….I will let her tell you all. 😉
Knowing that my time at the festival was quickly drawing to an end, as our journey home was a long one, I quickly skipped down to the big building. I was sorely tempted by the Blue Moon Socks that Rock, but when my conscience reminded me of all the sock yarn I had at home, I decided I should use up what I had.
As I stopped by to say hello to Linda Diak, she pointed me in the direction of Mary Pratt’s lovely fleeces……I chuckled to myself, knowing that I would not be tempted……..until…………I saw this blue ribbon fleece and wouldn’t you know, my blogging friend Juno was stroking that very same fleece. Where I wouldn’t have walked away with an entire fleece……..splitting it was just too tempting to pass it by. The staple on this romney is a good 6 inches and just incredible!! Thanks Juno it will be fun to see what you do with your half :-)!
Most anyone that knows me, knows that I am a complete sucker for nicely finished wood. Many years ago, I used to restore antiques and to this day, the smell of Danish oil and spirit of turps, stirs the same feelings that a raw fleece does. Every year I sit behind a Golding wheel just to give that Mercedes of all wheels a spin, never really being tempted as the price is a reality check……..however……
as I was talking with the wheel maker and looking at all of the various pictures that he has of his wheels, this one picture caught my attention. Could that be the head of a bunny?? Nah…..silly woman…….that is part of a flower, but if you look very close, it looks like little bunny paws and a bunny nose, doesn’t it??
Of course the wheel maker seized the moment to capitalize on my weakness………..even though it isn’t a bunny, it could become one. EviL evil man……now that thought is in my head and one can not deny how wonderful this wheel is to spin…….stay tuned~
As I close this post about the wonderful day I was allowed to have in Rhinebeck….I want to say that even more important than any of the fibery things are the friends I have made along my journey. My blogging friends and my home fiber girls all shared some wonderful times this weekend.
As I said hello……nice to meet you and good~bye all at the same time to the infamous Claudia, gave hugs good~bye to Judy, Cindy and Julia, I realized how fortunate we are. In this great big world that we live in, all from different parts, we have a bond of friendship that is simply amazing and I feel privileged to call you all my friends~
The Woolen Rabbit 
Oh, those Golding wheels are just incredible, aren’t they?? Works of art that actually spin–how is that a bad thing??
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Hey! I’ll be there NEXT YEAR! Even if I have to walk;-)
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It’s our priviledge to call you friend too, Kim. So good to give you a big hug and to watch you so patiently teaching folks to spin.
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It was WONDERFUL to meet you! Thank you so much for the spinning lesson on that beautiful, beautiful wheel. So glad you had a good day.
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Thanks so much for the spinning lesson! You have the magic touch, that is all. It is definitely in the back of my mind to get a wheel and give it a real try.
I’d love to see you get a Golding, but I have to tell ya, I just don’t see the rabbit in that wheel. Maybe, aside from being lovely and expensive, those wheels have evil mystical powers that get the viewer to see what they want in the wheel. Sort of like that mirror in Harry Potter?
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Sounds like you had such a wonderful time, even though it was short.
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Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get together like that everyday? You do realise that you are going to be dreaming about that Socks That Rock yarn don’t you? I know I’m thinking about a couple of skeins that took my fancy at AP and decided not to buy…I’m trying very hard not to think about them, honest!
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Thank you for the tour of Rhinebeck! Sounds like you had a fantastic Sunday. Those sunflowers in the first picture are just so cheery 🙂
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Oh Kim, I just got back from being out of town and read about your Father in Law. I am so sorry to read of his passing, but I am very glad you were able to attend the service in his honor. And even gladder that you were able to enjoy Rhinebeck!
I will make an effort to make it there next year!
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kim, you are a natural teacher 🙂 i have already succumbed to the wee robin, only 2 more years to wait…..
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Mutual, dear. In every way. smooches.
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Can you see the bruises? You were too good at what you were doing…friendly, accessible…cooperative…complimentary…Gil should give you a commission. I’ll (probably) tell all in another post.
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i was there on saturday, then we go sunday to spin alpaca at the alpaca farm.
a baby cria was born while I was there and I got first pictures!!!!
didja miss me?
chickens and cats, soap and fiber have been keeping me busy
and now we are again redoing the kitchen….
help help help
vi
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I’m so glad you were able to go to Rhinebeck! In the midst of sorrow we need the balance of human joys and friendship. And I’m really glad you were able to accompany your husband to New Jersey; that feels like the place you should have been at such a time.
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Drat, Kim, I missed you by seconds! I was encouraging Juno to go ahead and buy that fleece, when I decided more enabling was doing a job on my karma and left… I am glad you had a good time. Maybe I’ll meet you next year?
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Drat, Kim, I missed you by seconds! I was encouraging Juno to go ahead and buy that fleece, when I decided more enabling was doing a job on my karma and left… I am glad you had a good time. Maybe I’ll meet you next year?
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Drat, Kim, I missed you by seconds! I was encouraging Juno to go ahead and buy that fleece, when I decided more enabling was doing a job on my karma and left… I am glad you had a good time. Maybe I’ll meet you next year?
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Aren’t Mary P’s fleeces yummy? And have you seen Golding’s new looms? I’m not sure why I’m even pointing them out – I can’t afford a even bobbin off his spinning wheels, but he does such beautiful work.
Glad you got to see Terry too – albeit briefly. 🙂
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I’m so glad you were able to make it to the festival, and it was great to finally meet you. You should know that more than one of us fell hard for the wheels that day. Actually, now that I’m looking through the comments, it seems as though you were able to tempt THREE of us onto the same path. Laurie’s probably right about that commission thing. Not so much about the bruises, though. We all know she went willingly, and you have witnesses.
However, first Skylines fleeces and now this…does that make you a fiber siren? an enabler? an insiration? Hmmmmm…..
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