There's a little loot

Other than a few small gifty type things, there's my Rhinebeck haul.  I am quite happy with all of it!  Clockwise, starting with the book.

I caught Sylvia's eye as I passed the Rip Rap Meadows yarn booth on Sunday.  I went back and chatted with her while then she signed my copy of Sylvia's Farm, the book I bought.  ; )

I wore my Flared Lace Smoke Ring on both days of the festival -- I even wore it with Fib on Sunday, even though the two hardly match.  I absolutely love that thing and will wear it to death if I don't make another something like it.  When I found the pattern for the Beaded Smoke Ring, I snatched it up (though I will almost certainly omit the beads) and would like to have all three smoke ring patterns in my collection at some point.

I bought a lucet made of curly cherry.  I like to think that I will use it, but Ann's skepticism (you should have seen the look she threw me every time I mentioned it) may hit closer to the mark.  And you know what?  I'm okay with that.  Making cord with this tool will be as tedious as making cord any other frickin' way, but it's a cool tool and I like cool tools and maybe that's why I bought it.  Yeah, that's it.

It took me a while to decide on something at the Morehouse Farms booth.  In most instances of overwhelming choice and indecision, I walk away with nothing; this time, I managed a hank of Merino Lace, 660 yards of fingering weight for which I now need to find a purpose.  That shouldn't be too difficult, though, nor should it take very long -- those colors want to be worn.

I was right behind Kim on Sunday, purchasing a Cashmere Lace Scarf Kit from Marilyn Merbach and Rabbit Tree Farm.  I'd squeezed in and out of that booth on Saturday, but had only noticed the small collars and baby hats -- I totally missed the larger shawls and scarves.  I like those small shawls and when Kim told me that she was buying it because she'd been admiring Diane's all weekend, I had to.  I'll have happy memories of Rhinebeck and meeting both of Kim & Di while I knit and wear that little shawl.

Among my more aromatic purchases is the Muscle Wrap made by Susan Borger -- flaxseed and dried lavender sewn up in a 100% linen casing for which I will knit my own sleeve.  (Yes, I will.)  Oh, it smells so good!

Finally, it's Brooks Farm "Acero," 60% superwash wool, 20% silk, 20% viscose.  I could have bought several hanks of that stuff, let me tell you -- gorgeous colors.  As it is, I had no definite purpose when I bought this, but I now know that it will become the aforementioned Smoke Ring.

Briar Rose Fibers is where the overwhelming choice and indecision netted me absolutely nothing.  What I'd really liked to have done is backed up a trailer and taken it all home.  OMG, the colors.  My next major project, after the next ones... so, the next, next, NEXT major project... is going to be made of Briar Rose Fibers.  I'm thinkin' full out sweater.  Yum.

Thankfully, I also have a soundtrack for the weekend, thanks to Cara.  I've written before about music and memory and thoughts and feelings and, well, it was Bruce and Rick James singing me to work this morning, C+C Music Factory softening my mood at the WW news tonight (hm, yeah, I think the heartburn all weekend -- the special trip for Tums -- was a real big clue -- the food was definitely the "too much" from yesterday's post).

OMG, the laughing and singing.  I had such a great time with Cara and Ann.  They're both razor sharp and wicked funny.  Ann's a great cook (and Boar -- Boar is, too!) and hostess and I loved her house and wonderful family.  It was great to see Peggy again, and to meet Ricki.

And so many blogger/knitterly people.  The evening get-togethers in the lobby were so fun -- absolutely perfect for an elephant-eared people watcher like me.  ; )  Carole, Norma, Sandy, Kathy, Laurie, Theresa, Stephanie, Julia, Cassie, Juno, Margene, Melanie, Elise, Kellee, Cheryl, Alison, Kate, Colleen, Claudia, Risa, Anne, Nancy, Katy...  Every few minutes, another person's name or face flies into my head.  Like many others, I really wish that I'd taken more pictures.  I put up an album in the sidebar with what I've got.  ; )

It's going to be a hard week -- I've still got the New York Groove, man.  I've got it bad.

Next up, the state of my knitting.  There's good news and maybe not-so-good news.

Comments

[yvette]

What a cool weekend, thanks for sharing.

[Amy Lu]

Next year I'm there!

[Carole]

Since I never saw you at the actual fairgrounds, I didn't get to see the smoke ring OR fib. What a bummer! But I think I'd like to give that pattern a try.
Wonderful times, all of it, even if it was too brief. And now I feel all alone and bereft.

[ann]

what look? that look was supposed to say, "I can hardly wait to see all the shoelaces you make"!

[Vera]

Lovley yarn and things. Perhaps I'll hit a festival someday.

[Lynne]

Well, Vicki. I'd say success. Sounds like you had a great time!

[sandy]

Let me ask you one thing, do the smoke rings stretch out when you slip them over your head? I mean, I have a large melon, you know? I loved yours so much and covet them. COVET. As if you've never seen that before! haha!
:D
xoxoxo Love your purchases!

[Cara]

I miss you so much it hurts a little. Especially in the throat area. ;-)

You got so much damn funk you need a SHOWER!

[Mary in Boston]

You have such great taste, Vicki. Looks like you came home with the right stuff for you. Cannot tell you how disappointed I was to not spot you all in the throngs on Saturday. Hopefully, you'll make the journey again next year!

[jody]

i'm always amazed to see what everyone brings home from the same festival i was at.

that morehouse laceweight is nice stuff, right?

[Kim]

It was great to see you and help you spend a bit of your money..LOL!

You came home with some lovely treats! I love your morehouse yarn...YUM!

[susan]

I just made a smoke ring from a nice online pattern that uses the Japanese Feather stitch.
http://www.carylldesigns.com/wavy_feathers_wimple.htm
It's simple, but looks beautiful when knit up. Maybe it would be nice in your Morehouse Merino.

[Kathy]

Great stuff. A little tool is good. I noticed your smoke ring, but thought it was a tucked in shawl -- what yarn did you use? It's so pretty.

[anne]

It was lovely to see you - looks like you made out with some gorgeous stuff, too. I'm on the same page with the tool thing - I bought a nostepinde, and while it's not really faster or easier than hand-winding (in fact, it may be harder and slower), there's something so lovely about a tool designed for this, made beautifully of hand-carved wood, lovingly picked out to fit my hand perfectly. I may never use it or it may become part of the necessities, but I love it all the same.

[Chris]

It really sounds like a wonderful time - and you got some very cool stuff!

[Craptina]

Love the Acero, isn't it great stuff?

[Bookish Wendy]

I'm catching up over here...

I'm so glad you had a wonderful time. I can just imagine the laughing. and the laughing . and the laughing. I think that's the thing I miss the most.