NY Sheep & Wool: Postcards Rhinebeck 2017

New York Sheep & Wool was a daytrip for me this year.  It was, as you've no doubt gleaned elsewhere, unseasonably warm.  Also unusual, I only had dark sunglasses (prescription, I am Ms Magoo), no normal specs, so my picture making was...interesting.  SO. VIVID.

With sunglasses turning things extra bright, I peered over and saw that indeed, longtime fave Nanne Kennedy of Seacolors solar dyed up some strong hues this year at her farm. Love love love.

It's always all about the people and What They Are Wearing, for me. More love love love.

There's the full view of Cal Patch* of Hodgepodge Farm and friends from the Ulster County Spinners in their Dottie Angel Frocks.  Head-to-toe handmade love.

The talented and beautiful Kristy Glass, first thing in the morning when one could wear wool...for a bit...in the shade. Her YouTube channel has this year's 90+ minute Rhinebeck Sweater roundup online already...get your popcorn and settle in. She's the best knit world interviewer/supporter/video star. She interviewed me about the shawl I was wearing. My sweater stayed in the car. I'd declare Yoked Sweaters the Big Thing this year and Boyland Knitworks Sunset Highway the most worn.

Things I didn't buy but will:(L) White Barn Farm's gorgeous Home yarn, in the colorway Remains of the Day. Will be ordered as soon as I choose the pattern it deserves. (top R) Eco dyed woven wool from Rwanda, at the Umva LongRidge Farm booth.  bottom right: Dragonfly Fibers. Swooooon.

Another view of an Umva shawl, and then, something I DID buy, Bristol Ivy's stunning book Knitting Outside the Box. The designs are like her, beautiful and smart. The book is gorgeous and full of skill building, thoughtful, inspiring  essays on ways to make innovative shapes and drapes. In my fantasy world, I take it with me to a cabin in the woods on a snowy weekend and dig in, by the fireplace.

Hugs! (or...neck locks...)That's Cal Patch running into  my Rhinebeck date Beverly Army Williams. I highly recommend attending with an excellent travel buddy maker friend--but go find your own, you can't have her, she's mine;-) Such a fun day exploring and ooohing and aaaahing and hugging...

Here's Beverly and Thea Colman, Ms Baby Cocktails herself,  at the Jill Draper Makes Stuff after party.  Thea's helping Beverly choose yarn to make her newest release Rye and Rum Punch--not that you can see much of it, but Thea is wearing it. She helped select the contrast colors in Windham. This was vicarious shopping at it's best, I am crazy about that sweater. To the queue!

More from Jill Draper's** studio in Kingston---clockwise from upper left: Jill Draper herself, looking 1940's glam,  Misa Erder and Karen Clark (ChooChooKnits) in a mind boggling show of knitting genius. Misa designed and wore her cowl Market Day. 
Karen surprised her by sweaterizing it. (!!) On the bottom left, Misa considers two Empire bumps. This photo, made in a  dark-ish corner at dusk, doesn't  do credit to Jill's dyeing.  That one on the right was SO GOOD. Something like this but, y'know, even better.

Being the bon-vivants that we are, next stop was the Mason Dixon Knitting MDK Pie and Cider Party in the woods.

It was a no shoes party.  The lovely The Wooliers sisters won Best Prepared, in their knit slippers.  Check out that view of the shoes on the front entry porch: in which we confirm  the Venn diagram for MDK and Wearing Clogs is almost totally overlapped circles. Notable exception, my high rise Tevas.   My motto: Sandals till the freeze forces me into boots!
Ann and Kay cut the pie, the cider flowed. It was a lovely way to end the day.

* Cal is an amazing maker and teacher--that link is to her etsy shop but you might want to surf around and see if you can take a class from her, or find her vending at a holiday market.

** If you are clicking over in the days just following the festival, Jill may not yet have refilled her etsy shop, but don't worry, it'll be back in a few days....

postcards from rhinebeck 2016: ny sheep and wool

A splendid weekend all around. Sheep, wool, friends, yarn, the Hudson Valley, autumn.....what could be better?

Facetime with fiber on the hoof (and on a head). I adore the NY Sheep and Wool Festival weekend.
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Booksigning: Most of my weekend was shoulder to shoulder with my co-authors, Kirsten Kapur and Mary Lou Egan, signing and blabbing about Drop Dead Easy Knits. It is a joy to share the book we worked on all last year, with knitters. We had a blast, as we squooshed into our Barn B space with friends Ann and Kay of Mason Dixon Knitting as tablemates.  Fortunately, friends old and new came by, like (upper right) Emily (LoveaSlug) and Karen Clark, (ChooChooKnits).  So many inspiring knits! And um, yeah, Mary Lou and I really did wear matching versions of the Keynote Pullover. And, um, yeah, we do know it looks dorky but we both love this sweater she designed. We tried to act all sophisticated and pass it off as showing the sample on two different body types.....

Friend Sightings:  clockwise from upperleft, Mal from Common Cod Fiber Guild in perfectly accessorized necklace and cowl, the adorable Jill Draper and her mom Gail (Jill's studio open house on Saturday night was a scene, itself), Bristol Ivy's killer Rhinebeck sweater, I mean..that yoke! Those colors! and I finally got to meet Jan, of the Twinset Designs. Ellen Silva, the twin on the left, has been a friend for  years.  She tech edited Drop Dead Easy Knits. I can't say enough about how great it is to work with her.  Go ahead if you want to hire her, she recently retired from her non-knitting job and may be available, if you are very very lucky. The Twinset Designs Podcast, linked above, is excellent too, give them a listen.

More sightings: Clockwise- the vendor with the beautifully whimsical felted sheepy headwear- apologies, I forgot the name- was a hit this year.  Another (non-yarn) favorite was Grace Gunning's Reliquary Boxes, beautiful art pieces in hand wrought copper boxes. That quick shot doesn't do them justice, click over on her link. A performance piece by Corpus. And the crowds and trees-- wouldn't be NY Sheep and Wool without them.

The weekend digs: Our house rental was last minute, and we struck the jackpot. I'm not even going to show you how amazing the inside is, you'd want to book it for next year immediately ;-) And also, this blogpost is already running crazy long, right?

There was , of course, knitting! My plum wool Pompano Tank tunic wasn't finished, but got some inches added, as we lounged and wallowed in our luxury. That bright orange Fringe Supply Co. bag in the lucite bubble chair with the sequined pillow is colorwork by Mary Jane Mucklestone.  It's the bizarro-world version of Fringe Association aesthetic, right?  Not shown here, Mary Jane was knitting a modern feeling two color version of her new design Sigla.  Onto my queue it went.

The roomies (most but not all): Jani Estell, replendent in her Starcroft Yarn knits and her handcrafted dresses . This one is a new design from Odacier, but I didn't really give you much of a peek...sorry, Fibertrek Sarah Hunt, always in beautifully executed  knits from thoughtfully chosen yarns, Beverly Army Williams in Alabama Chanin and Stopover, and the original Stopover, modeled by the designer herself, Mary Jane Mucklestone. By my unofficial count, Stopover was THE sweater from the festival this year.

I missed getting photos of so much, and so can't show the joy of meeting/seeing friends in person, like Vicki Knitorious . And yes, her stitching and knitting is every bit as gorgeous as it looks online. (Also--I thought she was going to be super tall)! 

I'm a slackerly shopper by nature, even so I didn't come home empty-handed. But that is another post!

contrariwise hat pattern shout out...and more

I have been photographing a lot of knitwear. Like, a lot. For designers, for yarn companies, for Vogue Knitting, for a new book with myself, Kirsten Kapur and Mary Lou Egan. The best part is...knitwear. The worst part is not being able to show what I have been doing, or blab, or y'know, otherwise spill the beans.

The best part of the worst part is a day like today, waking up to an email from designer Elizabeth Elliott, saying she just released Contrariwise, this great hat pattern I shot for her in August. So, now I can share it. And the worst part of the best part of the worst part is...I couldn't cancel today's schedule to just cast on and knit one for myself.  (More views on her Ravelry pattern page, linked above). And a big kiss to the GCafe in New Haven for letting us use their beautiful- and air conditioned- interior.

In other news, bullet version
• thanks to all who commented on the giveaway for the Knitless book, the winner has been notified

• Sadly,  I'll be missing the annual wingding of a weekend known as Rhinebeck, the NY Sheep & Wool Festival.  Too many complications and time conflicts in this modern life.  Ironically, this is a year when I was on track to finish a new sweater... in your best Marlon Brando voice please, I coulda been a contenduh .

• Kay & Ann are back, blogging at Mason Dixon Knitting.   Go say howdy and sign up for their newsletter. It's downright heartwarming to read the two of them at it again. I hope it's contagious, this return to blogging. Hint hint this means you. And you. Yes, you too.

• If you are getting psyched for Rhinebeck or, like me, are wistfully watching from a distance, the video compilation I made of my Rhinebeck Style photoshoot is still up for viewing. I'm pretty sure this is never going to appear as a book--my original intention--as it hopefully asserts at the end. I may still come up with some sort of format so all of you who so generously posed can get something more permanent out of the project. Stay tuned. In it for the long haul, I am. So many handknits. So many smiles.....

Postcards from Rhinebeck 2014

A thing one can count on in life:the NY Sheep & Wool Festival  is always a good time.

 Babydoll Southdown Sheep. Want. I'll tell my neighbors they are Shoodles.

 It's all about the people, and the making community. So many talented, creative, fun friends in one place! Clockwise from upper left: Jill Draper ,  Cal Patch, Ariana McLean- my festival partner in crime,  Laura Nelkin, Sam from A Gathering of Stitches (and Mr AGOS, Don), Sonya Philip and that's Amy Lou's head.

Two of my darling housemates* Misa Erder & Kim Andersen, proving that yoga and roller derby, respectively, make for good posture while knitting. And fabulous smiles. The rest? No captions needed.

There was shopping**. Hanging with Kirsten Kapur/Through the Loops was delightful, as always. Good company and I love her eye. That's her new basket filled with purchases. Right? I bought from my fave soap /body lotion vendor, and Ariana, who matches me in the Indecisive Shopper Club, chose a handmade wool coat***.

The festival requires visiting faves: Nanne Kennedy at her SeaColors booth, the apple cider donuts hut (that is at the very closing minute, no lines) and THAT tree.

Lest you think it was all peaceful and bucolic: an overview looking towards the foodstands/ABCD buildings, and the scrum of friends in big, noisy, largely unphotographed meetup: Beverly Army Williams, Kay Gardiner and Sarah Sprung.

Parting shot. From Kiki Luscious, an IG friend I got to meet in person!

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Just a few notes:
While prepping to teach the Photo Editing for Knitters webinar yesterday, I got waaay into making collages in the software I demo'ed.  So much so that Interweave has asked me to teach a photo collage webinar next month. I used it to do this post. Not bad, eh?
* I stayed at the big eccentric house again, shared with a dozen or so wonderful folks--and it was joyous. Lots of hanging out and knitting in the kitchen, laughter, and a banging potluck.
** I bought yarn! I was decisive! I'll share in another post.
***the coat was made by a vendor with the name Ursula in it. Regretfully I can't recall the proper title.

WIP Wednesday: Rhinebeck coming back around

My biggest WIP - or maybe my grandest plan WIP- is my Rhinebeck Style Project. Maybe you remember it? Maybe you are one of the 323 +/- people who so kindly posed in their fabulous fibery finest in it?  I'd hoped to whip this WIP into a book by now. Not yet.  I still adore..A.D.O.R.E. this project though.

I'll share the video again to get us all in the mood for the New York Sheep & Wool Festival, happening this weekend in Rhinebeck NY.  See you there?

And in other WIP news, my Audrey sweater is bolero sized. With a super busy and social long weekend,  I knew by Sunday there was no way no how  it'd be a sweater in time for Rhinebeck. Which is predicted to be balmy, anyway.   Let's cheer for the procrastinating knitters! Catch me in a shawlette or maybe, early in the morning, in my Shellseeker.  (and as an aside, maybe someone will get a decent photo of me wearing it. I mean, really, those are awful at that link).

Finally in this Wednesday's WIP roundup-:  I'm  putting the final  touches on a Photo Editing  for Knitters webinar that'll debut live, next week, from Interweave. It's taught using a free online software,no PhotoShop necessary at all. I am having so much fun putting it together.  We'll go from basic editing--cropping, straightening, adjusting color and contrast and opening up shadows, that kind of thing to really touching up a photo to change the emphasis on what it's about, to retouching people, to adding text and graphics and making a collage.

 Sign up here to watch it live on Oct 22, 2014  at 1 pm eastern, you get access to download the recorded version if you watch it live. Or you can order it recorded. It is going to be packed with demos, tips and ideas, so I suspect the "watch a bit, pause, try something on your computer, watch a little more" factor is going to be very useful.

PS. The mittens shown in the promotional photo are Lodestar, by Amy Christoffers, from Green Mountain Spinnery. In case you were wondering!
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what's going on: to sweater or not to sweater?

AKA WIP Wednesday

 

Until a couple of days ago, I was in the Just Say No to The Rhinebeck Sweater camp.  a) I have enough projects going on and b) my life is full of deadlines, especially work deadlines, I don't need any "fun" deadlines thankyouverymuch and c) I might be the teensiest bit contrarian.

I could just finish this Monster Cowl, to wear to the fair. The yarn was my Rhinebeck purchase last year.  It  just needs a few more inches and a kitchener. 

I've just finished knitting and blocking my swap sweater, it requires merely a fitting,  buttons, and end weaving. Not to mention a good photo, ahem.  I like to have a sweater going on.  I started thinking it might actually be...gulp...fun to to power through a sweater by mid October.

And there's my  precious Starcroft Nash Island Light yarn.  I am  teetering on the edge of never finding a pattern good enough for it.  That's crazy time. Yarn you like so much you won't let yourself enjoy knitting it? ummm, should not go there. Time to cut bait or fish (or as my mother colorfully puts it in  yiddish: Tuchas Offen Tish! Get Your Ass Off the Table). Aside: aren't there any colorful sayings about making a leap that are knitting metaphors? Why always fishing and sports?

  I came across Audrey Cardigan (the sweater formerly known as SeaSmoke).  While a broad band of color on my widest body part isn't exctly advisable, the design lends itself to other colorblocking and striped sleeves so....

Back to the top photo:  I'm all wound and ready to go. It may not be a Rhinebeck* sweater. Or it might. But it's underway.

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*Rhinebeck is knitter's shorthand for the New York Sheep & Wool Festival. Which takes place in the town of Rhinebeck NY, and sounds like a folksy small timey thing, but attracts tens of thousands of visitors for the weekend. It's the Woolly DisneyWorld . An dthe sheep are real, not animatronics. You should come.

postcards from Rhinebeck 2013

Thanks to all who let me know they enjoyed the Rhinebeck Style video. And mwah! to those who re-posted, or FB'd or tweeted. Feel free to share  You totally get me. Work on the book version proceeds, with a bit of fire under me now.* 
 It was a weekend where everything comes together:  perfect autumn weather, great energy, beautiful yarn, stellar community, and oh! the knits everywhere. Plus sheep and alpaca and goats.This year I taught workshops on the weekend mornings: Photo Safari: NY S&W Festival. Love my  students who gleefully joined in as we photographed the fair, as our subject and our backdrop. My assistant Ariana was along to pose in knits, for exercises shooting backgrounds & angles. **. She's wearing a Through The Loops Vestry Street. I know you want to know.We visited the livestock barns. An experiment with the 2013 festival poster as the background for Through the Loops Germinate shawl. I give it a not-quite-thumbs-up.
I stayed at a shared large house-  Ariana and I missed the group photo but you can see we were in excellent company- organized by Yarny Old Kim, whose scrappy long socks I covet. *** Wish I'd had more time to hang out there, it was full of good cheer. Some parts of our  potluck left me a permanently craving. (hello! Steve's mac and cheese and homemeade kimchi)Foodwise, at the festival: Waiting in line made much easier by knitspotting/knit ogling.Very happy to get our Flammkuchen. Butternut squash, beets, fennel, creamy ricotta cheese (or was it goat?), flame cooked. Kirsten got bacon on hers, and do you love the sweater she's wearing? Design not yet released. <hint, hint cough> 
Jill Draper and her inspiring sweater.The ever stylin' Ellen Mason,aka Odacier, in her Mary Rebecca sweater and  signature cardi/dress combo with plaid scarf, colored tights, and boots. She and my other style muse, Sonya Philip were walking around the festival together. Someday I want to have them style me.  Not for a day.  Like, my whole wardrobe. Thrilled to see the patterns I shot for Green Mountain Spinnery and their new ebook on display at their booth. I didn't get there fast enough to buy Weekend Wool , their new worsted weight yarn - by Sunday they only had a few skeins left.**** True only for their wares.The Sunday morning class had a photo session with a couple of fleecey girls.Shooting at sheep eye level, in open shade. Aren't they gorgeous, even in a crowd?Sheep eyes, Love'em.  • • • • • • • • • • 
Ok, starting next post I'm going to ramp up into gift giving mode, with a bunch of book reviews and book giveaways. I've been saving them for just this time of year. Watch your feed, I'm hoping to git'er'done !  

_____________________and now for the footnotes: 

*La Shannon Okey herself is going to be sitting down with me on Monday, up close and personal, to get this book from almost-done to press ready. I am looking forward to it like crazy. Shannon's a force to be reckoned with. I love me a force, and a good solid deadline.  Like a publisher sitting next to you .

**Ariana will also be assisting me when I teach at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC in January 2014. It helps to have her model,  so no student misses shooting for a minute--and also, for those who don't want to pose in the knits but want them shot on a lovely smiling person. Ariana is a talented film maker & editor herself, and a knitter, so she knows what's what.

*** I don't know why but I can't find a link to her blog! Kim is all kinds of awesome. She organized the house, the potluck, is a brilliant knitter and finished weaving in the ends on those socks Friday night as we sat around eating & drinking , following a breathtaking Hudson Valley moonrise. I know the photos you may have seen signal riotous hilarity 24/7 but Kim and the rest of the roomies are so much more than that. Smart, artistic, talented. And good cooks too.

****I never shop much at the festivals-I'm an indecisive shopper even in a quiet limited setting--but I had a mission this time. Too bad I browsed Saturday and by the time I went back to purchase on Sunday, I missed out on the Weekend Wool selection but also a super chunky hand dyed skein I wanted from Briar Rose was history, so were the skeins I was eyeing from Still River Mill...I did finally buy some yarn. But that's another post.