Rhinebeck Wrap-Up

NY Sheep and Wool was a terrific success. Many repeat customers for soap and shaving blocks and I sold about the same amount of bags as last year. It's a heady experience to watch someone look the bags over, try one on, peak inside at all the pockets, etc. and hand over the $$. My two mega-bags sold, and the bag I sacrificed much needed sleep to make on Thursday night sold. Two sisters, one of whom bought a bag last year, came back and bought matching bags. Wish I got a picture of them!

The festival people squeezed in many new vendors and competition was stiff. But the glorious weather brought out thousands of customers. Everything I made was validated in some way. I only recall selling two farm photo note cards but plenty of people looked them over.

Some good memories of the show:

My friend Jim Shelley coming to visit and pick up creme for all his friends. He wore a scarf made of yarn he bought from me last year. Jim started the online knitting forum, Men Who Knit. He brought me all the fabric wrappings from the soap he bought last year!

Staggering out of the building where my booth was and seeing my little trailer, all lit up with lawn chairs by the door, parked by the goat pen.

Finding Lisa Merian of Spinner's Hill, just starting to unload a big truck and a UHaul trailer at 11 PM on Friday night, when I was about to drop from setting up my booth. Wish I could have helped her but I was done in. She looked chipper as can be and when I saw her the next morning she looked great.

Sitting with my Garden State Sheep Breeder friends having breakfast at the 4-H booth.

Going out to dinner with Kim Parkinson and her husband, Darryl, on Friday night. Kim is a riot and so much fun to be with. They hung with me most of the weekend, as Kim had bunnies in my booth. She has story after story to tell and a wild sense of humor. Kim brought me a very classy imported German Angora buck who will be my new Big Bunny Daddy. I have been looking for a buck for two years and Kim really came to my rescue. Sugar Bear was owned by none other than Leslie Samson, co-author of the angora breeders bible, Completely Angora. Sugar Bear has already been with two does as of this writing!

Watching the angora goat show. Wow, what gorgeous specimens!

Watching Jan showing her marketing prowess with customers. She had so much fun she didn't know what to do with herself...kissing llamas, stroking sweaters. Jan bought herself a beautiful hand-knit-by-the-shepherd-herself Leicester Longwool sweater. I look forward to do many shows with Jan. She's so full of fun and adventure and loves my products. Jan went home with one of my best and latest bags with a fall leafy pattern.

All the compliments on my terrifically fun Monstersockens knitted by Sockladyspins. When the temperature hit 80 degrees in the building I reluctantly took them off. Can't wait to wear them to work!

Some not so nice memories of the festival:

Rushing over to the long-awaited Wild Fibers Dinner to find the affair had been moved and we didn't know where to. We were tired after a long day of work in the booth and found ourselves running around the vast fairgrounds in the dark looking for our dinner. Finally, after running around the racetrack and climbing fences we spied a big white tent with beautiful lights. Sure enough, the Wild Fibers Dinner had been moved to the opposite end of the grounds, tucked away between two buildings. I was pissed off and disappointed. I had called for reservations last summer and was really looking forward to this. I am Linda Cortwright's greatest fan. Last year I was recognized at the dinner as the person who encouraged her to go ahead with idea for a fiber magazine and received a gift. How could she do this to me? I made a bit of a scene as Linda explained that a blanket email went out to the guest list. What email? I didn't get an email? I know she has my email because I got a confirmation of my reservations. Matt stormed off when I acted ugly. Jan and I sat down and drank the wine and ate the cheese and crackers. The food was long gone. We watched the slide show of Linda's trip to Uzbeckistan, then left to go out and get ourselves a ruben sandwich at the restaurant across the street. I am still waiting for an apology from Linda. There was nothing in the email today.

I had been trying to get in touch with Moonbeam's owner. Moonbeam was my first goat. She came with baby twin doe kids, Venus and Star. Making a long story short, when we were moving to yet another rental, and Matt talked me into giving Moonbeam to Sally Campbell, who wanted Moonbeam before I owned her. Now that I have the farm I wanted to buy her back. There are many complex and sensitive emotions with regard to this issue that I am too tired to go into here. Suffice it to say that getting her back became very important to me. Well, I didn't hear from her owner, Stacey Bonus, Sally's friend. Sally had promised me that Moonbeam would never be moved and that she would keep her forever. She didn't keep the promise and gave her to Stacey. There I was, in the booth trying to be happy, carefree vendor, when my thoughtless and careless husband came in and told me Moonbeam was dead. She died two weeks ago. I was not happy and it kind of threw me into a tailspin.

I'm home now and soooo tired. Work today was okay, but I was pret-ty darn sleepy. Better hit the hay.