Katy Kissed a Goat.

Or he kissed her, I am still not sure which.
But then it's Rhinebeck and people do crazy things at Rhinebeck. Some of them they'd never admit to in public.

I, for example, have been tempted in the extreme by this, the most amazing spinning wheel I have ever touched. Remember me, the Frugal Knitter who can take a cone of "something scary from the warehouse" and turn it into a wearable and lovable Rogue? Not just beautiful, although it certainly is that, an amazing machine lurks beneath the external beauty of this triple flyer high-speed wheel. The plan: a custom job, using the Welsh love spoon my husband got me as a basis for the wheel of my dreams - with matching chair! The experience of spinning on this wheel was amazing. Every spinner should own one. Go to Golding Precision Fiber Tools and order one today! They also have simply blissful spindles. Although not a fan of drop spindling myself, it's obvious that their spindles are as precise and perfect as their wheels. I am starting a Golding Wheel saving account. It can't take more than a few years...
Once again I failed to get any Brooks Farm Yarn. Being short on cash I had spent just enough to make the purchase of my two skeins of Harmony impossible. I could have cried. I did narrow down my choices. I want two skeins of Harmony in either Blush or Red Hot Salsa. I can't decide which. Or both, both would be good too. I was too busy being sad. But I got over it quick enough when I found these, penannular brooches from Ram's Horn Studio made according to ancient Celtic specification. I got the smallest one. Sine I want it primarily for shawls the little one made sense. Not to say that I don't plan another trip for a second, the medium. And some buttons, I love their clasps and buttons. They also have a variety of jewelry, but I don't wear it so it did not fascinate me like the buttons and clasps did.
I should mention here that I ditched my poor family just inside the gate and run off with Katy and Kristin who'd been there the day before and so had a better feel for the lay of the land, and things of importance - like where the Socks that Rock was, and Brooks Farm, and that sort of thing. Next year I really would like to go for the whole weekend, Friday to Sunday, and take a class or two in there somewhere.
I also found these beautiful circular glass needles, which are nothing like the straight glass needles I've used. These are lightweight and warm and I loved them. They are made by Sheila and Michael Ernst of Oregon. I'd love some of these, in the designer colors in sizes I use a lot, like 6's or 7's. They've got amazingly pointy-points. I love a pointy point. Unfortunately the designer colors don't come smaller than an 8. But I could be happy with that!
I tried square needles later in the day after Katy and Kristen had left and I was back with the Fam. I did not love them. They felt clunky, like my hands were forever trying to get them "straight" or hold them "right". It seemed like a possible, but ended up as a not-so-hot, IMHO. I also tried some wine later in the day with my mother in law, who's not into wine and certainly not into the kind of wine I drink! She tasted the strawberry and the sweet holiday wines while I tended toward Cabernets. There was nothing to write home about there really either. Nice, but not stellar. Not nearly as fun as when Katy gave Kristen the hot mustard on the cracker. I did buy some hot sauce, and also some garlic jelly (beyond fabulous!!) and garlic dill pickles from Spacey Tracy, as well as some garlic dipping oil mix (coming soon to a drop-in near you) from Awesome Specialty, who also had wonderful soup mixes and a fantastic garlic herb dip - are we seeing a trend here? I love garlic.
We stopped by Grafton Fibers for Girl's garbage box. I love that. 'Garbage'. OK, if you say so...looks pretty slick to me. It's a mix of leftovers of various batts in various colors, perfect for a felter. One woman's trash is a teenaged felters treasure. The colors are just painfully beautiful. Usually I walk into that booth and touch softly and lust over the batts. By the time we got there very few batts were left. It seems "bloggers" were to blame - having read the Harlot's blog and discovered the joys of Grafton Fibers they wiped it all out before we got there. The same was true of Socks that Rock...I got two hanks of Sock Candy, color Scaponia. I like it. But I wish I'd been able to see more. I did find one skein of Socks that Rock fingering. One skein. Amazing what can happen when bloggers unite.
Kristen bought a Lucet, a cool little device that allows you to make cords of varying weights from a skinny little thing to a big bulky cords suitable for bag handles. She bought it for her kid, but if I were the kid I'd watch out. I want one of these too. It just seems like the kind of ancient hand tool I'd need around here.
This blogger bingo thing? I totally missed the boat on it. I was sick for the two weeks leading up to Rhinebeck, not posting or even reading and missed out. That would have been fun. Yeah, next year we're going to do it right. A limitless budget, a recognizable face, and a big group of Webs people. Well, maybe the face and the Webs people, maybe not so much on the budget. Yet I believe in my soul that the words "budget" and "Rhinebeck" should not exist in the same sentence. Rhinebeck should be - and for many it was - an orgy of fiber shopping.
Lest you think I never knit...this is Mr. Wonderful's Rhinebeck Sweater that Didn't Make it to Rhinebeck. It needs a zipper - I thought to avoid a zipper and substitute button bands, but when he tried it on he said "Where's the zipper??" Sigh. It's Auracania Nature Wool Chunky, color 102. It's got Celtic cables up the sleeves, saddle shoulders, and is steeked front and armscyes. The body was worked in the round in English rib (K1, P1 first rnd, then K around the second)It was designed on the needles, based on the measurements of Mr. Wonderful's favorite fleece cardigan. And amazingly, it FITS! It needs to be blocked, zippered, and finished. It was a good try, and I came very close. I am not loving the pooling across the chest, but this is what comes of knitting while sick. It's a hit or miss proposition. But better there than in the cables where it would have wreaked visual havoc.
Katy and Kristen introduced me to the world's softest goat (truly. really and honestly. She'd been brushed and washed and brushed again for the day and was indeed the softest goat I have ever touched, and I have touched a few goats in my time. Not kissed. But touched.) Katy and Kristen need blogs I can link to so you can meet them. I also saw the smelliest - I mean the really coolest goats I've ever seen. Cashmere, baby, on the hoof. But man do they smell. In fact, they smell exactly like goat products taste to me, and it's not a pleasant smell. But it's a cool goat to look at, with it's huge curling horns and long coat.