Woolercoaster's Wonderful World of Wool: October 15-21

I hope everyone has had a great week.  As a knitting fan I am really enjoying seeing all the new patterns that are being published.  I am trying hard to stay focused on what I have on the needles and not cast on a bunch of new projects.
Here are a few of the highlights of the week for me:

Festivals:
Many people are headed to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival held in Rhinebeck, New York this weekend. Last year I had the opportunity to go for the first time and I wrote a blog on my tips for the event.  Check it out here and here.  Kristyglassknits has created a video with her tips for restaurants and stores to visit in Rhinebeck.  It was such a fun weekend and I hope to go again in the future.  I especially loved seeing all the knitted samples.

Some of my favourite samples at Rhinebeck last year:
Lamina Wrap and On The Spice Market

Everyday Pullover knit in Dragonfly Fibers

Hot Patterns:
1.  Andrea Mowry is the "it" girl of the knitting world at the moment.  This prolific designer has a number of newly published patterns.  Her newest publication is the Comfort Fade Cardi knit in a DK weight yarn, which is another pattern knitters can fade and knit in speckled yarn.   One interesting version by slikchik was knit using two fingering skeins, one solid and one speckled.  I thought that was a very clever way to use up those fingering weight skeins, instead of spending more money on Dk weight yarn.  See it here. 

A free update has been sent this week to those knitters who purchased Andrea Mowry's shawl pattern called Free Your Fade.  Originally designed in fingering weight yarn Andrea has updated the pattern to include directions for a DK version as well. I can imagine at Rhinebeck this weekend many people will be shopping for speckled DK weight yarn for either her cardigan or her shawl.

In addition there is the newly published Tolt Collection by Andrea Mowry called A Sense of Place.  It will be released October 28 and consists of a cowl, hat, socks and cardigan.  My favourite is the Oxbow Cardigan, a beautiful shawl collared cardigan knit in bulky weight Quarry by Brooklyn Tweed.  This would be a fast knit and perfect for those cold winter months.

And that's not all!  Another pattern by Andrea is the Raina Shawl found in Carrie Bostick Hoge's Making No. 4 Lines.  Andrea has designed a gorgeous fingering weight shawl using the brioche stitch.  This publication is definitely worth getting as there are many beautiful patterns by a wide variety of designers.

2. There are so many new fall publications that are worth getting.  In addition to Making Magazine, Volume 3 of Laine Magazine Nordic Knit Life has been published. This Nordic knit and lifestyle publication is full of gorgeous patterns and interesting articles on knitting related topics.

By Hand Serial is another magazine worth checking out.  Lookbook No. 4 has just been published by Andrea Hungerford.  This edition focuses on dyers and stores in the Puget Sound region.  It focuses on some of my favourite dyers such as Yoth Yarns and Hazel Knits as well as some stores in the area such as Tolt Yarn and Wool and Churchmouse Yarn and Teas.

3.  Pom Pom Press first hardcover published book called  Knitting Outside the Box by Bristol Ivy is debuting at Rhinebeck this weekend with autograph signings by the designer.  You can order your own copy through Pompom.  Read all about the book launch here.

4.  A new collection called arctic  has been published by Quince and Co.  It consists of six cold weathered knits by designers such as Michele Wang, Pam Allen, and Leila Raabe.  My favourite is the Katla Sweater designed by Pam Allen knit in Osprey, a chunky weight yarn.  

Katla by Pam Allen
©Quince and Co.

Free Patterns:
1. The Frosting fringe scarf  is a quick super bulky scarf by Blue Sky Fibers. 

2. The Lighthouse Hat by designer Alexis Adrienne, is a free pattern until October 22 knit in aran weight yarn with a strand of mohair.  

Please include any new publications that have caught your interest in the Comments section below.  If you are attending Rhinebeck this weekend enjoy yourself and happy knitting to everyone.

Rhinebeck Weekend: Part Two

I had such fun last weekend when I went for the first time to Rhinebeck, to attend the New York Sheep & Wool Festival.  The event lived up to to it's reputation.  The crowds were huge, the food lines were ridiculous and the variety of yarn for sale was incredible.  I present to you, my dear friends, some photos I managed to take when I wasn't being caught up in the crowd.

Me and my Rhinebeck sweater

Bartlett Yarns:  Sport

Dragonfly Fibers Gradient Set

Dragonfly Fibers Pixie Yarn:  "Vote"colourway

Harrisville Yarn

Bijou Basin Himalayan Trail Yarn

One of my favourite booths was Fiber Optics which had so many knitted samples.  Here are just a few of them:

Holey Chevrons by Stephen West

Party on My Needles by Joji Locatelli

Lamina Wrap by Ambah O'Brien and On the Spice Market by Melanie Berg

Fiber Optics Paintbox Gradient that came home with me

I also really enjoyed the O-Wool booth and was quite taken by some of their samples:

The Girl In Me in O-Wool 

Balconet Shawl in O-Wool

I couldn't resist this gorgeous yarn and ended up buying some.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to attend this festival (and a special thank you to my husband for going with me).  If I ever get to go again here are some tips I want to remember:

Things I Learned As A Newbie:
1.  Although the gates on Saturday don't open until 9a.m. a line up does start to form around 8:00 a.m.  I sat in my car keeping warm until about 8:15 a.m. and when I lined up I wasn't too far back in the line.  The bonus with coming early is you can park quite close to the entrance and then go back and forth to drop things off during the day very easily.
2.  There is more than one entrance.  Figure out what vendor is your top priority to visit first and figure out which entrance is the closest to where you want to go.  
3.  Prepay your entrance fee online before you go.  It saves time.
4.  If you want to get close to Miss Babs yarn (in Building C) you MUST GO RIGHT AWAY.  As a rookie I lined up at the wrong entrance, and by the time I got to Building C I couldn't even get near the booth. The line up was already out the door.  I tried several times during the day to get to Miss Babs, but the crowds continued, and the line up to pay stayed ridiculously long.  I didn't really care that much...I was just curious to see what the fuss was all about.  Best to stay two days next time and visit the booth on the Sunday.  (Same applies for Jennie the Potter).
5.  Go to Rhinebeck with a pre-made list of the basic things you want to walk away with.  There are so many temptations everywhere you look and it really helps to keep some focus.  For example, I knew I wanted a sweater's worth of sport weight yarn and I ended up with O-Wash Sport by O-Wool.  I also have a weakness for fingering weight yarn and I had promised myself not to buy any as I have enough to last me a long time.  The only fingering weight yarn I bought was at the Indy Untangled show and it was Voolenvine Yarn.  How could I resist? Enough said.
6.  Time your lunch early.  I lined up at about 10:45 for the infamous Aba's Falafel and the line up was quite short.  Later when I walked by there was at least an hour wait.
7.  Same for the Apple Cider Donuts.  Don't wait until lunch time.  Why waste precious time in a line when you can be looking at gorgeous yarn?

The infamous Apple Cider Donut

8.  Wear your hand made sweater/shawl/socks etc.  It was so fun to admire everyone's beautiful knitted/crocheted items.
9.  Make sure you spend time going into the town of Rhinebeck.  It is so beautiful and the restaurants are amazing.
10.  Take time to visit all the sheep, alpacas, etc. at the show.  There were sheep shearing events and even a dog show.

11.  And one last tip...next time go also on the Sunday.  From what I hear it is way less crowded.  There were so many knitted samples in all the booths that I would have liked to look at them more closely and take way more photographs.

I will continue to remember many happy moments that I experienced at Rhinebeck.   It was so much fun.  Do you have any tips to add to my list?