Rhinebeck

You want pictures of the wonder that is Rhinebeck/NY state sheep and wool festival?  You'll have to look elsewhere.  I took absolutely none.  Wake up Friday morning set the tone for my Rhinebeck experience: I woke up to the smell of something scorching.  It turned out to be my pillow, with part of it sitting directly on the light bulb left on as I dozed off. The pillow was ready to burst into flames.  With my head still on it.   Then my laptop crashed and I spent much of the morning finding a re-install disk to try to bring it back to life.  Didn't work.  I left without the laptop, which complicated a couple things.  Then something noneofyerbusiness personal turned out to be kind of a kick in the ass.   And finally, my opal ring decided to dump the beautiful stone someplace.  I bought the ring last February, as a sort of healing symbol.  Given that kick in the ass, the loss of the stone seems sort of ... I dunno.  The goddess telling me to readjust, I guess.  I'm hoping the opal will still turn up in my car someplace.  So when you see what I scored at Rhinebeck, don't hate me for being greedy, k?  It's my take care of me cause nobody else is going to present.

First, how it unfolded.  I wanted to get my Norm Hall production wheel fully refurbished.  It was built in 1983 and I bought it third hand last January, knowing the scotch tension was broken, but you buy a wheel like that for the double drive, not the scotch tension, so that wasn't a big deal. Then another tiny piece got broken a few weeks ago (I showed remarkable restraint - the person who broke it is not only still alive, but uninjured).  Plus, I needed someone to teach me more fully how to adjust the wheel.  Who better than the wheel maker himself, who would conveniently be at Rhinebeck.  So I brought the wheel with me, and arrived at the fairgrounds quite early Saturday morning to get a close parking spot so the lugging wouldn't be so bad.  I got there before Norm did.  That means I was one of the first people in his booth after he set up.  And while he checked out my wheel like a proud grandpa, he invited me to play with the beautiful brand new 30" cherry Saxony wheel on display.  The only one still for sale.  At half the price I thought they were.  Yeah.  You know what happened.  With other hopefuls standing in wait, I had like 30 seconds to make a decision, knowing the money was in the bank and ignoring the fact that it should stay there.  Here she is, in all her glorious beauty.

I'll be deciding which couple of wheels I need to sell to replenish the bank account at some point and will be sure to let you know.   Saxony will not be one of them. 

I didn't intend to buy another wheel and had not only the production wheel in the car, but my Rose as well, also (still) in need of a fix.  The sexy Saxony was coming home with me, no matter that she might be too big to fit in the car, and that I had no blankets to carefully wrap her in.  Someone very nicely got Saxony in the car for me, though I did have to make some adjustments when I actually tried to put the car key in the ignition.  What do you do when you need to protect that beautiful finish?  Anything you have to.  Yes, that is a leather coat, 2 pounds of silk, 2 pounds of alpaca fleece, a Mystery Bump, a new wool sweater, and 4 skeins of sock yarn protecting my wheels for the drive home.

These two cuties also came home with me.  They are not mother and daughter.  They are strangers finding comfort in each other as their worlds went topsy turvy.  And the alpaca fleece.  That was another unintended purchase but I had met the woman selling the fleece earlier in the day at morning tea in the hotel lobby.  She's kind of a newby, the fleece was nice and worth buying.  I like to support new people and cultivate potential source of fleece.  I think I'll spin some of this as is for me, and some will probably end up in a roving blend for sale.   For some whimsy, I fell for these two mugs.  And now, I'm going to take the advice of that mug on the right. 

Comments

[Divine Bird Jenny]

And your COAT! You didn't show off your lovely new coat--though the wheel trumps all. Dayum, that's a pretty wheel. :D

[Risa]

Two Norm Hall wheels ;) I'm totally behind the take care of yourself presents. So which wheel(s) are you selling?

[Kathryn]

Use it well and joyfully!

[Anne]

Not a blessed thing wrong with purchasing gifts for yourself. You got some nice ones too! Good thing you know what you like, eh? :D

Enjoy!!

[Manise]

Congrats on the new wheel! I am very envious! Sounds like you had a wonderful time despite the rough start on Friday morning.

Oh and Opal rings? My French grandmother used to always say they brought bad luck. Apparently opals are notorious for falling out of their settings I later learned.

[chris]

Wowsers - that's some send off. And the wheels - but you had me at the bunnies - we had one come home with us too - so sweet.

[Julie]

Sounds like you really made up for the bad start. What a beautiful new wheel! Nothing wrong with spoiling yourself now and then :-)

[Christine]

I love the mugs and the two bunnies are so adorable. I hope your topsy turvy world regains its legs too!

Have fun behind the new wheel!

[Jessica]

For a rough start, I think you made up nicely. The wheel is gorgeous. And the new buns are adorable! I hope you find your opal. That's got to be tough. I love those mugs. I told the maker at the festival he need a "bunny mama" one!

[Karen]

What a lovely new wheel! Really pretty! Enjoy spinning on her/him. :)

I can't believe your opal fell out of the setting already! I hope you find it...it was so pretty.

[Laurie]

You know how to do it right. I padded my class wheel with a sheep pelt. Seemed right. I LOVE your Norm. It was kismet. So good to see you this weekend when you weren't a working girl.

[lynne s of oz]

oh, you were the one with the Norm Hall wheel that Risa is jealous of! :-) I hope it brings you joy, and that your opal turns up.

[margene]

I'm having wheel envy! It was great to see if only for a minute or two.

[vanessa]

oh man, that is one GORGEOUS wheel!

[Lucia]

OMG. And I didn't even get to see you! I too want to know which wheels you're parting with; I heard a rumor...