Top 10

Today, I offer you my Random Musings on Things to Love About Knitting:

1.  Small Carbon Footprint
2.  Low-Calorie
3.  Social, or Anti-; depending on your state of mind and physical locale
4.  Never wonder self-consciously what to do with your hands
5.  Yarn will never stand you up for a meeting it scheduled with you
6.  Noise it makes seldom annoys others (self-satisfied clucking or moans of ecstasy excepted)
7.  Never run out of common interests with your cat
8.  Always available for snuggling
9.  Awkward explanation for where you were last Sunday afternoon not required
10. Knitting never gets upset if you fall asleep (either before OR after)
 

After Rhinebeck

Ultimately, the Sheep and Wool festival drew to a close.  We stragglers were like a bunch of bar flies at closing time:  "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."  This is the formerly-swamped entrance, with the last few hangers-on, including me.  Notice the fella there in the kilt - he just happened to wanter into my parting photo.  Sorta poetic, no?

We took in some sights the following day, including a wee little country place the Vanderbilts built during the Gilded Age, at Hyde Park.

The front yard of the Vanderbilt Estate at Hyde Park is the Hudson River.  And some really peepy leaves, as it happens:

Passable view, for a country place:

I looked into the water, thought things over, and declared my pilgrimage East a success.

All this and knitting, too.  Bliss, baby, Bliss.

My Swell New Pal, The Dutchess

The New York Sheep and Wool Festival, casually known to knitters and other fiber fools as "Rhinebeck" is held in Dutchess County, New York.  The actual Dutchess it was named for, Mary of Modena, was consort to King James II of England.  It sure was nice of the colonists to name this region after her.  Maybe they did it because it's beautiful, like her. I hope she liked sheep.  Either way, I was delighted to learn that the real Dutchess of Dutchess County was a Mary, too.

Mary of Modena (Mary Beatrice Eleanor Anne Margaret Isabel; born Este; later Queen Mary of England, Scotland and Ireland; 5 October 1658 – 7 May 1718) was queen consort to James II of England. Her reign as consort lasted from 6 February 1685 until 11 December 1688. Mary was crowned Queen consort on 23 April 1685.

In the shade of 100-year-old hardwood trees, the Dutchess County Fairgrounds are completely civilized.  In addition to all the fibery goodness there is to covet and buy, you can eat and drink everything here, from Artichokes to Zinfandel.

Here a historical interpreter introduces a smally to his first sheep.  Both were pleased to meet one another.

Sheep farmers are a rare breed.  One of them staggered up to have her book signed, exhausted after NINE lambs were born to her flock the night before.

I met small knitters.

And not-so-small knitters.

I had the best of all possible worlds:  Indoors, where it was not bitter cold, and meeting knitters, who are big fun in all shapes.

Some knitters think that stranded colorwork is difficult, because it looks complicated.  I talked quite a few down from the ledge.

Here are Lori and Karen of Homestead Heirlooms.  They make the most gorgeous straps and findings to complete your handmade totes and purses.  Everyone should go immediately to their website and buy everything they have, because they are also delightful and generous ladies who are gifted at what they do.

Before leaving, I ran into Casey and Jess.  I thanked them for making Ravelry.

Like a pioneer in reverse, I traveled from West to East.  My pilgrimage led me to sights and sounds I could only have imagined.  The sheep were great, and so was the wool.  But the knitters, as always, were the most delightful of all.  I think the Dutchess would be pleased.