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Rhine. Beck.
So. Sleepy. and So. Happy.
I'll start from the beginning. Anne Marie and I left Athens at 9:00, bright and early, to catch our 12:50 plane. We kept exclaiming about how great our timing was, right up until it was 12:30 and we looked at the departures screen to check our flight. DELAYED THREE HOURS. Gah!
Luckily, crossword puzzles and Clapotis kept us busy until the plane left. Our little Airtran plane had free XM satellite radio (how cool!) so Anne Marie and I had a dance party at our seats, complete with cans of beer and dancing. Cramped dancing. Our seatmate LOVED us. Hee.
Off the plane, onto the train! Here's Anne Marie knitting on the train:
This was the first of many, many dishcloths.
The train turned out to be super fun, although we didn't know we could bring beers until after we left the station. Information for next time, clearly. We also met some friendly New Yorkers who wanted to know all about the knitting...they laughed when we said that we'd come up from Georgia for a Sheep and Wool Festival. (And actually, AM and I got that a lot this weekend...you came from WHERE? for THIS? Even from the knitters! It made me giggle.)
Finally the train arrived at Poughkeepsie! yayayayay! And who was there to meet us at the train station? Frecklegirl and Casey!
Eating dinner at last.
They are seriously the cutest things ever. I could NOT go to sleep that night... it felt like Christmas Eve. The next morning there was a trip to IHOP and the Big Lug met us there! Jen is hilarious and just as pretty in person as in her pictures. And also she has a really good costume for Halloween.
On to the Festival! We walked into the fairgrounds, and seriously, a big ray of sunshine came through the clouds and shone upon us. And there was much rejoicing. Dude. It was biblical.
You need to know that this bear is the softest alpaca I have ever touched.
I wuv you, teddy bear.
And this yumminess called to me. But I resisted -- I already had some sweater yarn in my bag:
Yarny. Goodness.
The bloggers were EVERYWHERE. (And you will know them by their Clapotis(es)(ii?).) It was fun to run into people and accost them while walking through the festival (hi Alison! hi Kim!)
I got to meet the Divine Miss Em, who is vivacious and funny and stylish and fabulous. But then, I knew that from her blog:
I love this woman.
I was so distracted by the yarny wonders and the pretty people that I did the following: 1. Left my credit card at the Morehouse Farms booth, AFTER the woman working the booth caught me rubbing a shawl kit on my face. I'm sure she thought I was insane. 2. Left my bag of yarn purchases SITTING ON THE TABLE where we were eating lunch. Just left it sitting there. HELLO. What is wrong with me? It took me a minute to realize that it was gone, and then I freaked out and almost started crying. Luckily the lovely ladies I ate with checked the bag and found my receipt and grabbed it for me. THANK YOU. After that, I tied all my bags of yarn to my pants. Because I'm classy like that.
Highlights of the rest of the weekend included:
1. Knitting in the room with the girls.
Knitting and beer DO mix.
2. Finishing my Clapotis, even though there was doubt that I could accomplish it with the TEENY TINY ball of yarn I was working through. Here's Jen worrying for me:
But it's so tiny!
3. Actually getting to wear my Clapotis because it was freakin' windy and cold on Sunday.
That's Frecklegirl's coat. But my Clappy.
4. Seeing the schmoos in the 4-H barns.
Hello, adorable alpaca schmoo.
4. And, of course, fun times with Anne Marie.
Edited to add: You can see the rest of my pictures here. Of course there was drinking of beer, taking of jacuzzis, and purchasing of Gas-X. (And let me tell you, I got a little ridiculed for that, but EVERYONE in our room took one at least once this weekend. Gas-X rules. I just took one.)
And finally, my guilty confession of the weekend: I bought a drop spindle. And I've been spinning. Just a little.
I suck at it. But I kinda like it.
Hope everyone had a great weekend! It's good to be home.
Posted by carrie at October 18, 2005 06:23 PM
Comments
It looks like such fun! I've got to get to one of these festivals one day! Glad you didn't lose all the stuff you buoght - scary.
Posted by: jen at October 24, 2005 03:26 PM
sorry i missed y'all in new yawrk citay.
Stacy
formerly of sister of the skein
Posted by: stacy at October 20, 2005 10:26 PM
Your clappy looks so beautiful in that picture! So jealous... my clappy is being an asshole again (see my blog for more info).
You have spun!! yaay!
Posted by: frecklegirl at October 20, 2005 09:44 PM
It was great to see you, schmoo!
How many days until Maryland?
Posted by: Sarah at October 20, 2005 09:42 PM
Your writing and gorgeous pictures always make me smile. I LOVE the transit pics. Thank you. Makes me homesick for Athens, too!
Posted by: Carol at October 20, 2005 05:25 PM
Ha, your pics are great! It was so nice to meet you, Carrie! Glad you had fun.
Posted by: Vicki at October 20, 2005 01:57 PM
You are way fun, and your spinning looks great! Glad I got to meet you finally!
Posted by: amyknitty at October 20, 2005 01:30 PM
I am so jealous! Here in CA, we have sheep, and wool, but somehow no festival...
Posted by: Jen M at October 20, 2005 01:05 PM
Oh my god, I loved those alpaca bears. How did I walk out of there without one? Oh, wait...right. Yarn. Never mind.
I LOVED loved LOVED meeting you. And I loved that it was just "hey, here you are in the barn" instead of the prearranged thing we'd...prearranged. When y'all coming back to NY?
Posted by: Em at October 20, 2005 11:35 AM
I am so glad that i'm not the only one who hearts the Gas-X. I'm a vegetarian - and it should be mandatory for all vegetarians to take it...you crack me up. Love love love them alpaca pics!
Posted by: gaile at October 20, 2005 11:20 AM
I'm just trying to imagine the scenario that led up to "toe knitting" at Rhinebeck. Knitters+hotel room+alcohol=CRA. ZI. NESS.
Are you looking just a bit buffer after all this running? I think so. And the Clappy suits you. P.S. Get yourself a coat like that, too. It's way sassy.
Posted by: Rachel at October 20, 2005 09:27 AM
Ah! What a great trip! Of COURSE you had to go...rhinebeck shouldn't be missed!
Posted by: heather at October 20, 2005 08:58 AM
You girls really are crazy. It looks like everyone had so much fun!
Posted by: molly at October 20, 2005 04:02 AM
hahahahaha. spindles. you got SUCKED. IN. REELED IN. HOOK line and SINKER. I am laughing at you!!!!!
Posted by: Jenny at October 20, 2005 12:47 AM
:( Now that Rhinebeck is overrrr, how am I gonna get my Carrie fix? HOW?!!? TELL ME?!!?! >
It was great to see you boo!!!! :-P
Posted by: Lara at October 20, 2005 12:40 AM
I'm sorry that I didn't get to actually talk to you at Rhinebeck, but I've decided that proximity counts and since we were at the same place at the same time, it's close enough (right?). Glad to see you're trying spinning! Trust me, it gets easier!
Posted by: --Deb at October 19, 2005 10:31 PM
I am having blogger withdrawl already! I can't believe you guys bought spindles the next day! Good thing I had to go home or else I may have bought one too! You know I can't wait to see you and AM again!!!
Posted by: biglug at October 19, 2005 09:01 PM
So...how long has this Clapotis craziness gone on? I mean *everyone* has made one by now, right? Some people have made two or more and I've seen the progress on everyones blogs. I've heard how great the pattern is. So the question is: Why is that picture of you wearing yours making me want to make one now? Now?! After all this time?!
Posted by: Stacey at October 19, 2005 08:29 PM
SO.JEALOUS.
Seriously, you and AM seemed to have had the BEST time. I must attend one of these things. I wish I lived closer.
Gas X is the best. I swear by it.
BTW, I know what sort of hotel you stayed at by the bedding (wink, wink)
Posted by: Skylar at October 19, 2005 08:28 PM
Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of spinning. No looking back now my dear, it is a DISEASE and you have it. (It's a good disease though ;).
Posted by: maia at October 19, 2005 04:07 PM
What a fun time! So jealous. I almost giggled out loud with the "tying your bags to your pants" bit. OMG, I can just imagine doing that.
Posted by: Angela at October 19, 2005 03:37 PM
Wow! Looks like a blast! But.... but.... What did you BUY???? All those pictures and nothing of purchased wool???? I'm waiting patiently so see :)
Posted by: Kelly at October 19, 2005 03:21 PM
AHA! We got you. ;-)
It was great to meet you, though it was brief on Saturday night.
Posted by: Cassie at October 19, 2005 03:13 PM
Why did my friends have to get married on Rhinebeck? Do they secretly hate me? Your Clapotis looks great, and I love the yarn goodness and soft alpacas in the pictures...stirs up the green monster in me just a little bit more.
Posted by: Jenn at October 19, 2005 03:03 PM
it was great to meet you (and add you to my bloglines!) - i do the same thing with rubbing all yarn, fiber and alpaca-teddybears against my cheek. i got a few weird looks this weekend, but not as many as i usually get at the LYS. do people not understand that all soft things must be rubbed against the cheek to determine TRUE softness?
i want an alpaca.
Posted by: anne at October 19, 2005 02:43 PM
You guys look like you had a blast!! I watched your slideshow - how cute are all those sheep/alpacas/etc?!?! I really love the ones with the mod punk hairdos!
So bummed I couldn't go... definitely next year!!
Posted by: Kathy at October 19, 2005 02:30 PM
I think spinning must be in the air! I played with my drop spindle for the first time this weekend, too!
Posted by: Julia at October 19, 2005 01:42 PM
Not fair. My husband thought I was crazy when I said that I wanted to go. He told me that going all the way form GA up there was loony. I will have to tell him thinking about it and not going was the loony part. I sure wish that I had been there.
Posted by: Katie C at October 19, 2005 12:29 PM
Thanks for sharing your memories and picks! I'm living vicariously through yours and other Rhinebeck blog postings. And congrats on the spindle purchase! FUN FUN FUN!
Posted by: Rossana at October 19, 2005 12:18 PM
Looks soooooo fun!!!!! I love the slide show, very cool
Posted by: jenny at October 19, 2005 12:16 PM
Hurray for spinning! I must warn you--it's addicting...
Glad to see you had such fun--and thanks for representing the great state of Georgia!
Posted by: Anita at October 19, 2005 11:40 AM
A new spinning addict on the way. Welcome aboard
Love all the goodies!
Posted by: Carrie at October 19, 2005 11:27 AM
looks like a lot of fun. watch out for that spinning - susan started a couple of months ago and she's pretty addicted already. that's how they get you - pretty soon you want a sheep farm.
Posted by: karen at October 19, 2005 11:20 AM
Looks like you guys had a fabulous time - looking forward to more yarn pics. You go girl on the spinning - I love that thin/thick thing - that's the stuff they charge so much for. I'm so glad the weather improved. I'm sure Jacob and your "other" schmoos are glad to have you back though - there's only so much sharin' they can stand.
Posted by: Robin at October 19, 2005 11:12 AM
I'm glad I got to meet you. I can't believe you bought a drop spindle!
Posted by: Gina at October 19, 2005 11:04 AM
So. much. fun.
Can we go again? Can we? Huh? Huh? You are the absolute most fun to travel with even though you seem to try to give away your credit card and yarn. You are so much fun, that I still tried to hog your time even though we traveled across the land to meet up with our cyber-gang.
We will soon master spinning. Or else, as Claudia says, we can use our spindles for decoration.
Posted by: Anne Marie at October 19, 2005 10:44 AM
It was really nice to meet you, and so glad we found your yarn!!
Posted by: jackie at October 19, 2005 10:32 AM
dude. i love that photo of you in your clappy. wish we had seen each other on sunday. NOT ENOUGH TIME WITH CARRIOKE is my rhinebeck recap.
Posted by: carolyn at October 19, 2005 10:13 AM
I'm with Sarah B... so jealous. Drop Spindles rule, you'll be a spinnig pro in no time.
Gas-X rules, I carry it with me at all times!
Posted by: Kate at October 19, 2005 10:12 AM
You lucky girl. Looks like a blast! I wish I could have gone. Maybe next year! I was on a train once & I loved it!
Posted by: Eilene at October 19, 2005 10:08 AM
So. Jealous. It looks like you guys had a great time and I'm so glad that you did. There's always next time, right? I miss you guys!
Posted by: sarah b. at October 19, 2005 10:02 AM
So tell me....is it something in the water in Athens that makes you and Anne Marie so damn adorable and photogenic? Or just really good genes? Whatever it is, dude, I need it. And don't even get me started on how gorgeous Jen and Jess are. And Frecklecoat? So.Cute. And Clappy? Drooling. And forgetfulness due to fiber/blogger/fun overload? Love it. The pics of you and the teddy bear is TOO CUTE. PLEASE STOP WITH ALL THE CUTENESS....MY HEAD IS GOING TO EXPLODE.
Sounds like you all had a fabby time.
Posted by: Sarah at October 19, 2005 09:59 AM
So good to meet you Carrie! Glad you all arrived safely back home.
Posted by: Bookish Wendy at October 19, 2005 09:59 AM
So close, yet so far, no? I can't believe I didn't get the quality hang time with you girls. I'm still pouting over it. It was really one of the only sore points in an otherwise fantastico weekend. Glad you had a good times though - you look so happy in your pictures (as always) and I'm happy then!
Till the next fiber fest, my friend! L, C
Posted by: Cara at October 19, 2005 09:54 AM
What are you wearing in the picture of the bear, did you make that?
(questions must be asked, and distroyed by answers!)
It was *so* good to meet you saturday, next year, I go both days!
Posted by: Amber at October 19, 2005 09:19 AM