The Loot

It's one of those days when I would sell most of my children for a not-entirely-unreasonable price, the messy, bickering ingrates.

Since I'm pretty sure this would be the Wrong Thing to do, my Bailey's and I have taken refuge in my office where I can temper my aggravation with a teensy bit of alcohol and a soothing selection of new-to-me fiber and toys.

First up, the pokey stuff.

Below are a flick carder and a brand spankin' new Zoom Loom, both of which, as you can clearly see, I have already been using.



They were the only items on my Reallyreallyreally Want To Find it at Rhinebeck list.  I found them around lunch time at the giant and very crowded Carolina Homespun booth, which is usually a good place to find tools.  I almost didn't see the ZL, even though I thought I was searching very carefully for it.  I found the flick carder at the far end of the booth, after I had (I thought) shopped the rest of the store.  So I got into line and waited.  And waited. And waited.  Did I mention it was crowded?  There were some wireless issues, too.  And only one register. And A LOT of people.  While I was waiting, my view was limited to the other booths, the back of the nice lady in front of me, and a display of little bitty stuff that I wasn't interested in.  It wasn't until I was at the register--25 minutes later-- that I could finally see into the booth again.  Whereupon I beheld the long sought after ZL.  Not that I could reach it from my place in the line.  I nearly passed out at the thought of standing in that line again to pay for the ZL.  And, as nice as they seemed on the surface, I wasn't entirely sure that, if I stepped out of line for a second to grab the loom, the people behind me would not just swarm the register and conveniently forget they had ever seen me.    Just in time, though, my head cleared and my panic subsided enough for me to realize that I could ask the cashier to charge me for the loom and then go get it.  Which is exactly what I did, and just as well. I did not see either of my prizes in any other booth, although that doesn't mean much given the crowds (impossible to see through) and the fact that we skipped almost half of the barns this year.

Next up is a jar of hand lotion, which I did mean to get, and a skein of Shelter, which is well on its way to becoming a cabled hat.



And last, the soft and fluffy fiber.



In spite of my perpetual claim that I have more than enough fiber, in the end it was inconceivable to me that I might leave Rhinebeck without buying more. I came across this naturally dyed Corriedale at Handspun by Stefania and developed a major crush on that particular shade of yellow (dyed in chamomile). I didn't buy it right away, since I have more than enough fiber, but I also didn't see any other shades of yellow quite that appealing, and just before the festival closed I went back for it and two of its friends (madder + indigo and fustic + indigo).

And that, aside from the unusual amount of time we spent waiting in lines (booths, lunch, trying to leave), is my Rhinebeck story.  The Bailey's and the loot have done their job and I think I'm just about ready to try my kids out again, on a strictly probationary basis. Wish me luck.