Trendspotting at Rhinebeck with your host Stitchcraft Marketing

26 Oct Trendspotting at Rhinebeck with your host Stitchcraft Marketing

The Stitchcraft Marketing team enjoys the chance to get away from the computers and go squish some fiber. As we are scattered around the country, we have the chance to have our eyes and ears at the major festivals and events that take place throughout the year. Rebecca is our account manager who lives in Connecticut and has been with us for years. Rhinebeck is her favorite place to be in October. Read on for her recap of this year’s event. 

Rebecca (top left, in her Solitude Dots hat) and her local SnB group in their yearly Rhinebeck Hats

The New York Sheep and Wool festival is one of the largest fiber festivals in the New York and New England region, and it also draws people from all over the country. There are workshops, large and small vendors, local food artisans, spinning and weaving demonstrations. It is also the scene to show off your latest knit, crochet, or woven accomplishment! As you stroll the fairgrounds (or maybe run through them to get a good spot in line at Jennie the Potter or Miss Babs), there is plenty of inspiration and trends to inspire you. In addition to seeing all the sweaters, shawls and hats, the weather this year was cold enough for snow, which only makes you want to cast on a new wooly project that much faster!

Rhinebeck is truly an experience: pattern spotting, meeting Ravelry friends and favorite designers in person, enhancing your stash, and squishing breed specific yarns at Solitude Wool.  And the festival is not just sheep and wool! Bijou Basin Ranch brought their unique yak yarns and Paco-Vicuna yarns in exquisite hand-dyed colorways that were so appealing to the eye and to touch! I also love the opportunity to talk with the people behind the brand, like seeing the YarnIt ball in person, now I see why everyone wants one! Kate described how she designed the portable plastic yarn ball to keep your yarn (and small tools) contained, clean, and protected especially for travelling!