Is this weekend going to be the first time at Rhinebeck? Exciting, huh?
It’s fun and exciting… but can also be exhausting and overwhelming. Here’s a few of my tips for making sure your weekend is pure fabulous-ness!
Dress Appropriately
If you’re hitting Rhinebeck for the full day (or BOTH full days), it’s important to remember that you’ll be outside, basically on a farm, for the entire day. Dressing right is your key to success.
Layer Have I mentioned you’re going to be outside all day long? Of course I have. It’s late October in New York. That means it’s going to be chilly (so wear a warm sweater/coat). But, you’re also doing a lot of walking around, so you might get warm. Dress accordingly.
Wear comfortable shoes You’re going to be standing and walking all day long… make sure your shoes are comfortable! This is no time for prancing around in shoes that will make your feet hurt. Buy insoles if you have to.
Wear dirt-friendly shoes I said ‘farm’, right? There’s a lot of dirt (and if it rains, then dirt = mud) and so you want to wear shoes that will keep your feet warm and snug. Have hiking/work boots? Wear them.
Wear a knit/crochet item and KNOW WHAT IT IS I’m not going to fib: folks get into a competitive spirit at Rhinebeck, trying to flaunt their finest handmade items. I don’t let myself get sucked in to the madness. I toss on one sweater/scarf that I knit and call it a day.
You’ll probably want to wear something that you made to ‘fit in with the crowd’. To make your life easy, pick an item where you: 1) remember the pattern’s name and 2) remember the yarn you used. Because you will be asked, and often.
Bring an empty bag Don’t kid yourself. This is a shopping trip. Bring an empty, reusable tote. It’ll make handling your purchases easier!
Budget wisely
Rhinebeck is full of amazing and tempting goodies. And if you don’t pace yourself, you can wind up spending a fortune before you’ve even visited half of the booths. So, go in with a plan.
Set a budget There’s a lot of temptation. Set an honest budget and stick to it. Some folks take out a limited amount of cash and leave the credit cards at home.
Browse for projects ahead of time Go in with an idea of what you’re looking for. Do you love shawls? Pick out a few patterns and jot down the yardages you’d need. Thinking of picking up yarn for a sweater? Pick your pattern, then you’ll know you’re looking for ’1200 yards of worsted weight yarn’. Or, have the mission of finding ‘a beautiful fleece’ to card and spin. This will make shopping much less stressful.
Don’t forget gifts Many folks forget that Rhinebeck is full of bags/trinkets/goodies that make great gifts, even for non-knitters. Budget for some holiday shopping, too, and kill two birds with one stone!
Do a first-pass before buying It’s easy to blow your whole budget on the first stall you see. So, try to do a first look at all of the stalls, so you can be sure you have money for the items you really want. Of course, if you see a one-of-a-kind item early on, it’s okay to snatch it up before it’s gone!
Schedule your time
Nothing’s worse than realizing (too late) that you missed a book signing from your favorite author or the llama shearing that you wanted to see. Look at the schedule in advance and don’t forget to read the blogs of your favorite knitters… many of them will be there with signings/events!
Have fun!
Rhinebeck is about seeing great fiber/yarn, eating good food and having fun. It’s almost impossible to see everything. Don’t stress about it. There’s always next year!
Am I going to see you there? Be sure to say ‘hi’ if you see me!
Here we go!
Sadly, I’m not going, but I think these tips are great! The budgeting/scheduling tips work for any fiber festival.
I brought a reusable tote to Stitches South, and boy was I glad that I did! I didn’t come away with a lot of stuff from Stitches but it was a good way to separate out the things I was going to use on the car ride home.
I will be there! Hopefully so will the sweater i am working on!
And don’t forget your camera : )!
I am 99 percent sure I will be there. Very excited – this is the first weekend we haven’t had a previous commitment. I went to the Maryland sheep+wool festival, but it was 90 degrees and I just wasn’t feeling very yarny. A 60 degree day in October, amid the changing leaves sounds so much better. My poor wallet.