Episode 20 We are no longer Rhinebeck virgins!
"Take the risk. We all have biases & prejudices. We all have to work very hard on being good humans. We can all have beautiful, meaningful relationships with people within this industry if we just stop & take a minute to listen & understand what people are saying to each other. And that's what I try to do with LolaBean Yarn Co. everyday."
- Adella Colvin ( @lolabeanyarnco )
Our recipe for this episode is a hearty soup that is perfect for "sweater weather" AND evokes fond memories of our trips to Kauai. The soup is called Portuguese Bean Soup from the Cookbook, Tasting Paradise by Karen Bacon. We would always stop at the Koke'e Lodge and order this after hiking around Waimea Canyon (after visiting the KMart, recycling stations, and all the other "fun" activities our parents planned for us during our visits). Did you know that Kauai is home to the wettest place on Earth? Mount Waialeale receives over 400 inches of rain a year! This is making Bootie and Bossy very grateful that they only see 40 or so inches a year.
Bootie and Bossy took the risk and made their way to Rhinebeck for the sheep and wool festival! It was a pure delight. We met several knitting celebrities, fondled much yarn, but what we truly delighted in was the inspiring stories we heard and projects we saw. And oh yeah, we did bask in the glow of the compliments we received for our own knitted wear. We plan to go back next year!
The one and only Andrea Mowry! After knitting several of Andrea's shawl's, Bootie was inspired to make her own "Rainbow Poncho Composion." For more details about her poncho, see below. Andrea is wearing her Rhinebeck sweater which is the Tessellated Vest. Bossy is wearing Stone Point in Fibre Company Luma.
What a pleasure it was to meet Adella and Jimmy Colvin of Lolabean yarn! This dynamic duo weathered the fiasco of the Wool and Folk Festival and turned the experience into an opportunity for change . They held a fundraiser for the Association for people with disabilities. You can donate to that worthy cause here.
How fabulous is this tutu made from a fleece???
Bossy's haul from left to right: Lolabean's "Leaf Voter Suppression behind" in DK (signed by Jimmy and Adella), Cece's wool colorway "Rhinebeck 23", and one skein of homespun.
Mom found the perfect hat at Heirlooms Scandinavian Weave and Knit!
Bootie's haul from upper left to bottom right: Cece's wool colorway "Rhinebeck 23", 2 skeins of Lolabean's "Leaf Voter Suppression behind" in fingering (one signed by Jimmy and Adella), 3 skeins of Helix fine Ewetopia in colorways "Bluebell, Northern Light, and Indigo Bunting", and 2 skeins of Optic Yarns Kashmir fingering in "Pleasantly Plum"
The non yarn items we bought: Knitted Cable Sourcebook by Norah Gaughn, Neons and Neutrals by Aimee Gille, Make, Thrift, Mend by Katrina Rodabaugh, Yoga of Yarn by Liza Laird, the MDK field guide Brioche featuring Nancy Marchant, some chicken cards, some goat's milk soap from Cat's View Farm and a card case for our Bootie and Bossy cards!
Some more details about Bootie's "Rainbow Poncho Composion." She used The Yarn Snob's Happiness in fingering, plus some white and gray yarn (also from The Yarn Snob), The Cape Cod Yarn Company Fingering Weight in color Provincetown (thanks, Bossy!), and the Loved Ones Yarn in Wooly Worm Fingering color Bleeding Hearts. The brioche border is the Chai Tea scarf from Michelle Lee Bernstein's excellent book, Brioche, Knit, Love. Bootie used a fingering weight instead of DK. for the border.
This video demonstrates how hard it is to herd sheep. After seeing this, Bootie decided to give up her dreams of owning her own sheep. Her husband is thankful for that.
Bootie talked about making one of Andrea Mowry's shawl patterns (to date, Bootie has actually made 8 of Andrea's patterns). It's called What the Fade (not Briochealicious which is another pattern) and it incorporates the garter and brioche that Andrea, and now Bootie, is so fond of.
And whatever you do, don’t knit like my sister!
