After years of anticipation, I finally made it to NY Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY on October 17, 2026. I had watched many knitters mention it in their podcasts and looked forward to that experience too. Rhinebeck is about 2.5 hours drive from where I live but for some reason or another I was unable to go there. This year it happened and it was a wonderful experience.

I was there for about five hours and it wasn’t enough time to see and do all the things. I was able to get a copy of a book by Patty Lyons signed, met Toni of Tlyarncrafts, chatted with other knitters while waiting in long lines, went to the antique museum, saw sheep, alpacas etc.

There were long lines to purchase yarn and food which was a bit overwhelming. I got yarn from Cozy Color Works, some souvenirs, and maple syrup.

I wore my Rhinebeck 2026 sweater knit from an alpaca cotton tweed blend yarn from Knitpal. This budget friendly, light DK weight yarn was knit using US Size #6 circular knitting needle. The pattern is a custom top down Raglan sleeve pullover. It is quite warm but I still needed a jacket over the sweater since it was cold and windy that day.

The making of my Rhinebeck 2026 Sweater:

The drive to Rhinebeck was lovely and scenic with the trees displaying their colorful autumn leaves. There were so many things that I didn’t get the time to do but I am grateful that I was able to go to the NY Sheep and Wool Festival this year. It was a memorable trip. Next time I will try to go for the weekend to get the complete Rhinebeck experience.