Fiber Festivals are no more, for now any way, due to Covid-19. Most of the events have had to do some sort of virtual version of the events as an alternative. Earlier I asked about yarn shops and if you will continue to support. Now I am curious on your thoughts with virtual events, will you attend?
This weekend Vogue is having an event. Virtual Knitting Live comes complete with a marketplace, lectures and classes. I just looked and most of the classes are sold out! That answers my question, you are attending and that is outstanding! I truly feel that together we can keep our beloved industry alive during this pandemic.
Fiber Festivals – Flashbacks
I remember the first time I attended Rhinebeck. I was completely in awe! I mean the people, ALL THE YARN and the animals…wait the food. Boy oh boy when we can get back to festivals will be the biggest party ever! The virtual will never take the place of the actual, but we need to remain safe. So I figured I would share a few pictures from festivals past.
The hill at Rhineback is always so much fun. There is nothing like meeting the people you talk to all the time or the designers you adore. I love that they are doing this virtually..but I need to hug somebody! LOL
The photo above was Adella’s first Rhinebeck experience! We had a BLAST!! Again, yes safety first, but I can not WAIT to be able to be together again! I have said it before and I will say it again, the best part of these events are the people.
Do you miss the human connection in our industry as much as I do? Let’s Talk
I’ve never been to a fiber festival. I do hope we’ll get back to having them because my yarn partner in crime and I were planning on attending Houston next year. Rhinebeck looks like so much fun! I’ve wanted to go ever since I heard about it, but it’s always been out of reach for me. Maybe once the kids are older and I can travel without worrying about them 🧡
I sure hope we get to go in person again. Yarn colors are tricky over a screen (I’ve never checked mine for accuracy) and you are totally right: the people are the best part!
I’ve attended Rhinebeck for the past 25 years, even before I was knitting! Nothing can replace the live feeling of that event, but i would definitely support it in any way I can right now. I was excited to try virtual VKL, but the big drawback for me is that you can only watch the video classes live at the appointed time the class is scheduled, and no way to replay it afterward. That doesn’t work for me so I did not sign up for any classes. I am lucky that I was able to attend VKL in NYC this past January so I’m satisfied for the moment. But it’s going to be hard come October when the sheep and wool festival was to take place. I have to commend the ingenious ways some events have attempted to take place virtually. Still, nothing can completely satisfy like a live fiber event; the feel, smell and excitement that we all share is irreplaceable.
My non-knitting sister and I enjoy Rhinebeck and we’re sad it isn’t happening this year. It’s so fun spotting well-know people in the crowds. I see Diane Ivey in one of your photos. I’m a new subscriber to your your blog. Fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing! Beth2 on Ravelry.
GG, the first fiber show I attended was a small local one here in Seattle, The Yarn Revolution. It inspired me to suggest to my book group (several of whom are knitters) that we go to Knit City in Vancouver, BC, Canada, last October. In the end, 5 of us went. We rented an AirBnB for two nights and had a fabulous time. Our plan was to go again this year, but that’s not possible, at least at this point. I think they may be having a virtual one — their site hasn’t updated about that yet — but when the opportunity arises to attend in person, you can bet we’ll be there!
I can’t imagine anything replacing fiber festivals. I was a vendor at Rhinebeck and loved every minute of it. So much yarn, fiber and lovely people. Lets face it you can’t handle yarn or fiber on a computer. I’ve been very disappointed in what I’ve gotten on line. Looks soft but isn’t. Maybe they will be up and running next year. We can only hope.
I’ve been going to Stitches West for 15 years and will be interested to see how the Stitches events evolve. We have a few other fairs in the area, and I plan to do virtual Natural Fiber Fair and Lambtown. They should be done well because they always have been. The California Wool and Fiber Festival, aka Boonville, won’t be held, but not surprising. From my perspective, it is a tiny fair, about half fleece judging and half vendors, no classes.
I hope to attend fairs virtually, fairs I would not be able to attend without streaming. Rhinebeck has been a goal for a while. However, I do best meeting people face to face, sweater to sweater. Meeting and hugging you at Stitches West was a highlight of 2020. I don’t think that translates with technology. Still, let’s make the best of C-19 and go to new places.
Your last picture looks like the house we rented the year we went to Rhinebeck. It was so much fun; I loved attending. I look forward to going in person again, but I sign up to do virtual when I can. Whimsical Woods did one, so I sat on the Facebook live videos and knit while the participants showed off their yarns, had giveaways, and chatted on Facebook. I spent so much money that weekend. I’m realizing I have to make more of an effort and be more creative to stay in touch with my knitting buddies, but it’s worth it because it lifts me out of my depression.
I have attended a few of the virtual fiber festivals and they are ok, but not a replacement for in person. My favorite virtual festival so far was the ZK Zombies. Megan and Amy (and I’m sure the rest of the team) put in a lot of effort to have Zoom sessions, so we could “meet” people. But I miss being able to meet new people and touch all of the yarn.
I’ve never been to our local fiber festival. Every year I say I am going to go and every year something else comes up the same weekend. Last year I think I was my daughter’s wedding. (seems so long ago!!) I had found an amazing yarn shop not far from my husband’s office right as the whole Covid thing really got rolling. But having asthma I am still keeping myself under a pretty strict self quarantine, so I haven’t been back yet. Sad…
I did the ZK zombie virtual fest and loved it. It was a last minute thing for me to do but I didn’t have to register to take part in the Zoom meetings with dyers and designers. Then I did a bit of shopping on Saturday.
I can’t wait for the real thing tho. Getting to sit and stitch with others is what I miss most. The one I go to every year and usually teach at is Estes Park Wool Market in Estes Park, Colorado. I’m also part of a sheep to shawl team there. I will support the virtual but can’t wait to get back to the real thing.
I like going to Rhinebeck to people watch. I’ve been going so many years and have a large stash so usually I look for something different and usually no yarn when I go. I also go to smaller festivals and do miss the day out with friends. I checked out the Maryland virtual but I was too stressed with all the Covid going on that I ended up buying from a vendor I always buy from. A vendor I like at Rhinebeck recently set up a etsy shop (they didn’t have an online presence) and that was great, I bought things I would probably have looked at while at Rhinebeck.
A few years ago I went to Stitches West DFW Texas. To this Canadian I was in complete awe as I had never been to anything like it. I loved every minute of it. I had been to Creative Festival here in Toronto but it was small potatoes compared to Stitches.
I hope one day to attend Rhinebeck & Knit City. I love to meet people and see what people are buying, what is new, buying pretty yarns, notions & bags.
Our city just held a virtual yarn hop but I missed getting the tickets lol that seems to be a trend with me I never seem to get into the shops before all the goodies are gone.
I’ve never been to Rhinebeck, but would love to go someday. But I miss being able to go to Estes Park and see that llamas and alpacas, and I miss going to Taos and seeing the people (and the food tbh!). I went to the virtual Maryland S&W in May, and it was fun, but not the same. I’d be willing to do a virtual Rhinebeck though.
As a vendor, the virtual events have created some new positive experiences, while (of course) the cancellations of live events have had some negative impacts. In all, because of the virtual events I’ve vended through, I’ve built some lovely relationships with customers I may not have otherwise been able to chat with, one-on-one. That is everything. Like you said, the best part of festivals are the people. In the same way teachers and parents have had to get creative with children’s learning, buyers and sellers (of all things!) have had to get creative with the shopping process. I’ve chosen to keep a positive attitude of gratitude, because we live in an age of the internet, social media, and the USPS keeping everyone happy with yarn deliveries! 🙂 However, when events return, I KNOW there will be lots of hugs!!!
I’m so happy the virtual events are working out to your benefit 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾