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Rhinebeck: My First Experience

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I spent this past weekend walking my legs off at the Duchess Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York. The weather cooperated, and everyone was met with beautiful skies and sunny warmth. Reflecting back on those 2 days, I did have some fun, though I think that Rich was miserable. I know now that I should have driven up alone without him.

Seeing on all the blog posts that everyone had a great time at Rhinebeck depresses me because NOBUNNY I normally talk online to would say “Hi” to me. Here I was in a “I’m a Square” tee-shirt, and almost everyone that supposedly is my friend in blogland treated me like dirt in person. At least the few awesome online folks who did not look at me like I just stole their yarn when I introduced myself are really are cool in person. Namely, it was mostly the folks on Ravelry who know how much work I do on there. It also did not help that my husband kept reminding me how Stephanie did not seem to care that I came to see her.

I start crying whenever I think about this whole bit. I promise to get the good memories altogether and write about them later. Meanwhile, I need to stop bawling during my lunch at work. =:8

Update: OMG. Thanks in lots of bunny hugs for all the kind words! You all are so great. There is no way I can stay down in the dumps now.

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53 Comments

  1. How strange! If I’d have been there, I would’ve loved to have met you. It’s fun meeting bloggers in person, especially bunny friends!

  2. I wish I had known that you were there – I definately would have said hello. My first time at Rhinebeck in 2005 was very overwhelming for me and I think just to much to take in – next time for you will be much better – I only go up on Saturday – 2 days is just too much – hopefully I will see you there next time 🙂

  3. oh no Kimberly 🙁
    Honestly.. I LOOKED for you on Saturday and didn’t find you (I wasn’t playing bingo, I just wanted to meet you!) I was a little overwhelmed at the meet and a little shy about approaching people… I could have met more.. but that shyness..

    Next year leave the husband at home and stay and shop with us!

  4. Oh no, that stinks. 🙁 I looked for you but I never saw you – in fact, I only ran into one person I knew at all. I wish we had found each other – I was all set to give you a big hug and tell you how happy I was to meet you in person.

    You know, with the Blogger Bingo thing, sometimes people get more fixated on filling up cards than actually meeting people. That’s one reason I chose not to play this year.

  5. Oh, Kimberly, honey, I hope it helps you to know that seeing you there was one of the highlights of my day. If I’d realized you weren’t having as much fun as you looked to be (though admittedly, I saw you when we were surrounded by Ravelry folks and that seems to be the only part where you had a good time), I would have dragged you along with us.

    I agree with Carla–next year, leave the man behind and come with us.

    And in Harlot’s defense, remember she’s been sick and she had this kind of entourage surrounding her and she’d just done a book talk and was probably overwhelmed. I wanted to go up to her to say hi, but she just looked tired when I saw her on Saturday. Because you KNOW if she’d been closer to normal, she’d have been thrilled to see you. What with the panties and all. 🙂

    Here’s something you would appreciate: One of the barns had these grey dwarf bunnies for sale for FIVE DOLLARS. I hadn’t bought anything yet, and I knew I was on a budget, and I was sorely tempted. I imagined that I would come home with a $5 bunny, go up to my husband, and be like “Look, honey! I stayed WAY under budget! And now say hello to…PHILLIP.” He realized how dangerously close I was to actually doing that, considering I’d already named the bunny. That I didn’t buy. But wanted desperately.

    *hugs* We should really just try to get together sometime. We live, what, 2 hours apart, tops?

  6. Oh no! No crying!! I was so glad to meet you. I think of you as “famous” and I was like “omg, there she is, in real person. And I’m talking to her!!” It was so nice of Rich to point out the Sox score for us and thank you for putting the bartender in his place to change the game back! Next time leave the man behind and come hang out with me and my friends! Oh yeah, and didn’t you win yarn?? Ravelry colored yarn??? Lucky!

  7. Well I enjoyed meeting you and though I didn’t get my picture up first (or yet) i love that you had a contest for your sox 🙂

  8. Oh sweetie! I’m sorry you felt snubbed! You just need to come on down here to Texas and we’ll hang out and go to the bunny ranch and just goof off!

    *HUGS*

  9. Well pooh to him. Next time leave him at home! Steph was sick and she was probably one of the most recognizable people there, so she was hopped up on cold meds and overwhelmed. Shows what he knows.

    Next year will be my first year, I will be bringing my husband (husband, eh?) but you know that he’ll actually want to be there 😀

    So shed that crappy shroud, let those good memories from the weekend shine (surrounded by Ravelers, there’s something good in that, right?) and get ready for next year. We’re going to have so much fun you’ll call in Monday and Tuesday.

  10. That’s so awful! I really wish I had met you, even though I’m so shy I probably would have just squeaked out a greeting. I wish I had known about the Ravelry meetup ahead of time, somehow I missed it!

  11. now now! I specifically looked for you all day on Saturday, AND THEN I hunted you down to say hi at the Ravelry thing.

    Anyway, it was good to see you in person! 🙂

  12. Boo! That’s so wrong. I’m sorry you didn’t have a good time. But, as Catherine said, we had a great time meeting you at the party and you kicked butt getting them to keep the Red Sox game on!

  13. Sorry you didn’t have a good time the whole time but, as you say, write about the good times and let the others go. I would have loved to be there. I’m sure I would have been overwhelmed. My ex-significant other would have been like your husband, that’s why he’s the ex. 🙂 Plan with others to meet, leave the hubby at home, have a budget, and have fun. Imagine the Ravelry party next year!!

  14. Well, now that is just not ok! That is not how we knitters behave. I am so sorry you had a bad time (I blame the hubby). Any time you want to have a good fiber time you know where you can find me (at WEBS. Remember?). 🙂

    P.S. My sister is a non-knitter ( she crochets a bit) and just got a bunny. I directed her to your blog, which she visits regularly. 🙂 Her bunny’s name is Oscar and he is a long eared dwarf. I guess. 😉

  15. Ack that sucks lemons =(
    I’m so sorry to hear that you had such a horrible time. However I would like you to know that if I had been there (I wish!) I’d have given you a big squishy hug and chattered on like a monkey with waaaay to much to say and then after a while think to myself “omg maybe she’s not a hugsies person, maybe I’m talking too much, maybe I should shut up a bit, I hope she doesn’t think I’m barmy” =D

    I’m crazy like that.

  16. ACK!!! I can totally relate. That happens to me all the time too. It’s like you’ve got these big long silver threads of connection that you feel through the monitor, but IRL you realize there’s not necessarily that much connection on the other side at all. Like the others before me, had I been there we woulda toooootally been chattin’ -n- snackin’ -n- pettin’ some yarn-n-bunnies together!!! CLEARLY all the wrong people were there. (‘cept for you and femiknitmafia, of course!) ;~)

    ~ hb33 ~

  17. I wish I had been there. I would have loved to hang out with other knitters, and you in particular. Consider this an across the country hugz. (((((hug))))))

  18. *Hug*
    Agitation and crying felts fleece you know. I wasn’t there but send hugs from afar. The whole thing sound pretty overwhelming for like 2 days or something? Maybe when the exhaustion wears off you can share some fleecy memories?

  19. I can assure you that I was beyond glad to see you! In hind sight I realized I didn’t introduce you to my SIL, so I kept an eye out for you but didn’t spot you again.

    Big hugs, you got a friend here.

  20. I’m glad things are looking up for you now and that at least you had a good time with the Ravelers. And I’ve learned never to bring my husband along if I want to enjoy anything yarn-y!

  21. I’m so sorry you had a bad time, Kimberly. You know, these ginormous festivals can be so overwhelming even for us so-called veterans. I repeat what I said to you in an email this morning, that I sure as hell hope that I was not one who inadvertently dissed you. If I did, believe me, it WAS inadvertent. I really wasn’t on the grounds much, as it turns out. I got there late with my buddies, and then had to leave early in order to pick up the kids at the train station. I didn’t go to the Ravelry party, I was late for the blogger’s meetup (and most everyone had left by that time) and there were tons of people I just saw for a three-second hi and then never again for the rest of the weekend (including our next-door-room-neighbors in the hotel!) I didn’t even see some of the people I’ve known for years, and as much as I might have wanted to, I didn’t even have time to look up or call some of my closer friends. I wish I’d known you were coming and that we had set up a meeting. I didn’t do that with ANYone this year, but Sandy had several previously set-up meetings.

  22. 🙁 I’m so sorry… I wasn’t even there and I feel bad. Next time you come “home” to VA you make sure to let me know and me and my shy ass self will do my best to get a meet up (and I’m sure there’s a couple others in my area who’d like to meet you IRL too…) and we’ll have us a good time!

  23. I was there the two days, but missed seeing you in the barns. The whole place was so crowded I missed seeing many of the usual fiber friends I know. Hope Rhinebeck 2 is a better experience!

  24. I’m sorry hon. No one deserves a better weekend at Rhinebeck than you – you’ve been working so hard to make all our lives so much better on Ravelry!

    (plus you’re just a sweetie, all the way around…)
    Sending you great big supportive (((((((hugs)))))))

  25. Kimberly, I think you’re wonderful and anytime you want some blogger love, come on down to Florida, we’ll make our own festival 🙂

    P-Man’s no bunny but he hopes you’ll come too!

  26. Oh Kimberly, I’m sorry that Rhinebeck wasn’t as fun as it could have been. I was only there on Saturday and if I’d run into you in the crowds, I certainly would have been excited to see you again! I really appreciated it when you and Guido were so welcoming to a stranger and let me tag along with your group during Represent. Next time you’re in NY, let me know, we’ll hang out!

  27. Hugs for you, Kimberly! Some time on Saturday when I looked at someone’s bingo card, I saw your name on there and asked the person (whom I cannot now remember) if they had seen you and then asked around in my little group if anyone knew where you were. Sometimes a person can be standing right near me and I have no idea. It is often hard to put together a real live 3D person together with a photo.
    Anyway, I missed you and am sorry that I did.
    Especially so now. I am sorry to hear that you did not have a good time. NEXT time, you must make specific plans with people to meet up complete with phone number exchange.
    Namely….>ME!
    😀
    hope you are feeling better. And I am also hoping that I did not inadvertantly snub you. I would never ever do that.
    xo

  28. I promise I would have said hi…and we could’ve talked about bunnies! I’ve never really met any knitting bloggers in person. But I know some of the big bloggers never have time to visit my blog no matter how many times I comment on theirs. So I wonder that there might be a pecking order.

    Oh well. I am glad you are feeling better…and more loved by bloggy land.

  29. Yikes, Kimberly, that sucks. How rude. I’m glad you found a few familiars and hope you got some stash! Poor Rich, not the kind of place a husband, no matter how loving, would want to be dragged. Go with the girls!
    Hugs

  30. Awwwww, sweetie!!!! I wish I had been there, we could have walked around together!!!!! Don’t dwell on the bad too much and remember all the fun you did have!

  31. Howdy – I got to meet you at the Ravelry meetup on Saturday, though I don’t think I hugged anyone, since I’m pretty shy. Anyhow, it was super meeting you, hope you feel better soon! =)

  32. Oh man. I’m so sorry! I don’t recall seeing you anywhere but if I did and if I didn’t say hello then I feel terrible. Please come back next year!

  33. well I wasn’t there but you know I would have been dragging your arse all over places. Rich could have babysat us when I got done.

  34. I had trouble finding just about ANYONE I was looking for. I couldn’t even find the Ravelry meetup! This was my first time as well and I think it’s hard because it’s so overwhelming. And as an “unknown” blogger, it’s not like anyone I did talk to knew who I was or seemed to care too much as they were so overwhelmed themselves. Definitely next year will be SO much better! Especially if you plan it as a girls trip! 🙂

  35. I’m sorry to hear all that. I remember when we met in March (prior to the Harlot event) that you reached out to me in the Whole Foods market, and made me comfortable and welcome. It meant a lot to me, because I am very sensitive to feeling as you did in Rhinebeck. I didn’t go to Rhinebeck, but I wish I had so we could have spent the day together again. Perhaps next year?! Be happy–Jen

  36. I have enjoyed getting to know you on Ravelry and would have loved to have met you. Please let me know if you ever come to visit in VA and we can hook up. I have been in situations like you describe and it can be so disappointing. I hope you are feeling better.

  37. I’m sorry you didn’t have the best time, but I really enjoyed meeting you at the Ravelry party! If anyone snubs you they aren’t worth your time. You’re a really nice person and I wish you had had more fun. Hopefully next year will be better!

  38. Well crap. It must have been the fiber fumes clouding peoples’ reason and vision because there is no reason that anybody wouldn’t have loved an in-person Bunny Hug! My first fiber festival last month (Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival) yielded similar results on a smaller scale. I was so blown away by the displays and vendors that I wandered aimlessly while my family tagged along. I saw lots of spinners and knitters having fun, but as I didn’t know any of them I felt very left out in that regard. I ventured over to a gathering of people from an on-line group I belong to, but nobody spoke and I finally introduced myself to one person. Feeling like a total stalker I quickly left there, took my family and purchases and fled. Later some of the folks from the group left messages saying I should have introduced myself, etc., etc. I know they didn’t mean to be exclusive, but to avoid this in the future I’ll leave the family at home next time and go with another friend. That way I’ll have someone to chat with. If you ever come out to the west coast side for any fiber gatherings then I’d be honored to go with you.

  39. I’m sorry that Rhinebeck ended up being a not fun experience. I really wanted to go, but now am glad I couldn’t go. I wonder if events that draw lots of bloggers all tend to be a bit of a let down. I think some of us are so open and receptive on our blogs but may be painfully shy in person, so not leading to the type of camraderie that we would expect.
    Lots of hugs for you though!

  40. Hi Kim

    Can’t believe what happened (or didn’t happen) at Rhinebeck. I know how much you were looking forward to it.
    Your yarn finally came in on Friday afternoon from JKnits. Let me know if you still want it…if not, I will put on the shelf.
    Hang in there, we all love you at Lace Wings and missed you on Thursday.

    Hugs,
    Mary

  41. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I wish I would have seen you but honestly the whole thing was overwhelming and there was a lot of people I missed.

  42. Oh no!!!

    It was really good to see you again! I found that a lot of the people at the Blogger Bingo thing were kinda not into the whole meeting each other thing…which somewhat surprised me.

  43. I loved meeting you!!!! It was awesome putting a face to the name and the hard work. I know exactly what you are talking about….I feel like the red headed stepchild in the corner sometimes myself. BUNNY HUGS!

  44. I’m sorry I’m so late to reply to this, but I am still catching up on blog posts generally. I wanted to say that I was so happy to meet you that weekend because I enjoyed your company at the knitting meet up in RI and would like to get to know you better. Reading your post here made me sad — I’m sorry your first Rhinebeck was so disappointing.

    Kristen and I are planning another meet-up and finally have details. Please email me at adamsdebra AT sbcglobal DOT net and I’ll be happy to send them to you.

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