This Former Livestock Auction Is Now the Most Fashionable Place to Buy Yarn

Every October, just like clockwork, 30,000 yarn enthusiasts congregate at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York to flaunt handknit sweaters and trade crochet tips. Llamas, alpacas, Angora rabbits, and sheep roam the pastoral haven as hundreds of vendors set up stalls amongst crispy autumn leaves, culminating in a fiber artist’s version of paradise. This massive event is known as the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, and it’s served as a yarn lover’s oasis for over forty years.

The New York State Sheep and Wool Festival started as a livestock auction in 1980, where farmers sold their sheep’s wool; now, it serves as a convocation for all things yarn. In fact, vendors have noted the festival’s clientele has skewed younger in recent years, as more and more millennials and zoomers take up crocheting and knitting as a means of creative outlets and activism.

Taking place this year from Saturday, October 21 to Sunday, October 22, check out yarns made from all different kinds of fibers, from cashmere and wool to fuzzy mohair, with many of the skeins being hand-dyed and hand-spun. Local artists will also be selling their own finished products (think cozy knitwear, homemade soaps, and ceramics). For nourishment, cotton candy, falafel, and apple crisps are just a few of the various food offerings at the fairgrounds.

The two-day event will also feature demos on silk reeling and feltmaking, plus some informative talks on livestock, book signings, and a sheep selfie station. While the festival’s myriad of workshops on crafts like needlework, rug hooking, and basket weaving are sold out, strike up a conversation with any of your fellow festival goers, and you’re bound to pick up some tips.