Hi Thank you so much for your work and passion, it gives me so much drive in my own goals and you always find a way to motivate me and keep smiling/dreaming! :-) Always keep the good work, be blessed! 🙂
Yes thank you for the link and just everything you do. So sorry I’m not going to make it to your meet up in FL. you’re going to be so close I’m so bummed I can’t make it 😔. Have fun!
As a mother of an adult disabled son, I have been deeply moved by the concern about accessibility I'm seeing from you and other creators. It warms my heart to see so much compassion for people who are largely overlooked in society. Thank you, Toni for expressing your thoughts on this! 🐑🐑🐑
We wouldn't be the community we are if we didn't look out for each other. The mistakes made around accessibility at this event were egregious. I hope we use this as a reminder to do better.
Thank you for your professionalism with your comments about the entire weekend. As far as I am concerned , Wool and Folk is deceased. You don’t disrespect people the manner in which Felicia did it no matter the circumstance. Every vendor is due a refund period.❤
I thought this was maybe a little harsh but then I watched the other videos she linked and their experiences were so horrifyingly bad. I don't know anything about the organizers or their intentions, but anyone who can blow basic event essentials (like making sure vendors know where their space is, that vendors get their info and credentials, and that vendor spaces have the promised resources) this badly doesn't deserve another chance at throwing the event.
Toni, you were one of our happiest highlights on our trip. Thank you for sharing our photo, I absolutely love that photo of us, you are so gorgeous! Literally in tears! 💜
I really appreciate you maturely detailing the issues with Wool & Folk. I caught some of it on instagram but didn't have the full story. Super disappointing that the event wasn't able to organized in a safe way or for less than fully abled bodied people. We are all of us one day away from being not fully abled and it is important to ensure accessibility and equity are top of mind.
The 4 days of radio silence by the organizers followed by the non-apology apology was a foul. And I was very disappointed in Louis who explained that he waited to say something until after the organizer posted because she is his friend. Adella, on the other hand, rightfully spoke out, even though that same person is her friend. The sponsors were wronged, the vendors were wronged, the attendees were wronged . It’s going to take a lot to make things right. I suspect that the organizer was more interested in the VIP night she organized as well as the bus trip there, and Somehow forgot to take care of her vendors.
I don't know anything really about the person (Felicia?) who runs Wool & Folk, but I wonder - if the vendors hypothetically would sue her to get their money back, if it would bankrupt her. I hope not, but . . . . if she was going to do right by the vendors & refund the booth fees for any who request it, she surely would have already done it, so I'm betting she has mishandled her finances & won't be able to refund them.
Toni, thank you so much for the shoutout. It was a pleasure sharing the stage with you. I hope we meet in better conditions next time. PS Thank you for inspiring me to pick up a crochet hook.
Thank you for commenting on the entire weekend, and also W and F. I agree 100 percent that the vendors who lost $ on this event (some did well indoors apparently) should be refunded by the organization. Personally, I was astounded at the $50 or more entry fee to begin with, no matter how terrific an event is. So glad I didn't go.
I am so sorry to hear about your disappointing Friday, but so happy to bring you some relief on Saturday! And thanks for featuring a cute photo of my daughter and I in this video! (Yes, that’s my husband in the background taking a photo as well). It was lovely to meet you and your mother in person, you are an inspiration to me in so many ways!
I love how well you speak truth without letting it impact your shine. Your energy is bright & welcoming but you also tell the stories. Loving that sweater!!
@TLYarnCrafts you should do a video on all the different yarn "festivals" or events and which ones you recommend! I live in CA and want to go to one so bad.
Omg, cardboard on wet mud in the rain! Straw is the answer people. I get the sort-of-claustrophobic feeling. Hope the good feelings outweigh the negative and the organizers get the issues sorted out. I love our local fibre festival. Few thousand at most, lots of space and adorable animals. The knitting designers handbook you purchased is on my list. It goes up for sale on line this week. Yeah. I'm even going to take their courses on tech editing for crochet. When you get a chance, would you review the book for us as it must parallel with crochet designing on several aspects.
To make it worse, at least some of the cardboard was the property of a vendor that had gotten permission to store boxes so that they could easily ship their leftover stock back after the festival.
The actual answer is those huge thick rubber/plastic sheets that are also wheelchair accessible. That's what my local events use for the main "roads" through the outdoor space. Not like those "event organizers" thought of disabled people at all though.
As a veteran vendor at many🎉 arts and craft, rock and mineral, metaphysical and similar fairs including fiber fairs hearing your assessment was so validating! It's all about caring about the people who really make the gathering happen, the exhibitors and attendees many travel at great expense, take off from work, and prepare for an event. Egos need to be suspended when your working on a event.
Once & future event organizer here - it's all about professionalism & reputation. The business model isn't really unique - anyone can sign venue contracts and collect vendor fees. What sets an event apart is its team, and the relationships you cultivate over the years. If you f*ck that up, there's no point contracting a location - there won't be a "next year".
I was at Wool & Folk. Your perspective and call to action are spot on. That you for mentioning the typos in the 1st statement. It was just indicative of the whole situation. Thanks again. Cute sweater!
You are so professional and classy. I'm sorry so many people's weekends were tarnished by Wool & Folk, and the radio silence from the organizers speaks volumes to their egregious errors. Regardless, I enjoyed hearing about your weekend, and I love the BRIGHT and beautiful yarn you purchased!
I LOVE the story of Pedro and the stitchmarker. I think it would be awesome to attach some to some social calling cards. Pass out a card with name, Ravelry, and social info and a stitch marker to anyone you might want to keep in touch with after the event.
The love and joy in all the pictures of you with your mom, your friends, and the new people you met are just beautiful. Glad you found some good from a weekend that started out so badly.
I live less than an hour away from Rhinebeck and I was so excited to see this video 😂. I just found your channel yesterday and I followed your beginner crochet video and I’m so happy to hear you were close by. You are a blessing and made me so proud to finally get my crochet journey started after many different videos and trying different things. I hope you enjoyed our beautiful county and I look forward to my continued success by following you. Thanks again my new friend!
It was so sweet to finally meet you and your mom. As tired as you were, I could see how you and your mom valued each one of us that were there trying to stop time for a sec and enjoy a girl fan moment. My daughter and I loved spending time with you both and I will never forget the proud look in you mom's eyes as you were signing books. Now I have to start learning Tunisian crochet from your book.
Yessy! It was such a pleasure to meet you and your little one. I'm forever grateful that folks come to see me, and you really lifted my spirits. I could see how much you love crochet, and I'm excited for you to try Tunisian :-)
I live in Scotland, so I'm always excited (and a little jealous) to hear about the wonderful times everyone has at Rhinebeck and other American textile craft festivals. Hearing about Wool and Folk this year was such a shock, and it's the only time I've heard so many scathing (but fair) accounts of attendance at a festival! Had I been attending Wool and Folk, I can almost guarantee that I'd have had to turn tail due to lack of nearby accessible parking at the venue or the long wait in a queue just to get INTO the venue. I have accessibility difficulties and that carry on would've been enough to put me off, let alone everything else that has been reported about the other dangerous conditions. Just the fact that they were expecting 3,000 but only had ~10 accessible parking spaces is absurd!
Thank you Toni for your honest take on Wool and Folk. I know the makers community was waiting for your straightforward and honest report on this whole mess. My anxiety level just hearing about everyone’s experience at W&F was highly elevated I just can’t imagine what y’all went through in person. Still so many unanswered question as to why? Your sweater is gorgeous!!!!!
Hi Toni! I was very intrigued by your comment on colors - or the lack of vivid color at Rhinebeck. I run a small printables shop on Etsy and have been noticing a marked lack of vivid color in my competition's listings. I started researching this and discovered that the muted Boho look of the 70s was finding its way into color palettes everywhere - to the point where I started to do the same with some of my things. I think this is a phase that's working its way through almost everything. But you are inspiring me to not be afraid of using a wider range of colors which include more of my favorite vivid hues. So thank you for that!
Hi Toni, love the sweater and yarn looks gorgeous. It is so sad that the organisers have let down the vendors so badly. I feel for them. Have a great weekend ❤❤❤
I saw you from a distance at Rhinebeck on Saturday but I also saw a bunch of admirers and friends and thought I would catch up with you later. Your sweater was gorgeous and so were you. The rain was a downer Saturday but I wore my turquoise side to side garter stitch coat with a rain coat occasionally on Saturday and without a rain coat Sunday. I made it with Lopi yarn. I tried to bring a pop of color.😊 I heard about Wool and Folk from a few people who were there. The vendors really got a different experience. I plan to skip Rhinebeck next year to give myself 2 years to use up the yarn I purchased. 😂
I didnt know who was running it and when I learned my heart fully broke. I hope everyone involved is taking good care. Im even worried about Felicia, maybe I'll get hate for saying that. I cannot imagine the stress she has been under and I hope she has good support around her as she navigates this. Hate it.
I wasn’t able to attend Rhinebeck this year, but when I did a few years ago, it was on a Saturday through Felicia. This all seems so out of character for her & I do hope she has immediate support. I also hope everyone affected gets satisfaction before next year.
🌴☀️ I actually agree, in light of all of this I hope she has some measure of mental/spiritual support. This wasn’t simply pissing off a friend or associate, but rather thousands 😳 AND that’s just the attendees/vendors/sponsors AT the event. Not to mention the countless number of us who weren’t there. She may have lost friends, business associates, vendors etc who’ll never work with her again, patrons like myself who’ll never attend that particular event…etc etc. What an overall shameful & embarrassing ordeal to experience, the fall of one’s reputation for all the fiber world to see😔. If this were her intentions, this money grab….then I hope it was worth it🥺 My well wishes to all those affected & I hope for a speedy recovery of your inner peace & finances, we love you guys & gals☀️🌴
Thank you for your honest review of the Rhinebeck festival and debacle Toni. I'm so sorry that things went down the way they did! So sad!!!😵💫 On the other hand, you looked maahvelous darling!!!❣️🪅💜
You are GORGEOUS and that sweater is STUNNING! I need to crochet that asap!! What a fun and beautiful overview. Its so sad what has happened with Wool and Folk. I would love to join in for the more color challenge for sweater goals next year.
This was my little treat to watch your recap video after I posted mine. So interesting to hear from your perspective. And the GOODIES!! 🤩 thank you for being so thorough and candid. you're the GOAT for a REASON!
Toni, I am over the moon with the fact I met you! You are a beautiful person who brings so much joy!!! Enjoy your new yarns and other treasures. Also, I made the DRK everyday cowl with Les Garsons fluff😊. Maybe it can be your new knit/ yarn project!
I don't know you. I'm not even fro the US, but I saw the beautifull sweater on the thumpnail and had to click. 😂 Now I'm a bit horrified of the storie. The poor vendors and visitors. I can't even imagine 3000 People on a yarn-event. (I'm Swiss, so there would be a maximum of 100 People here 😅) Thanks for the Video!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us as always. I’m so glad I got to see you again on day two of Rhinebeck. I feel so bad for all of the people who had to deal with the wool & folk absurdities. It wasn’t right how all of the vendors were treated. Not to mention the terrible accessibility issues. On a lighter note your sweater is absolutely gorgeous and I love how drapey it is. It looks so very comfy.
I know this a completely random vid to leave this comment on but I just had to tell you what a light you’ve brought to my heart, even indirectly. The way your words are so beautifully uplifting and how you find the joy in even an uncomfortable situation is just a balm to the soul. I’m turning 30 this year and I’m not sure if it’s made me more introspective, but I’ve realized that my default tone at some point became cynical and apathetic and that was echoed in almost all the content I consumed. Finding a hobby like crochet, where I get such a sense of accomplishment from seeing what my own hands can create and finding voices like yours that remind me to focus on the joy in everything instead of fixating on the negative, has really helped pull me out of the hole I hadn’t even realized I was in. 💖💖💖💖
What a sweet comment. I remember my mother always told me to be patient. I had significant melancholy when I was your age. The hard times contribute to our ultimate contentment and the bad part is that you have to wait to find out how and why! Dang it! I want to compliment you in taking action to improve yourself and the fact that you see Toni’s glow means that you have the same glow in yourself. Good luck and all will be perfect when you are 65 like I am. ❤️❤️❤️
I’m so sorry I missed you on Sunday! I was there with my daughter and sister and I made all our sweaters! We were very colorful as is my signature, it was my first time in Rhinebeck! I went because you speak so highly of it! I was so happy to be there! ❤️
Your commemorative temp blanket is gorgeous!! The tassels, the colors, the freaking DRAPE!!! Ohmigoodness! So beautiful. And, girl, you are a true inspiration as evidenced by these comments! I’m praying your 2024 is amazing!!❤
I always love your honest take on things; thank you for this great video! Also, re Scheepjes - it's Dutch, and I'll tell you as an American living in the Netherlands, s-c-h is ridiculously hard for us non-Dutchies to say. It took me almost a year of Dutch lessons before I could get the c-h to work every time, and I still struggle with adding the s in front of c-h (which they do often). If you want to get it spot on, it's a sss sound followed immediately by a back of the throat, gargle-y k sound. When you can't do that, it's acceptable (and a regional accent I think) to do the sss sound followed immediately by a kind of soft k sound. Kind of like saying "escape? yes!" but drop the e at the beginning (so just 'scape yes). I hope that's helpful!
I really think i am going to stick with my tiny fiber fests in my own back yard. We are talking like 1 handspun fiber guild booth at my favorite fall fest and my local yarn shop that gathers about 10 vendors and some sheep and a couple food trucks on the one city block outside our little lys. I hope i can continue to shop online to support the wonderful artists that make the commitment to show up at these big events but going in person i dont think is on my bucket list.
I found your channel because I just heard about this story. You’re one of the best speakers for telling the story. But I’ll have to listen later because, no lie, I can’t stop looking at that gorgeous sweater. I don’t usually like crochet for sweaters but I’m converted. The colors are gorgeous. Beautiful . I’ll be back. Subscribed.
Oh Toni, thank you so much! I’m a knitter and a crocheter! I always seem to get stuck when doing schematics! This book is great for someone like myself! I’m buying you a coffee to go along with a preorder of this knitting pattern handbook. Thanks again for putting this one out there!
Thank you, I am new to the crocheting community and I’m trying to soak in all the knowledge that I can. I didn’t even think to study the weight of the yarn. I’m glad to know I don’t always have to follow the yarn recommendations.
Thanks for your honesty about your experience at Rhinebeck. I still hope and pray that one of these days my sister and I get to go. I always enjoy watching you and learning from you. Your sweater is absolutely gorgeous! I love the colors and how it is such a perfect fit and figure flattering. I plan to muster up the courage and make one. Keep being your amazing self! 💫✨⭐️🌟
Sunday really is the day to go to Rhinebeck, I feel like you are right that it is more chill on that day. I also want to say thank you for being so personable! I ran into you at the end of my shopping day on Sunday and it made my afternoon. You and your mom are really the sweetest. Thank you for being you, hope to bump into you again next year. 🙂
What a gem you are! Thank you for sharing the treasure trove of links and resources in the description. So much info - my inner busybee is on creative fire! I subscribed to your newletter too. What a joyful way to spend my morning. I am sorry for all the misery the wool show turned out to be. Such a shame for vendors who can't afford to waste their time & money like that. You alchemized the pain though! I have saved the links to a bunch of their sites for future shopping. Thank you❤️❤️❤️
Ayeeeee thanks Jamie! Gotta find the bright side, but it's so important to be honest about these things. And thanks for the love on the sweater! I'm so excited to make another :-)
Hi Toni!! It was so good to see you and your mom again. By the time we met this year it was in the thick of W&F and many people were over it, including myself. I'm glad you made the best of the weekend and echo your thoughts about W & F.
Thank you for your recap of the Rhinebeck weekend! I always enjoy your podcasts so much! Can you please tell me the modification you made at the bottom of your Rhinebeck sweater? I love how it drapes and I love the extra ease! I ordered my yarn and plan on doing the color blocking. Thank you so much for everything you do for our community! Your sweater looks beautiful on you!
im super late but this is my first time watching your channel and everything about you is just so fun, engaging, informative, and overall entertaining. Thank you for sharing!!!
I didn't know you would have been at any of the Friday events. I live local to Rhinebeck, and Kingston. I had hoped to go to just the sheep and wool, but the weather and day to day got in the way. Hope you will be here next year, and would love to know if you will be doing Friday events too? I will take the day off to attend. I work in Saugerties and had no idea that one of the events was at HITS . I'm a crochet lover and started around 7 or 8. Taught by my Mom, Grandmother and a dear friend of my Grandmother. Hope next year goes better!!
I'm a "City gal" & fellow-crocheter from a young age :) Been to Rhinebeck for Sheep & Wool a few times, but only as a one-day getaway with family & friends. We shied away due to the weather - it's just not a good time with the kind of Biblical rain we got that weekend (esp Friday OMG).
I so appreciate your honest review of R beck. I have mobility issues and I’m not crazy about being with so many people at one time. I’ll never attend. Bless you
Hi Toni!!! it was wonderful meeting you again at Wool & Folk as I am always wishing you the best success with your future projects and congratulations with all your success. 🥰
Hi Toni! It was so cool meeting you and your mom in the book tent! I fangirled and couldn’t talk when I met you! (I’m so embarrassed) but I wanted you to know I appreciate you and how you share your talents with us! I’ve been a crocheter for 35ish years but I always learn something new from you. You and your mom are such sweet beautiful women! To me meeting you was like meeting a movie star. Thank you for signing my book and just being awesome! I love your Rhinebeck sweater and your Beyoncé sweater! Thank you!☺️
The Rhinebeck festival was something I went to annually with my daughter. We moved from that area and I really missed being able to attend. Thank you for behind the scenes and for the photos from a place I called home for decades. I’m so sorry that folks had such a terrible experience, because for us, that weekend was always magical.
It was great meeting you and thank you for signing my book and chatting about Columbus etc. and you and your mom looked amazing! It was my firs time there, and my first fiber festival, so it was quite overwhelming and beyond any other experience! I did not attend any of the of the events and was so saddened to hear about W&F from two friends who had gone Friday and then discover more as time went on. Iit sounds like you had the best part after: spending time with your friends. And maybe also, some acquisitions....😉
With so much going on, I hope you enjoyed your first Rhinebeck experience! Thanks for coming to see me and reminding me of how much I enjoyed being in Columbus. The best part really was the people :-)
I’ve been interested in crotchet for a while but I just got my first set of hooks and yarn. One day I hope to meet you and take a picture with you at Rhinebeck, I can’t wait 🥰
Ugh. I've been an event planner/coordinator before and I super understand how things like weather at an outdoor event can add so much more work to it, but there's just no excuse for not communicating. Get some temps and/or friends in to help with the prep and think of better solutions than soggy cardboard. If you don't have the time to answer 5,000 emails asking mostly the same questions, draft a quick memo (and spell-check the thing) and send it out.
From past exp organizing, it's not really that folks expect a crisis to never happen - it's how you handle it that solidifies your rep going forwards. Weather is *always* a risk factor for outdoor events - especially in NYS, where late-October snow is not unheard-of. We knew the rain was coming for nearly a week, they were saying it would be bad as of at least Wed/Thurs. And no excuse really for not keeping communication lines open pre/during/post event, especially in this day & age.
My husband and I lived in New Paltz for 26 years (he taught at SUNY-New Paltz) before retiring to Salem, Mass. Glad you got to experience New Paltz - it's a lovely little town!!
Thanks so much for watching! Here’s a link to the pattern for my sweater 😁 www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/misha-sweater
Thank you, Toni!
thanks!!
Your sweater is incredible! I have been loving it on your Instagram! Good job!
Hi Thank you so much for your work and passion, it gives me so much drive in my own goals and you always find a way to motivate me and keep smiling/dreaming! :-) Always keep the good work, be blessed! 🙂
Yes thank you for the link and just everything you do. So sorry I’m not going to make it to your meet up in FL. you’re going to be so close I’m so bummed I can’t make it 😔. Have fun!
As a mother of an adult disabled son, I have been deeply moved by the concern about accessibility I'm seeing from you and other creators. It warms my heart to see so much compassion for people who are largely overlooked in society. Thank you, Toni for expressing your thoughts on this! 🐑🐑🐑
We wouldn't be the community we are if we didn't look out for each other. The mistakes made around accessibility at this event were egregious. I hope we use this as a reminder to do better.
❤❤
I never wore the hats I knit until I started making satin linings for them-now I'm obsessed with beanies because they won't utterly ruin my curls!
GREAT Idea!
why didn't I think of this! thanks for the idea
Oh! That’s brilliant!
Thank you for your professionalism with your comments about the entire weekend. As far as I am concerned , Wool and Folk is deceased. You don’t disrespect people the manner in which Felicia did it no matter the circumstance. Every vendor is due a refund period.❤
I thought this was maybe a little harsh but then I watched the other videos she linked and their experiences were so horrifyingly bad. I don't know anything about the organizers or their intentions, but anyone who can blow basic event essentials (like making sure vendors know where their space is, that vendors get their info and credentials, and that vendor spaces have the promised resources) this badly doesn't deserve another chance at throwing the event.
Toni, you were one of our happiest highlights on our trip. Thank you for sharing our photo, I absolutely love that photo of us, you are so gorgeous! Literally in tears! 💜
Awwww Amanda! I will treasure that photo forever :-) Thanks for bringing your lights on such a dreary day - we needed it!
I really appreciate you maturely detailing the issues with Wool & Folk. I caught some of it on instagram but didn't have the full story. Super disappointing that the event wasn't able to organized in a safe way or for less than fully abled bodied people. We are all of us one day away from being not fully abled and it is important to ensure accessibility and equity are top of mind.
Amen, my friend! We really do need to look out for each other, as we could be the ones needing help one day soon.
The 4 days of radio silence by the organizers followed by the non-apology apology was a foul. And I was very disappointed in Louis who explained that he waited to say something until after the organizer posted because she is his friend. Adella, on the other hand, rightfully spoke out, even though that same person is her friend. The sponsors were wronged, the vendors were wronged, the attendees were wronged . It’s going to take a lot to make things right. I suspect that the organizer was more interested in the VIP night she organized as well as the bus trip there, and Somehow forgot to take care of her vendors.
I think the organizer was most interested in the money from vendors and attendees, some $250k or more by several estimates.
I don't know anything really about the person (Felicia?) who runs Wool & Folk, but I wonder - if the vendors hypothetically would sue her to get their money back, if it would bankrupt her. I hope not, but . . . . if she was going to do right by the vendors & refund the booth fees for any who request it, she surely would have already done it, so I'm betting she has mishandled her finances & won't be able to refund them.
I think that the vendors would only be able to go to small claims court
@@joycepastore3860 Yes, most likely so.
IIRC there was only one "organizer", the one who did organize last time left, the one who remained had no clue.
Love your lip color !
Toni, thank you so much for the shoutout. It was a pleasure sharing the stage with you. I hope we meet in better conditions next time. PS Thank you for inspiring me to pick up a crochet hook.
It was a pleasure to share the stage with you both. Our time there was a massive highlight of my weekend ❤
Thank you for commenting on the entire weekend, and also W and F. I agree 100 percent that the vendors who lost $ on this event (some did well indoors apparently) should be refunded by the organization. Personally, I was astounded at the $50 or more entry fee to begin with, no matter how terrific an event is. So glad I didn't go.
My problem with yarn festival and conventions is it gets up my nose to pay for the privilege of shopping.
Holy moly you and your mum are like twins! She’s doesn’t look old enough to be your mum! Two gorgeous ladies!!
I am so sorry to hear about your disappointing Friday, but so happy to bring you some relief on Saturday! And thanks for featuring a cute photo of my daughter and I in this video! (Yes, that’s my husband in the background taking a photo as well). It was lovely to meet you and your mother in person, you are an inspiration to me in so many ways!
I love how well you speak truth without letting it impact your shine. Your energy is bright & welcoming but you also tell the stories. Loving that sweater!!
@TLYarnCrafts you should do a video on all the different yarn "festivals" or events and which ones you recommend! I live in CA and want to go to one so bad.
Omg, cardboard on wet mud in the rain! Straw is the answer people.
I get the sort-of-claustrophobic feeling. Hope the good feelings outweigh the negative and the organizers get the issues sorted out.
I love our local fibre festival. Few thousand at most, lots of space and adorable animals.
The knitting designers handbook you purchased is on my list. It goes up for sale on line this week. Yeah. I'm even going to take their courses on tech editing for crochet. When you get a chance, would you review the book for us as it must parallel with crochet designing on several aspects.
To make it worse, at least some of the cardboard was the property of a vendor that had gotten permission to store boxes so that they could easily ship their leftover stock back after the festival.
@@loupgarou95oh that’s just awful!
The actual answer is those huge thick rubber/plastic sheets that are also wheelchair accessible. That's what my local events use for the main "roads" through the outdoor space.
Not like those "event organizers" thought of disabled people at all though.
As a veteran vendor at many🎉 arts and craft, rock and mineral, metaphysical and similar fairs including fiber fairs hearing your assessment was so validating! It's all about caring about the people who really make the gathering happen, the exhibitors and attendees many travel at great expense, take off from work, and prepare for an event. Egos need to be suspended when your working on a event.
Once & future event organizer here - it's all about professionalism & reputation. The business model isn't really unique - anyone can sign venue contracts and collect vendor fees. What sets an event apart is its team, and the relationships you cultivate over the years. If you f*ck that up, there's no point contracting a location - there won't be a "next year".
I was at Wool & Folk. Your perspective and call to action are spot on. That you for mentioning the typos in the 1st statement. It was just indicative of the whole situation. Thanks again. Cute sweater!
You are so professional and classy. I'm sorry so many people's weekends were tarnished by Wool & Folk, and the radio silence from the organizers speaks volumes to their egregious errors. Regardless, I enjoyed hearing about your weekend, and I love the BRIGHT and beautiful yarn you purchased!
I LOVE the story of Pedro and the stitchmarker. I think it would be awesome to attach some to some social calling cards. Pass out a card with name, Ravelry, and social info and a stitch marker to anyone you might want to keep in touch with after the event.
You definitely did NOTHING wrong with that sweater. I love the added ease and can't really imagine it with only 2" of ease. It's perfection as is.
I forgot to add, Mama Gwen’s sweater in the pic from the Italian dinner night was SOOOO good. 🎉❤
I'm giving momma the award for Best Dressed alllll weekend!
The love and joy in all the pictures of you with your mom, your friends, and the new people you met are just beautiful. Glad you found some good from a weekend that started out so badly.
I live less than an hour away from Rhinebeck and I was so excited to see this video 😂. I just found your channel yesterday and I followed your beginner crochet video and I’m so happy to hear you were close by. You are a blessing and made me so proud to finally get my crochet journey started after many different videos and trying different things. I hope you enjoyed our beautiful county and I look forward to my continued success by following you. Thanks again my new friend!
It was so sweet to finally meet you and your mom. As tired as you were, I could see how you and your mom valued each one of us that were there trying to stop time for a sec and enjoy a girl fan moment. My daughter and I loved spending time with you both and I will never forget the proud look in you mom's eyes as you were signing books. Now I have to start learning Tunisian crochet from your book.
Yessy! It was such a pleasure to meet you and your little one. I'm forever grateful that folks come to see me, and you really lifted my spirits. I could see how much you love crochet, and I'm excited for you to try Tunisian :-)
I live in Scotland, so I'm always excited (and a little jealous) to hear about the wonderful times everyone has at Rhinebeck and other American textile craft festivals. Hearing about Wool and Folk this year was such a shock, and it's the only time I've heard so many scathing (but fair) accounts of attendance at a festival!
Had I been attending Wool and Folk, I can almost guarantee that I'd have had to turn tail due to lack of nearby accessible parking at the venue or the long wait in a queue just to get INTO the venue. I have accessibility difficulties and that carry on would've been enough to put me off, let alone everything else that has been reported about the other dangerous conditions.
Just the fact that they were expecting 3,000 but only had ~10 accessible parking spaces is absurd!
Thank you Toni for your honest take on Wool and Folk. I know the makers community was waiting for your straightforward and honest report on this whole mess. My anxiety level just hearing about everyone’s experience at W&F was highly elevated I just can’t imagine what y’all went through in person. Still so many unanswered question as to why? Your sweater is gorgeous!!!!!
Hi Toni! I was very intrigued by your comment on colors - or the lack of vivid color at Rhinebeck. I run a small printables shop on Etsy and have been noticing a marked lack of vivid color in my competition's listings. I started researching this and discovered that the muted Boho look of the 70s was finding its way into color palettes everywhere - to the point where I started to do the same with some of my things. I think this is a phase that's working its way through almost everything. But you are inspiring me to not be afraid of using a wider range of colors which include more of my favorite vivid hues. So thank you for that!
Hi Toni, love the sweater and yarn looks gorgeous. It is so sad that the organisers have let down the vendors so badly. I feel for them. Have a great weekend ❤❤❤
Omg!!! Love your sweater!
Absolutely gorgeous ❤
Your Misha Sweater is lovely!!
Thanks so much :-)
I saw you from a distance at Rhinebeck on Saturday but I also saw a bunch of admirers and friends and thought I would catch up with you later. Your sweater was gorgeous and so were you. The rain was a downer Saturday but I wore my turquoise side to side garter stitch coat with a rain coat occasionally on Saturday and without a rain coat Sunday. I made it with Lopi yarn. I tried to bring a pop of color.😊 I heard about Wool and Folk from a few people who were there. The vendors really got a different experience. I plan to skip Rhinebeck next year to give myself 2 years to use up the yarn I purchased. 😂
I wish I'd have seen you! Hopefully next year. Momma and I have already decided we're bringing alllll the color next year. Hope to see you then!!
You are such a loving, caring and talented soul… that sweater Da Bomb!!!!!!
I didnt know who was running it and when I learned my heart fully broke. I hope everyone involved is taking good care. Im even worried about Felicia, maybe I'll get hate for saying that. I cannot imagine the stress she has been under and I hope she has good support around her as she navigates this. Hate it.
I wasn’t able to attend Rhinebeck this year, but when I did a few years ago, it was on a Saturday through Felicia. This all seems so out of character for her & I do hope she has immediate support. I also hope everyone affected gets satisfaction before next year.
🌴☀️ I actually agree, in light of all of this I hope she has some measure of mental/spiritual support. This wasn’t simply pissing off a friend or associate, but rather thousands 😳 AND that’s just the attendees/vendors/sponsors AT the event. Not to mention the countless number of us who weren’t there.
She may have lost friends, business associates, vendors etc who’ll never work with her again, patrons like myself who’ll never attend that particular event…etc etc. What an overall shameful & embarrassing ordeal to experience, the fall of one’s reputation for all the fiber world to see😔. If this were her intentions, this money grab….then I hope it was worth it🥺
My well wishes to all those affected & I hope for a speedy recovery of your inner peace & finances, we love you guys & gals☀️🌴
Wow. I was considering going next year. Now I think I’ll skip all the travel and drama and support my local Sheep and Wool festival in the spring.
I'd recommend doing both! New York Sheep & Wool (which is separate from Wool & Folk) is a blast. You should definitely visit at least once.
Thank you for your honest review of the Rhinebeck festival and debacle Toni. I'm so sorry that things went down the way they did! So sad!!!😵💫
On the other hand, you looked maahvelous darling!!!❣️🪅💜
FYI the debacle was with Wool&Folk, not Rhinebeck, which is a different festival.
You are GORGEOUS and that sweater is STUNNING! I need to crochet that asap!! What a fun and beautiful overview. Its so sad what has happened with Wool and Folk. I would love to join in for the more color challenge for sweater goals next year.
This was my little treat to watch your recap video after I posted mine. So interesting to hear from your perspective. And the GOODIES!! 🤩 thank you for being so thorough and candid. you're the GOAT for a REASON!
Toni,
I am over the moon with the fact I met you! You are a beautiful person who brings so much joy!!! Enjoy your new yarns and other treasures.
Also, I made the DRK everyday cowl with Les Garsons fluff😊. Maybe it can be your new knit/ yarn project!
Awwww thank you for being a special part of our weekend. Thanks for the knit inspo :-)
Your tutorials have helped me so much. Your directions are so clear and I appreciate how you go through each step. ❤
Great recap. I was there on Sunday and it was my first time attending. It was fabulous!
I don't know you. I'm not even fro the US, but I saw the beautifull sweater on the thumpnail and had to click. 😂
Now I'm a bit horrified of the storie. The poor vendors and visitors. I can't even imagine 3000 People on a yarn-event. (I'm Swiss, so there would be a maximum of 100 People here 😅)
Thanks for the Video!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us as always. I’m so glad I got to see you again on day two of Rhinebeck. I feel so bad for all of the people who had to deal with the wool & folk absurdities. It wasn’t right how all of the vendors were treated. Not to mention the terrible accessibility issues. On a lighter note your sweater is absolutely gorgeous and I love how drapey it is. It looks so very comfy.
I know this a completely random vid to leave this comment on but I just had to tell you what a light you’ve brought to my heart, even indirectly. The way your words are so beautifully uplifting and how you find the joy in even an uncomfortable situation is just a balm to the soul. I’m turning 30 this year and I’m not sure if it’s made me more introspective, but I’ve realized that my default tone at some point became cynical and apathetic and that was echoed in almost all the content I consumed.
Finding a hobby like crochet, where I get such a sense of accomplishment from seeing what my own hands can create and finding voices like yours that remind me to focus on the joy in everything instead of fixating on the negative, has really helped pull me out of the hole I hadn’t even realized I was in. 💖💖💖💖
What a sweet comment. I remember my mother always told me to be patient. I had significant melancholy when I was your age. The hard times contribute to our ultimate contentment and the bad part is that you have to wait to find out how and why! Dang it! I want to compliment you in taking action to improve yourself and the fact that you see Toni’s glow means that you have the same glow in yourself. Good luck and all will be perfect when you are 65 like I am. ❤️❤️❤️
@@carwaithank you so much ❤
I’m so sorry I missed you on Sunday! I was there with my daughter and sister and I made all our sweaters! We were very colorful as is my signature, it was my first time in Rhinebeck! I went because you speak so highly of it! I was so happy to be there! ❤️
Oh my god you seem like the sweetest warmest woman to hang out with. Just radiating amazing energy even when talking about a downer of an event.
Your commemorative temp blanket is gorgeous!! The tassels, the colors, the freaking DRAPE!!! Ohmigoodness! So beautiful. And, girl, you are a true inspiration as evidenced by these comments! I’m praying your 2024 is amazing!!❤
Thank you for all the tips you give us 😊
I always love your honest take on things; thank you for this great video!
Also, re Scheepjes - it's Dutch, and I'll tell you as an American living in the Netherlands, s-c-h is ridiculously hard for us non-Dutchies to say. It took me almost a year of Dutch lessons before I could get the c-h to work every time, and I still struggle with adding the s in front of c-h (which they do often). If you want to get it spot on, it's a sss sound followed immediately by a back of the throat, gargle-y k sound. When you can't do that, it's acceptable (and a regional accent I think) to do the sss sound followed immediately by a kind of soft k sound. Kind of like saying "escape? yes!" but drop the e at the beginning (so just 'scape yes). I hope that's helpful!
'scape yes I can do! Thanks so much for this. I always feel a bit foolish saying that word out loud lol
Hi Toni, I'm in love with your sweater sooo beautiful! Your Moms sweater, she wore ,was gorgeous too!! Nails check! Pretty!
I really think i am going to stick with my tiny fiber fests in my own back yard. We are talking like 1 handspun fiber guild booth at my favorite fall fest and my local yarn shop that gathers about 10 vendors and some sheep and a couple food trucks on the one city block outside our little lys. I hope i can continue to shop online to support the wonderful artists that make the commitment to show up at these big events but going in person i dont think is on my bucket list.
This was my first Rhinebeck experience, loved it!
I found your channel because I just heard about this story. You’re one of the best speakers for telling the story. But I’ll have to listen later because, no lie, I can’t stop looking at that gorgeous sweater. I don’t usually like crochet for sweaters but I’m converted. The colors are gorgeous. Beautiful . I’ll be back. Subscribed.
Thank you for the video! It was so nice meeting you at the Merritt Bookstore booth!
Love that you went with friends and you Mum, she looks so young and could be your sister
lol we get that all the time. I got some lucky genes :-)
Oh Toni, thank you so much! I’m a knitter and a crocheter! I always seem to get stuck when doing schematics! This book is great for someone like myself! I’m buying you a coffee to go along with a preorder of this knitting pattern handbook. Thanks again for putting this one out there!
Hello Toni loved your purchases. Sorry I missed you at WF and Rhinebeck. Your Rhinebeck sweater is Gorgeous and the colors are AMAZING.
Thank you, I am new to the crocheting community and I’m trying to soak in all the knowledge that I can. I didn’t even think to study the weight of the yarn. I’m glad to know I don’t always have to follow the yarn recommendations.
I love your choice of stitch for your sweater.
Omg I LOVE LOVE LOVE your sweater!!!!!!
Those pretzels were the best I have ever had. They made their own dough and used a pizza oven. 😋
I'm so happy I found your channel. I love your vibe!
As always, I so appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! And your sweater is GORGEOUS! 🤩
Wow. You’re a good sport. I probably would have blown a gasket. Love your sweater…fabulous!❤
You have a beautiful energy! I’m glad I found your podcast.
Thanks for your honesty about your experience at Rhinebeck. I still hope and pray that one of these days my sister and I get to go. I always enjoy watching you and learning from you. Your sweater is absolutely gorgeous! I love the colors and how it is such a perfect fit and figure flattering. I plan to muster up the courage and make one. Keep being your amazing self! 💫✨⭐️🌟
Best festival ever!!! I missed it this year. I live 20 minutes away from Rhinebeck!! Love to see you know about this amazing festival!!
Sunday really is the day to go to Rhinebeck, I feel like you are right that it is more chill on that day. I also want to say thank you for being so personable! I ran into you at the end of my shopping day on Sunday and it made my afternoon. You and your mom are really the sweetest. Thank you for being you, hope to bump into you again next year. 🙂
What a gem you are! Thank you for sharing the treasure trove of links and resources in the description. So much info - my inner busybee is on creative fire! I subscribed to your newletter too. What a joyful way to spend my morning. I am sorry for all the misery the wool show turned out to be. Such a shame for vendors who can't afford to waste their time & money like that. You alchemized the pain though! I have saved the links to a bunch of their sites for future shopping. Thank you❤️❤️❤️
Your sweater is super cute! Love it. 😉
I so appreciate your take on W&F. Spot on, too, and very eloquently described. Loved seeing your purchases and ADORED your sweater.
Ayeeeee thanks Jamie! Gotta find the bright side, but it's so important to be honest about these things. And thanks for the love on the sweater! I'm so excited to make another :-)
Hi Toni!! It was so good to see you and your mom again. By the time we met this year it was in the thick of W&F and many people were over it, including myself. I'm glad you made the best of the weekend and echo your thoughts about W & F.
Thank you for your recap of the Rhinebeck weekend! I always enjoy your podcasts so much! Can you please tell me the modification you made at the bottom of your Rhinebeck sweater? I love how it drapes and I love the extra ease! I ordered my yarn and plan on doing the color blocking. Thank you so much for everything you do for our community! Your sweater looks beautiful on you!
im super late but this is my first time watching your channel and everything about you is just so fun, engaging, informative, and overall entertaining. Thank you for sharing!!!
I didn't know you would have been at any of the Friday events. I live local to Rhinebeck, and Kingston. I had hoped to go to just the sheep and wool, but the weather and day to day got in the way. Hope you will be here next year, and would love to know if you will be doing Friday events too? I will take the day off to attend. I work in Saugerties and had no idea that one of the events was at HITS . I'm a crochet lover and started around 7 or 8. Taught by my Mom, Grandmother and a dear friend of my Grandmother. Hope next year goes better!!
I'm a "City gal" & fellow-crocheter from a young age :) Been to Rhinebeck for Sheep & Wool a few times, but only as a one-day getaway with family & friends. We shied away due to the weather - it's just not a good time with the kind of Biblical rain we got that weekend (esp Friday OMG).
Great Recap. I appreciate your honest review.
I so appreciate your honest review of R beck. I have mobility issues and I’m not crazy about being with so many people at one time. I’ll never attend. Bless you
Hi Toni!!! it was wonderful meeting you again at Wool & Folk as I am always wishing you the best success with your future projects and congratulations with all your success. 🥰
Hi Toni, sorry the event wasn’t organized as it should have been but I loved your sweater. I hope to purchase some Happy Place yarn soon. 😊❤
The sun shining on Sunday was glorious, wasn't it??? I wish I would have seen you there! Maybe next time :)
I'm looking forward to hearing your take on the Wool and Folk Debacle. But also the other things too!!
So sorry you went through that experience.
Obviously there was no standard of care !!
Thanks for the shoutout of our book! We loved meeting you in person!
HI,
YOUR ENERGY IS AMAZING.
THANK YOU.
Hi Toni! It was so cool meeting you and your mom in the book tent! I fangirled and couldn’t talk when I met you! (I’m so embarrassed) but I wanted you to know I appreciate you and how you share your talents with us! I’ve been a crocheter for 35ish years but I always learn something new from you. You and your mom are such sweet beautiful women! To me meeting you was like meeting a movie star. Thank you for signing my book and just being awesome! I love your Rhinebeck sweater and your Beyoncé sweater! Thank you!☺️
lol that's ok! I'll be at NY Sheep & Wool next year. Hopefully we can chat more :-)
I go to the dutchess county fairgrounds every year!! I live avout 45 min away.... love going to the events they have ❤
The Rhinebeck festival was something I went to annually with my daughter. We moved from that area and I really missed being able to attend. Thank you for behind the scenes and for the photos from a place I called home for decades. I’m so sorry that folks had such a terrible experience, because for us, that weekend was always magical.
Toni, I absolutely love the sweater you’re wearing. How could I get the pattern?
We’ll, I did what I usually do and commented or asked questions prior to the end of the video. Thank you, my questions have been answered.
Thanks l love it!!👍🏽 😊 😊
I love, love, love your Rhinebeck sweater! ❤
It was great meeting you and thank you for signing my book and chatting about Columbus etc. and you and your mom looked amazing! It was my firs time there, and my first fiber festival, so it was quite overwhelming and beyond any other experience! I did not attend any of the of the events and was so saddened to hear about W&F from two friends who had gone Friday and then discover more as time went on. Iit sounds like you had the best part after: spending time with your friends. And maybe also, some acquisitions....😉
With so much going on, I hope you enjoyed your first Rhinebeck experience! Thanks for coming to see me and reminding me of how much I enjoyed being in Columbus. The best part really was the people :-)
Happy New Year 🎉
I’ve been interested in crotchet for a while but I just got my first set of hooks and yarn. One day I hope to meet you and take a picture with you at Rhinebeck, I can’t wait 🥰
Wow so it was a bit of good and bad but you had some fun and came back with yarn ooh thats a win.
Ugh. I've been an event planner/coordinator before and I super understand how things like weather at an outdoor event can add so much more work to it, but there's just no excuse for not communicating. Get some temps and/or friends in to help with the prep and think of better solutions than soggy cardboard. If you don't have the time to answer 5,000 emails asking mostly the same questions, draft a quick memo (and spell-check the thing) and send it out.
From past exp organizing, it's not really that folks expect a crisis to never happen - it's how you handle it that solidifies your rep going forwards. Weather is *always* a risk factor for outdoor events - especially in NYS, where late-October snow is not unheard-of. We knew the rain was coming for nearly a week, they were saying it would be bad as of at least Wed/Thurs. And no excuse really for not keeping communication lines open pre/during/post event, especially in this day & age.
you should do video with Elise rose crochet ❤❤❤
Thanks for sharing
That thumbnail 🔥🤎
My husband and I lived in New Paltz for 26 years (he taught at SUNY-New Paltz) before retiring to Salem, Mass. Glad you got to experience New Paltz - it's a lovely little town!!