Why I shouldn't return to Rhinebeck anytime soon (but will likely be back next year)

My name is Yarnitmomma and I've got a serious fibre addiction. I lay out the following evidence to back up my claim. 

This is my haul from Rhinebeck 2011:

Out of the above acquisition, I've used the following: two skeins of sock yarn, the knitting needles and roving. Although beautiful, I don't really use the yarn bowl. However, it looks great against the fire place, filled with braids of fibre. So in that sense I'm using it.

For those who don't know the lingo, Rhinebeck is the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, held annually at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, NY on the third weekend of October. It is a huge festival. HUGE. Thousands of people come every year. Hotels rooms are booked months in advance. People block off the third weekend of October in their calendars every year. Fellow knitters plan their vacations around the festival. 

Any reasonable person would say, "Hey Yarnitmomma, maybe you should take a pass at Rhinebeck this year. You've got about 10 skeins of yarn to use up. Perhaps adding to your stash isn't necessary. Just saying."

But that's what a reasonable person would say. As my friend L says, "We aim to corrupt." Meaning, no knitter worth her knitting needles would use logic to dissaude a fellow knitter from acquiring and/or adding to her or his stash.

So I returned to Rhinebeck this year. I even extended my stay by taking a spinning class. Despite only having one market day to enjoy, I managed to do some damage. This is what I brought home:

This year's acquisitions focused on fibre and equipment. I've been hanging around spinners too long. I finally caved in earlier this year and started spindle spinning. It was an instant addiction, resulting in me buying a spinning wheel in July. Between the wheel and the two Bosworth spindles I bought this year at Rhinebeck, I have no excuses not to turn all the fibre into yarn by next October. What is not shown is a Romney fleece I purchased. It is likely now at a mill in Michigan, slated to be processed.

Now, my stash acquisitions may not look like much or impress seasoned knitters. However, I've been in stash enhancement overdrive since the beginning of the year. It's a bit crazy. Well, it's more than a bit crazy, it's just darn crazy. I don't even want to look at my fibre stash. It started out humbly, but grew out of control around mid-summer when L got me a ball of BFL roving the size of my head as well as a pound of Merino Cashmere and Nylon mill ends at a festival in Quebec. And then there have been the miscellaneous fibre purchases.

When we left Rhinebeck on Sunday, I said no more! No more going to Rhinebeck until I do something with the out-of-control stash. But after looking at everyone's fibre and yarn photos in the Rhinebeck group on Ravelry, I started to relent. Soon, a plan started forming in my head. "Hey," I said to husband. "Why don't we go to Rhinebeck next year as a family? Lots of yummy food, kids activities and fun for the entire family."

He's thinking about it. And I'm thinking about next year's shopping list.