Daddy, Can I Have A Pony?

At Rhinebeck, it was common to see people walking, talking, and knitting at the same time. At the Equine Affaire yesterday, I was stopped at least four times by people who were amazed that I could walk, talk, and look at the horses while working on one of my stockinette caps. Most of them were knitters, too... not Knitters like there were at Rhinebeck, but people who made novelty-yarn scarves once in a while. The most common comment was, "wow, you must be really good at that if you don't have to look at it while you work." I shouldn't have been surprised, I guess, but with Rhinebeck still being clear in my memory, the Affaire felt like an extension of it. I caught myself looking at people's sweaters, checking out the (machine-made) intarsia caps being sold, and wondering if there would be any vendors with nice yarn. I grinned when I noticed that a woman in front of me was wearing a vest with a Jacob sheep embroidered on the back. She, I thought to myself, she is one of my people.

In the eight-ish hours we were walking around before the big show, I finished one cap and got to the third or fourth decrease row on the second. I would have finished it during the show, but I can't count stitches in the dark, especially not while being distracted by amazing examples of horsemanship. Really amazing examples of horsemanship. Did I mention they were amazing? There was the slapstick comedian who had obviously put years into training his horse to "throw" him around the arena. There was the Olympic dressage rider whose flying lead changes were flawless. There was the woman who did some fantastic reining... without reins. To end the night, there was Clay Maier with his Fresians. I'd heard a little about long reining years ago when I rode regularly, but I had no idea that it could be so impressive. Doing dressage on the horse you're riding is difficult enough. Doing it on the horse you're riding and the horse in front of you at the same time... wow. Just wow.

So yesterday was a good day, both for knitting and for everything equestrian. Now it's time to go play video games.