The days after a sheep and wool festival (or any large event) are ones which can cause a range of emotions. This is true whether you attended or didn’t. For a while, you might feel a grief of sorts; and that’s completely normal and okay.

This year, I didn’t make it to Rhinebeck. After the intensity of the chagim and navigating ongoing antisemitism¹, I simply didn’t have the energy. Plus it’s leaf season and my yard needed raking before it rained. To drive up was one thing too much. While I was definitely sad and frustrated, it’s also ok. Sometimes we need to honor our limits.

Pause & Process

Whether you attended an event or not, the post-event emotions can surprise you. You might be exhausted, exhilarated, excited, overwhelmed, or grieving what you missed. Maybe all at the same time.

That’s ok!

Perhaps like me you’re introverted and enjoy routine. When something disrupts that rhythm, whether it’s attending a big social event or the disappointment of missing one, I find I need to be more intentional about processing those feelings.

In these instances I carve extra time for myself. I recommend at least 5 minutes and think 15 is even better.

Pausing allows for more meaningful reflection. The pause creates a bit of distance both cognitively and temporally, yet not so long that details or feelings are forgotten. Some ways I do this include:

• Journaling
• Taking a walk
• Allowing myself to feel sad and frustrated
• Sitting in quiet contemplation (ok, there’s very often yarn or fibre being worked).

My pause this year?

On the Sunday of the festival, I spent time outside (it was a gorgeous day) and took my frustration out on the leaves in my backyard. It didn’t help much because the tree that’s doing the most shedding still has plenty of leaves left. An hour after I finished, having filled two leaf bags, you couldn’t even tell I’d done anything!

So, the next day when it really hit me that I wasn’t there I took another approach. It was a second beautiful day in a row and I was feeling stuck inside. I scrolled social media and saw a few things that made me feel left out. I decided to reschedule my work and take advantage of October warmth. I took my spinning wheel outside and spun for a while. I can’t remember the last time I gave myself permission to do that. Having the freedom to take that time on Monday meant more to me than if I’d spent Sunday driving up and back.

Even now, two weeks later, I’m still feeling it in spurts. It’s turned into more general of “I wonder” as opposed to “I missed”, and that’s due to time. It’s still a grief of sorts and all those emotions are valid.

Play in Rediscovery

I also gave myself permission to start a few new projects with no obligations for the next few weeks. They’re not something I have to make, but what I want to.

On Sunday evening, I pulled out a yarn I’d bought at Rhinebeck two years prior. Past-me had already paired it with a pattern purchased nearly a decade ago: wow I was organized! I wound up the yarn and cast on. What I hadn’t realized is it’s a fussy pattern, and I’ve not yet gotten the hang of doing the cable without a needle. We’ll see how focused I stay on this particular project. I still think it’s a good yarn-pattern combo and I’m eager to see the finished shawl.

I’ve not used my pin loom in years and it can help me get some weaving in without taking time to warp my rigid heddle. I had an idea based on a yarn I’d ripped out of another project, and I’m experimenting. It’s become a bit of a must work on each night project since I started it a few days ago. I’m invigorated and enjoying the freedom to play. I’m not sure exactly where it will go, since it’s an experiment, but I’m loving it so far.

The other fiber on my wheel is one I brought home from a trade show as a gift to myself. I’d spindled it off and on but didn’t feel ready to sit with it at the wheel. Now I am and it’s delightful to spin.

Why all this play? In large part, this is a stand in for all of the stimulus I would have experienced at the festival. I’d have seen many ideas and come up with more. Is this ideal? No, but it works. I have some ideas brewing. More importantly, right now I have joy in making. That’s important.

Keep Track of It All

Over the years, I’ve developed a practice for processing these experiences. It helps whether I attended or stayed home.

Write it down. I love notebooks (so much that I offer some of my favorites in my shop²). When I’m processing an event or the lack of one, I start with the bold strokes: the basic who, what, where, and whys. What am I feeling? What am I missing? Why did I make the choice I did? 

Keep writing. Over the next few weeks, I keep coming back to my notebook. I write and draw more, fill in gaps. Ideas for projects emerge. Feelings shift and clarify; this I expect. What always surprises me is when scribbles for blog posts or design sketches start appearing.

Review. I use this time to go through my yarn, fiber, books, patterns, and notions. It helps me remember what I already have and love. If something really doesn’t spark joy anymore, I find it a new home. I look for pairings of stash and projects that mix something old with something newer. I’m not a dragon and my stash shouldn’t become a precious hoard. It should be used. Sure, it may take me a while to find the right pairing. But if it just sits there insulating my office? Well, that’s nice for winter but defeats the purpose.

A note about purchases: If you did acquire things (at a festival or as consolation), take a photo to record the what/who/where details. I often include the receipt with the item in my photo. Labels disappear. Or in the case of many items I tend to purchase at these festivals, such as a pound of fiber, a label never existed. I don’t post “haul” pics to social media anymore, but I take them for reference; that’s why the receipt is in my personal pic. Those social media displays can cause complicated feelings for everyone, and they rarely end well. In my case, since I photographed items from my stash, it created a bit of intention; a reminder that I intend to use this.

Additional Resources:

A few posts I’ve found helpful over the years:

• On keeping a logbook – https://austinkleon.com/2010/01/31/logbook/
• Understanding Emotions and How to Process Them – https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201701/understanding-emotions-and-how-process-them
• Organizing Communication … with Yourself – https://www.psgstudio.us/organizing-communication-with-yourself/

Tools

Are you preparing for a festival? Check out my tips.

1. If you’re wondering what I mean about antisemitism and why certain remarks fall into that category, I highly recommend Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew by Emmanuel Acho & Noa Tishby. They’ve done significant emotional labor around education, and I’m grateful for their work. A reminder: “People are not always their government, and a government is not always its people.” ~ Noa Tishby
   עם ישראל חי ↩︎
2. Are these sold out? I also offer notebooks at PSG Studio. ↩︎

This post was first published in 2017 and updated for 2025.