One week ago it was the 40th annual PA Farm Show Fleece to Shawl! Butler Spinners and Weaver’s Guild has participated almost every year since then.
I want to thank everyone who participated and supported our 2019 PA Farm Show Sheep to Shawl Team. I know many of you watched from home, and some of you even traveled to Harrisburg to join the spectators. There are a few pictures posted to the Farm Show’s Website here: Farm Show Sheep to Shawl Album but not any of our team or shawl. I know some pictures were posted to our Facebook page, so thank you for your support there as well.
There were 9 teams in the competition, all but one of them completed a shawl for judging. Our team The Butler County Peddalers placed 8th in the competition on January 9th; full results can be found toward the end of this PDF: Wool Results. Our shawl did very well in the auction and was purchased for $675.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Sheep to Shawl competitions, here is what the brochure from the event says:
Sheep to Shawl means just that- a shawl crated from the wool shorn from a sheep, spun into yarn, and woven into the finished garment. Each team is comprised of a shearer, three spinners, a carder, and a weaver. The judging is broken down into the following categories:
Shearing: The shearer is judged on even shearing, uniformity, and lack of second cuts (shorter lengths of wool).
Fleece: Cleanliness, condition of fleece, luster and crimp.
Spinning: Spinners are judged on their individual spinning as well as how their spinning relates to the design of the shawl. The members try to spin very evenly to produce a uniform team product.
Weaving: The judges will look for evenness in the weaving, checking closely for errors. The selvage edges are examined for evenness and lack of pull-in. The finished shawl must measure at least 22 inches wide and 78 inches long or points are deducted from the score.
Design: The design and appearance of the finished shawl counts for a large percentage of each team’s score. Judges look for originality in design, difficulty of weave, color coordination between warp and weft, softness and “drape-ability”, and execution of the finished fringe.
Speed: The teams are awarded a bonus for finishing their shawl first, second, third, etc. Speed combined with quality is the goal of each team.
More detailed rules for the competition are available here: Wool Department Rules PDF and we have more information on this and other competitions here: Competition Page.
I would like to begin to use this website as a place where anyone in our wonderful fiber community can find a voice and an audience. PLEASE comment below or contact me through the contact link if you like or don’t like this idea!
