Sunday 2 August 2015

Getting in a fine old spin!


It's already a week since Fibre East, and I know that I promised you news of the Spinning competition. This year, as I told you here, I entered 7 different classes; more to support the event rather than with any grand ideas of winning anything. So you can imagine my delight when I got to look at the display of entries to see three 'firsts' and a 'second' attached to some of my work! The competition was judged independently before the actual weekend of the event itself.  My entries, along with comments sheets and rosettes, were returned to me on Friday. Let me share them all with you so you can read for yourself what the judges had to say. (FYI, each class is marked out of 10.)

My first entry was a hank of handspun yarn from prepared tops... 


Fibre East spinning competition 2015 (1)


Next is a skein of handspun multicoloured yarn to show the advantage of Navajo plying...


Fibre East spinning competition 2015 (6)


The last skein of yarn I entered was using a technique that I learnt at a spinning workshop at last year's Fibre East - adding beads during plying. The class stated 'a skein of handspun fancy yarn using at least two different fibres'...


Fibre East spinning competition 2015 (5)


I also decided to enter some garments made using handspun yarn. The first class was a garment incorporating colour made from the Entrant's own handspun...


Fibre East spinning competition 2015 (8)


Next, a garment incorporating texture made from the Entrant's own handspun...


Fibre East spinning competition 2015 (12)


A shawl in fine handspun yarn was my penultimate entry ...


Fibre East spinning competition 2015 (10)


Lastly, a shawl in any weight of yarn (other than fine handspun)...


Fibre East spinning competition 2015 (11)


I think that the organisers were bowled over by the number of entries and so they contacted the vendors to see if any of them were willing to provide prizes for the winners. So lucky me has some treats in store! I'll be sure to share them with you when I receive them. Each of the entries that received a 'first' place was then judged to pick out the overall winner of the Spinning competition and I could not believe it when I found out after the event that my shawl pictured above in the last photo was judged the best in show! There were so many beautiful items that it never entered my head that I might win, so I feel very fortunate indeed. I cannot wait for my wrist to be healed enough for me to get back spinning again properly.


My photos don't do the competition justice because I didn't use my flash for them, but here's a couple of pictures of the exhibition for you to see for yourself just how hard it must have been for the judges.Thank you so much to Fibre East for the opportunity to challenge myself with my spinning and get some constructive feedback. I hope that it will encourage more 'normal' spinners like myself to have a go and enter something themselves next year. xxx


Fibre East 2015 (138) Fibre East 2015 (139) Fibre East 2015 (140)

6 comments:

Claire said...

Congratulations on some very well deserved wins. I remember asking you if you would consider selling a skein of your yarn and you being amazed that someone would consider it good enough. Well here is your proof, your work certainly is excellent and exciting. I love all your entries and so pleased that you got best in show for that incredible shawl.

Hope you get lots of exciting goodies and carry on entering competitions.

Judy said...

So exciting for you, Helen! Your spinning and knitting are lovely. Congratulations!

Jennyff said...

My goodness you did so well, you must be rightly very pleased with yourself. Congratulations.

Lynne said...

Wowsers! Congratulations!! Although I'm not surprised that you did so well, because everything you make is lovely.

Cherie said...

Congratulations, Helen!

Michele in Maine said...

Congratulations Helen!! You are a champion, knitting and spinning both! Well deserved after the frustrating time you've had with your wrist. Xx