How the Prizes are awarded

Today is the day to find out what a rosette really is. Also, as the prizes are listed there dollar amounts and one ribbon. I am wondering if there is just one ribbon, or many. Like when I was in Elementary School and we had Track and Field day there were many levels of ribbons. This is pretty stiff competition if there is only one ribbon. And...I wonder if the prize money winners get a ribbon?

I just put in a call to the Competition Office to find my answers and the recorded message said they are in and to call back again because all of their lines are busy.

There is an email listed, if I don't get an answer soon I will do two things. One, wonder just how many people have questions and are calling on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Two, I will send my questions via email and see how that goes.

I just sent off my email full of questions, let's try the Competition Office one more time...no luck, same nice ladies voice telling me they are in but all their lines are busy! Really???

Sorry for the weekend cliff hanger. I'll update you as I await an answer to my email.

My Treasures from Herrschners

Here are a few of my treasures from my Herrschners experience over the weekend.

This green wool is a nice soft yarn, but as I knit I decided it was not soft enough. My image for my scarf project is something REALLY soft for my mother in law who is always looking for ways to keep warm. So, this will be a nice scarf for someone, but I will use it as practice and not for my fair exhibit.

Also, in the picture you will see my newest knitting needles. They are a wonderful smooth wood and were only $3.50 in the bargain room!

On the knitting needles is my official 4"x4" swatch. Only recently have I decided that knitting the swatch before starting a project is wise! This yarn needs needles a few sizes bigger. Who would have guessed!

Next is my purple Lopi yarn, again from the bargain room. Only $2.00 per skein. I am imagining a child's scarf with the lighter purple and using the darker purple to create some type of interesting design along the length of the scarf. We'll see how this develops.

And last, a new set of prints for my sister who's specialty is embroidering flour cloth dish towels. She doesn't' know I got them yet! My first younger sister, if you are reading this...happy day to you! And yes, also bargain priced at .25.

A visit to Herrschners

This weekend our family visited friends in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

I wanted to visit a local yarn shop. I did not find a small, cozy shop with lots of interesting yarns, but a huge industrial size yarn shop, Herrschners. http://www.herrschners.com/

The website is loaded with how to videos, great craft and yarn sales, free patterns and even an auction section.

Frederick Herrschner started the company in Chicago over 100 years ago on a push cart. Now their facility takes up 15 acres of land, they call it a "crafting" city that mails out 20 million catalogs a year!

There is a small retail store located on the far end of the building. They have a bargain room and this weekend everything in the bargain room was 50% off! I bought a few things, and learned a few things about yarn. Oh! there is so much to learn.

Tomorrow: I will share my purchases and what I learned about them.

I'ts a scarf!

I have been mulling the scarf ideas over and over in my head. Two themes keep coming to mind so I have decided to make both types and then decide which one to enter. One is a winter wool scarf with some cool cables going down the length of the scarf. The other idea is a decorative scarf to wear with sweaters.

Here you can see one I made this spring. I chose two different yarns to knit together to get the texture I was looking for.

I started on size 9 needles. It was way too tight. I then went to size 11, still not what I was imagining. The final answer for this scarf was to use size 19.

I'm still not sure why I have size 19 needles in my collection, but they satisfied my creativity for this scarf.

Browsing at a few yarn shops is definately on my radar for this weekend!

Narrowing down the perfect Exhibit Item

After traveling all the way through the NEEDLECRAFT Rules and Premiums to page 19, I can see my choices.

There are over 40 categories for HAND KNITTED ARTICLES. Also, at the top of the section is a list of items you may not enter. These entries include toys, dolls, aprons, hot pads, handkerchiefs, tree skirts, and tube socks. Good to know!

I have made a few scarves lately and I think this would be a great item to knit. It is pretty simple so I can concentrate on the beauty and character piece. I will have to think about the design. Maybe some cables, or include some interesting decorative yarn for the Structural and Decorative design piece.

All the categories have columns of numbers following them. I believe these are the prize monies you can win. For the scarves it is 8.00, 6.00, 4.00, 2.00, and ribbon.

There are 3 different categories of scarves depending on the weight of yarn selected. OK, there is my next step.

I have decided on a scarf, next is to select the yarn.

The Score Card

This is the most important find so far.

Before I can pick a pattern or go shopping for the yarn I really want to know all I can about how my creation will be judged.

For those of you following along, look at the top of Page 13 in the Minnesota State Fair Creative Activities rules and premiums for NEEDLECRAFT. http://www.mnstatefair.org/2009_pdf/Creative_Activities/CA09Needlework.pdf

The score card has 100 possible points, the breakdown is as follows...
General appearance - Beauty and Character 10
Color 10
Design -Structural and Decorative 20
Condition of Article 10
Materials used 10
Workmanship 40

Some of these seem rather obvious, like condition of article. That seems controlable. I can submit something fresh and new, easy 10 there, I think.
Color is throwing me! Does that mean if the judge likes the color you submit you get more points? Does it mean don't use white as it technically is not a color? I'm going to have to think about this one.
Now, I"m thinking about Beauty and Character... this seems a bit subjective to me. However, it does relate back to General Rule 1.16 on page 6 Acceptance of gift, no bribes the judges!! I will trust that the judges will see the beauty and character in my work.

Next will be selecting an item from the Hand Knitted Articles list starting on page 19.

Well, I found it!

You can find it too. http://www.mnstatefair.org/2009_pdf/Creative_Activities/CA09Needlework.pdf

Now I will have to decifer it. I was surprised to find out that it is 20 printed pages!!

I printed them all because I want to be sure I follow all the rules.

The very first pieces of info are quite helpful. The exhibits will be acceptd August 16-19 at Noon sharp!

Here are the cliff notes

Chapter 1

You must purchase a ticket for the fair to get in....I can do that!

No bribing the managers, officers, etc. ... not even food items.... I won't do that!

No dogs or roller skates, etc. ... OK here!

Then there is a listing of prizes offered by a variety of businesses for certain needlecraft winners.

Note to self...whate does rosettes mean? It is listed as a prize.

Special Rules start on page 10

Who is eligible...yes, I qualify!

Then... How to register

Followed by a helpful map for dropping off the exhibit

I found this rule interesting...

Section 4. B. A duplicate of the judges scorecard will be returned to the exhibitor for each entry (italics mine) in order that the reasons for the decisions may be apparent. I will appreciate that since this seems to be a very subjective judging procedure.

More on that tomorrow.

State Fair or Bust!!

Well, here I go...



My first blog entry with a purpose. I have decided to enter something into the State Fair Needlecraft knitting exhibit to see if I have what it takes to earn a ribbon.



I have been knitting since I was six, stuck with it for about 2 years with my mothers persistance and a fun knitting class at the yarn shop in town. Now that I am 40 something I have returned to the knitting world slowly over the past few years, maybe knitting one project a year. This year my interest is picking up and I am truly enjoying the craft.



Perhaps I have put more time and energy into the knitting because all 5 of my fabulous children are now in school and I have just a bit of quiet time each day.



Below is a picture of a sweater and hat I knitted for kid #5. Yes, my reentry into knitting after a 30 year hiatus needed to be big! Well, the sweater is a size 2, but notice the stars and stripes etc.




All of this has been done with frequent phone calls to my mother who can knit anything without a pattern and it looks awesome.



So, back to the State Fair Adventure...I am going to print out the rules tonight and will share them tomorrow.