Sheep to Shawl
Picture by Carole
That picture says it all doesn't it?! Hahaha! I do love a good blue ribbon. Sadly, our only competition was one other team - made up of two adults and four little kids. Hopefully next year we can get a few adult teams going and make it a lot more fun.
But it was still a great time. We had three hours to card, spin, and weave enough wool for a good sized shawl. Our theme was Van Gogh's painting Starry Night so we all wore pajamas and night caps, and painted the warp in colors meant to represent the painting.
Terry, Kelly, and Vicki
I have to admit that I was a little stressed about this thing going into it. We didn't do a practice run and only one of our team members had ever done a Sheep to Shawl before. So we didn't really know what to expect, let alone whether we'd be able to spin enough yarn in that time to complete the whole shawl.
But it really went so smoothly! We finished with time to spare. Everything fell into place with all of us taking turns at the carder and passing out batts. I did the plying and bobbin winding, Betsy did the weaving and Terry, Kelly and Vicki kept on churning out singles.
We even had time to tie some fringe.
And in the end it really did bear some resemblance to the painting! I think we were all pleasantly surprised at the finished result.
It was fun enough that I think we're all going to do it again next year too. But maybe in more flattering costumes. Had I thought ahead a little bit I would have perhaps realized that pajamas, cameras, and the internet can be a brutal combination. Haha! I don't mind sacrificing my dignity for a good cause though.
Other than that, it was all good. And made better by all the good friends who came by and took pictures for us and hung out with us and rooted for us. Even though it felt a little odd to be cheering against the little kids. Next year if we get some more adult teams they'll separate the adults and kids. Then we'll feel less guilty about winning the People's Choice fleece (a nice Montadale!) So start putting some teams together! There are enough of us in this area that we should have a slew of people competing. It seems like such a shame to let these traditional activities and events fade away from lack of interest.
So, next time: the rest of the weekend! There were a lot of other things to see and buy, and I got pictures of it all!
posted by Cheryl @ 12:50 PM
32 Comments:
How fun to see you all in action. Love it!!
I'm so sad I didn't get to cheer you on in person. You guys did great!
What fun! I wonder if that's the Montadale fleece that Cate was eyeing and walked away from! Nice prize to go along with the blue ribbons! Awesome job!
Oh, it turned out beautiful! glad that you had fun, and enjoyed the event. Glad to hear you all won, too!!! I agree it would be a shame to let such a neat event die out...
Congratulations!
In the words of my kids, you Gogh Goghs are da bomb!
Oh, and BTW, I just want to stare at that limely border on the left!
Your group looked like it was having so much fun. The hats! The PJs! The bathrobe! Strong work, regardless of the competition.
Since the first of these pics made their way onto Flickr, I have been wondering what happened to the shawl afterwards! Was it auctioned/raffled off? or do you gals all share custody of it? ;-)
I had no problem cheering against those kids. ;-)
Congrats - It looks like it was a blast.
I wish I could have stopped by for more than 2 minutes. The shawl looked gorgeous and I did love the costumes. Nice job ladies and congratulations!
It came out great and the whole thing looks like it was so much fun!
Congratulations! It sounds/looks like you had such a great time, and it looks great. I'm impressed.
w00t! We did have fun!
And I love the new pictures on your banner!
That looks like so much fun! And the shawl is lovely. Starry Night is a favorite of mine.
Yay you! Lovely work, but then I think we all expected that.
whoohoo!
your green hat is adorable :-)
Oh, you had to have had the best time! What a great theme and product that came out of your efforts!
congratulations! it's beautiful; but i knew you all made a great team!
This has me singing Don McLean's song Vincent in my head. A favourite of mine, and that shawl is beautiful. When I saw the photos of your guys painting the warp I was thinking it was going to be rather garish. Was I ever wrong!
"Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.[..]"
Well done you guys! :)
how fun! Well done!
Hooray for that! And I love the jammies. :)
That is so fun! I wish I lived in New England for all the good fiber traditions. Thanks for sharing the pictures, I think the PJ's and night caps were really cute.
Beautiful shawl! Congrats on winning! :o)
Very nice shawl!
Congratulations on winning, Cheryl! It looks like you all had a marvelous time.
- MJ
I really liked the way the shawl turned out. Wish I had been down to get some pictures sooner. The one showing the warp and heddles up close is really nice!
I loved cheering you on! And I'd love to compete next year if I could be sure I'd be available.
Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment - (despite the lack of adult competition)
Simply to create such a beautiful shawl in such an amazingly short period of time is something to be proud of!
And I love the costumes!
Congratulations Cheryl! My favorite part is your hat! Love that!!!
Congratulations! Thanks for all the great photos, your smiles say it all, you had fun. I wish I had seen the competition in action.
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