818-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 20,1990
Wool Wizards Spin Wool Into $l,OOO Award
BY BONNIE BRECHBILL
Franklin Co. Correspondent
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) — The Wool Wizards from
Lancaster, Dauphin and York
counties took home most of the
top awards in the 1990 Pennsylva
nia Sheep-to-Shawl contest, held
January 10, at the 74th annual
Pennsylvania Farm Show.
The fall sunset design shawl
that the team produced in two
hours was named grand champion
shawl at the close of the competi
tion. It was sold to Ray Hillard, Jr.
of Premium Ag Products, Rich
field, for $l,OOO. The Wool
Wizards had also produced the
1989 grand champion shawl.
The team received rosettes, a
plaque, a traveling trophy and a
$l6O premium for their efforts.
Each member of the Wool
Wizards also received one of the
special awards given in the con
test, held before a large crowd in
the Small Arena.
Shearer Chris Herr of Narvon,
Lancaster County, was named
best shearer of the contest and was
the first to finish shearing his
sheep, completing the task in three
and a half minutes. The award was
based on speed, absence of second
cuts, absence of cuts on the sheep,
and even workmanship.
Weaver Tom Knisely of Dover,
York County, received the weav
er’s award for innovative design.
The award was based on difficulty
and detail of design, originality,
use of color, drapeabihty, and
judge’s discretion. Knisely had
prepared the warp threads using
an ancient method of dyeing
called IKAT, similar to tie dyeing.
The three spinners for the Wool
Wizards, Carolyn Peyser, Kathy
Graham and Mary Hublcr, all of
Dauphin County, took home the
premium spinning group award.
Overall uniformity and evenness
of the team’s yam, and points
accrued during the judging of the
shawl were the criteria used to
determine the award. It was the
third year in a row for the team’s
spinners to receive the award.
The fleece award, based on
cleanliness, condition, luster,
crimp and suitability of the fleece,
went to Diane Huddleston, Lehigh
County, a spinner for The Bobbin
Bunch. Huddleston owns the Che
viot ewe her team used in the
competition.
For the second year in a row,
the Wool Bags of Indiana and Jef
ferson counties produced the
reserve champion shawl. The
richly-colored “Joseph’s Coat”
shawl was purchased by Ken and
Barb Longeneckcr of H & H Tack
Shop, Annville, for $9OO. The
shawl also received the team’s
choice award, in which members
of all nine competing teams vote
for their favorite shawl.
Only residents of Pennsylvania
are eligble to compete in the popu
lar contest, held annually at the
Farm Show since 1981. Teams
must qualify to compete by parti
cipating in one other sheep-to
shawl competition or two demon
strations within the past year.
The purpose of the contest is to
promote the sheep industry of
Pennsylvania and to provide a
competition for regional crafts
people. It was sponsored this year
by the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture and the Pennsylva
nia Sheep and Wool Grower’s
Association.
Shawls had to be completed -
from shearing the sheep to pre
senting the finished shawl to the
judge within two-and-a-half
hours to be considered for awards.
All nine shawls were handed in
within 2 hours and 22 minutes of
the start of the contest. The fastest
team, The Fiber Friends of Schuy
lkill County, completed their
shawl in one hour and 55 minutes,
with the Ewe-Nique Fiber Guild
of Lancaster and Lebanon coun
ties dashing to the front of the are
na with their shawl only 30 sec
onds later.
Judges for the contest were Car
ol Woolcock of The Mannings
Handweaving School and Supply
Center, East Berlin; Evelyn Pir
son, a teacher of weaving at the
State University of New York at
Buffalo; Anthony Dobrosky, York
County Extension Director; and
Sigrid Piroch of Design Originals,
Meadville.
Teams were judged on team
identification (5 points), shearing
(5 points), speed (5 points), spin
ning (35 points), design (30
points), and weaving (20 points).
The Wool Wizards had 84.67
points, while the second place
Woold Bags earned 78.33.
In third place, with a modified
“Ginny’s” coat shawl, were the
Roving Rolags of Lancaster and
York Counties. Fourth place went
to the Bobbin Bunch; fifth place to
the Spin Thrifts of Butler, Arms
trong and Indiana Counties; sixth
to the Fiber Friends, and seventh
to the Lebanon Valley Woolseys,
who were competing for the first
time in this contest. Honorable
Mention awards were given to the
Ewe-Nique Fiber Guild and the
Butler County Pedallers.
NEWARK, Del. Coopera
tive Extension without Dean Belt,
University of Delaware renewable
resources agent, is hard to ima
gine. But his 28 years with exten
sion ended this month as he began
his retirement.
Belt has been with Delaware
Extension since 1961, when he
began his career as a 4-H agent in
New Castle County. In 1978, he
became the agricultural agent for
the county, and in 1988, Belt was
named the renewable resources
agent.
The extension veteran took this
responsibility seriously. “Each of
us is a consumer of resources and
each of us has an impact,” he said.
“We all need to insist that our land
use activities do not create envir
onmental problems. Open land
must be protected for agricultural
and forest use, water recharge, air
quality and recreation. We need to
become involved with conserva
tion to be sure something is left for
the future,”
As renewable resources agent.
Belt has also encouraged people to
plant wildlife feed and cover, thus
making their land suitable for
leasing of hunting rights. Another
The Wool Wizards receive the travelling trophy for the grand champion shawl from
Mrs. Robert P. Casey and Secretary of Agriculture Boyd Wolff. Spinner Mary Hubler
holds the trophy aloft.
Ken and Barb Longenecker of H & H Tack Shop In Annville purchased the reserve
champion shawl for $9OO In their first Farm Show purchase. Congratulating the Wool
Bags and the Longeneckers is Secretary of Agriculture Boyd Wolff.
Extension Agent Retires
project has been exploring the
possibility of cultivating paulow
nia trees as an alternative crop.
“These trees grow readily in
Delaware, are quick to mature and
have a high cash value,” he said.
Belt grew demonstration pau
lownia at Middletown and
Georgetown sites in Delaware. He
secs the paulownia as an alterna
tive crop to consider for small
pockets of land that might other
wise go unused.
Belt will be missed in exten
sion’s ranks according to Dave
Woodward, assistant Extension
director for agriculture and natural
resources.
“Dean was an excellent 4-H
agent,” he said. “He was respected
by volunteer leaders as a most sin
cere and dedicated individual and
an outstanding role model for
youngsters.
“As an agricultural agent and
renewable resources specialist, his
expertise in working with people
enabled him to serve the people of
New Castle County and the state
well,” Woodward said.
Typical of Belt is his readiness
to praise others before himself. “I
feel I have learned more than I’ve
been able to contribute,” Belt said.
“Team work with agencies has
been rewarding, everyone step
ping in when their expertise can
help.”
Belt said he is proud of his
extension work and his col
leagues. “The interest that each of
us has in Delaware’s agricultural
challenges is paramount Exten
sion is a team that can access a
vast variety of information and
agencies to help the people in the
state.”
Belt said his highlights in
extension have been in helping
farmers implement new ideas.
“When no-till farming first
came out, it was exciting and
rewarding to see farmers willing
to Iry new practices,” he said.
Beit’s retirement will allow him
and his wife Peg, who works part
time at a preschool child care
facility, to take advantage of travel
and other opportunities. But he
said he also expects to be involved
in activities with the Delaware
community.
One day a week will be devoted
to working with the Delaware
Estuary program- sponsored by
the Delaware Association of Con
servation Districts and managed
through the Division of Water
Quality.
“I’ll be working to build public
awareness and participation,” he
said, “and I’ll enjoy continued
contact with Extension.”
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SKLICTION
IN
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