Yorktown Spinners Top 1999
Sheep To Shawl Contest
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co ) - With Pennsylvania’s First
Lady Michele M. Ridge presid
ing the small arena of the 83rd
Pennsylvania Farm Show was
alive Monday evening with the
sounds of sheep and shears at
the 1999 Sheep to Shawl
Contest.
When it was over, the
Yorktown Spinners of York
County had spun their way to
victory, followed by “Penn-
Wheels” of Montgomery County,
and “Weave Made It” from
Bucks County, taking third
place for its creation.
Immediately following the
contest the shawls were auc
tioned with the first place shawl
selling for $1,425, the second
place shawl for $550, and the
third place creation for $225.
The Yorktown Spinners donated
$1,050 of the proceeds to the
York County 4-H Sheep Club.
In finishing first, the team captured the
“Weaver’s Award” for creativity of the design,
use of color and skill, and the “Spinner’s
Award” which recognizes the quality of work
manship and the spinner’s team spirit and
cooperation. The Spinners also received the
“Team’s Choice Award” as voted by other
teams competing in the contest. Natlan Good,
the winning team’s shearer also won the
“Shearer’s Award” for careful handling of the
sheep and exceptional skill.
Creating a shawl is an intricate process.
Each time is composed of a shearer, a weaver,
and three spinners who compete to craft a
quality homemade shawl from start to finish.
Three judges evaluate and score the teams on
the basis of shearing, spinning, design of the
shawl, weaving, speed and team identifica
tion.
The shearing portion of the competition is
judged for speed, lack of small nicks to the
wool, lack of cuts to the sheep, uniformity and
shearing. The spinning portion is evaluated
based on the individual spinning of the mem
bers and how it relates to the design of the
shawl. They are also judged for fleece prepa
ration, which may done by all team members.
The team is then scored on the design and
appearance of their finished shawl. Judges
look for originality in design, difficulty of the
weave, color coordination between the warp
and weft, softness and drapeability and the
execution of the finished fringe.
Judges look for evenness and check for
errors in the completed shawl, which must
measure 22 inches wide and 78 inches in
length.
Finally, teams are evaluated on speed and
awarded a bonus for finishing their shawl
first. Speed coupled with quality is the goal of
all teams. Teams are encouraged to create a
theme that makes their team unique and
makes it easy for the audience to recognize all
of the members of one team. They are judged
for originality of theme and their overall
appearance.
In order to participate in this contest, the
team members must be Pennsylvania resi
dents and have competed or exhibited at two
events prior to the Farm Show.
The purpose of the Sheep to Shawl contest
is to promote public awareness of the contri
butions made by the sheep and wool industry
to Pennsylvania agriculture and to provide an
opportunity for craftspeople in the state to
showcase their skills. Originally established
as the Northeastern Regional competition,
the “Sheep to Shawl’ contest has been held
annually at the Farm Show drawing up to
5,000 spectators.
Earlier in the evening, Secretary of
Agriculture Samuel E. Hayes Jr., crowned
Ashley Shollenberger as the 1999
Pennsylvania Lamb and Wool Queen.
The competition is sponsored by the PA
Sheep and Wool Growers Association and is
supported by the PA Department of
Agriculture and the PA Farm Show
Commission.
During the competition,
Chairperson of the competi- members of the audience were
tion is Karen Varner of Hershey, m vited to try their hand at card-
Dauphin County. Karen m g | spinning and weaving. Blue
Strawbndge of Campbelltown, Grass music was performed by
Lebanon County; Jean Allen and Paul Kern. Scottish
Flaxenberg, Elverson, Chester mus j c wa s presented along with
County; and Dick Plotts of Lock a demonstration of tartans and
Haven, Clinton County, served kilts by the Q u ittapahilla
as judges for the competition. Highlanders of Lebanon County.
Genetic Evaluations
BRATTLEBORO, Vt. -
Holstein Association USA is to
release its next genetic evalua
tion in February.
The High Ranking Sire
Report is set to be available on
Feb. 8, when it will be placed on
the Association’s website,
www.holsteinusa.com. It will
also be available in the tradi
tional format. The Top 100
International Bull list will also
be available Feb. 8.
The Tbp 100 TPI Bulls list to
be released by Feb. 12. Red Book
Plus is also to available for
download to subscribers via the
Internet by Feb. 12.
Pedigrees with the updated
genetic data will be mailed on or
about Feb. 12. Internet pedi
grees will be available shortly
after the genetic update is com
plete.
The Internet Sire Summary
allows visitors to the Holstein
Association website to look up a
bull’s type proof on-line as print
ed in the Sire Summaries or Sire
Summaries Supplement imme
diately, as they are available.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 16, 1999-A2l
Fred Brown, center, was presented the Ira Coble award
for outstanding 4-H leadership during the youth beef show
at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Brown has been a long
time 4-H leader in Huntingdon County. With Brown is his
wife Vicki Brown, and making the presentation is Samuel
Hayes, Jr., state ag secretary.
This information will be Feb. 26.
available by Feb. 8 for $2, or free A complete schedule of the
to Red Book subscribers. genetic evaluation products
The Sire Summaries (Red available from the Holstein
Book) will be mailed Feb. 22. Association is located at their
Locator Lists will be mailed by website, at www.holsteinusa.com.