82-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 25, 2003
Gentlemen, Start Your Clippers
Judges Evaluate Shearing , Design,
Weaving And Speed At Contest
MICHELLE KUNJAPPU
Lancaster Farming Staff
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Sale Arena buzzed
with not only a large crowd but
also the sound of whirring clip
pers a sound that marked the
beginning of the 20th annual
Sheep to Shawl Contest Wednes
day evening of Farm Show week.
Seven teams of five or six a
shearer, three spinners, a weaver
and perhaps a carder com
peted in the event.
After a shearer quickly clipped
the sheep, the best of the wool
was chosen by the rest of the
team, who went to work carding,
spinning, and weaving the seven
shawls that were submitted to
three judges for final placing.
Once the best of fleece is sepa
rated out, the team begins card
ing the wool. “Flicking” open the
ends of the wool makes it easier
to spin without catching, accord
ing to contestant Wini Labrec
que.
Marlesa Coolbaugh, Canton, part of Bradford County’s
“Kittens in a Basket” team, worked against the clock to
finish the shawl during the competition.
Team “Kittens in a Basket” put the finishing touches
on the shawl by cutting the fringes.
Nate Good, Windsor, did a repeat performance as he
agshh c'aptuted thd shearer's aWaM.
Labrecque chooses the clea
nest, longest locks out of the pile
of wool at their feet.
“The same length locks makes
spinning more consistent,” La
brecque said. However, were she
not in competition, “all of the
fleece is usable except the wool
with debris.”
The Butler County Pedalers
chose a Romney for the evening’s
contest, since “it has nice length
to it and is soft and spins easily,”
said Labrecque.
After carding, the wool is spun
and moves quickly to the weav
ing step, where the weavers care
fully re-create the colors and pat
terns of a shawl already
submitted to the contest and on
display.
The look of the shawl may be
inspired by nature, as in the ex
ample of the shawl created by the
Butler County Pedalers, or by
art, as in the Yorktowne Spin
ners’ team shawl.
The creator of the Pedaler’s
shawl was inspired by a light
snow dusted over the colors of
fall leaves.
The dyed colors, according to
the team’s description, repre
sented the leaves. The white and
neutral tones of the wool were
then reminiscent of the snow.
Kris Peters, weaver for the
Yorktowne Spinners team, saw a
Monet painting “and I thought,
‘that’s it,”’ she said. “The way
the colors blended” in the green
and-lavender painting of lilies
motivated Peters to recreate the
painting in the shawl.
Three judges evaluate criteria
in five categories: shearing, spin
ning, design, weaving, and speed.
The shearer is judged on
speed, lack of second cuts, and
uniformity. The spinners are
judged on not only individual but
also group criteria, as the spin
ning should relate to the design
of the shawl. Members attempted
to spin evenly to produce a un
iform product.
The design of the shawl counts
for a substantial percentage of
the team’s score, as judges con
sider design originality, weave
difficulty, softness, and finished
fringe. Judges also look at color
coordination between warp (the
yarns lengthwise in a loom) and
weft (wool yam interlaced by the
weaver into the already-position
ed warp).
For the weaver, judges observe
evenness in the weaving. They
may probe the salvage edges for
evenness. Speed was also on the
weavers’ minds, as points were
awarded accordingly to when the
team finished (first, second, etc.).
Also during the contest, spin
ning and weaving demonstra
tions were conducted by the Lan
caster Spinners and Weavers
Guild. A fashion show of woolen
products, including shawls,
sweaters, hats, and jackets also
entertained the audience as the
teams worked.
The Pennsylvania Lamb and
Wool Queen, Amber Shollenberg
er, and her court spoke about the
commonwealth's sheep and wool
industry.
Additional awards were as fol
lows: shearer award, Nate Good;
fleece award, Butler County Ped
alers; team’s choice. Kittens in a
Basket; weaver’s award, Wini La
brecque; and premium spinning
group, Penn Wheels.
The shawls were auctioned off
at the end of the contest.
Overall, first place went to
Yorktowne Spinners, York
County. The shawl brought
$1,600 and was sold to Jan Fru
shone Gibas, who works at the
Pennsylvania Department of Ag
riculture’s Bureau of Dog Law
Enforcement.
According to extension leader
and 4-H leader Linda Spahr, the
team will donate a portion of the
sale to the York County 4-H
Fiber Club. The club, begun last
year, spent the first year learning
“how to produce a good fleece
and take care of the animal pro
ducing it,” said Spahr.
However this year 4-H mem
bers may get some hands-on ex
perience as Spahr is hoping to
purchase small looms. “Kids are
getting very interested in weaving
and using looms,” she said.
“We’ll probably buy hand looms
that the kids could take home
and learn how to make socks or
scarves.”
Second place went to Penn
Wheels, Bucks County. The
shawl sold for $4OO. Kittens in a
Basket, Bradford County, took Susan Lightner, Harrisville, part of Butler County’s
third place and sold their shawl “Fleeoa To. Shuttle” groMPi pulls out fiber for. the turning
Carl and the Not-So-Lazy Kates,
Pictured are, from left, Yorktowne Spinners weaver
Kris Peters, Pennsylvania Lamb and Wool Queen Amber
Shollenberger, spinner Leslie Orndorf, Jan Frushone
Gibas, who purchased the shawl, shearer Nate Good,
spinner Greta Dise, spinner Sandy Britcher, and (former)
secretary of agriculture Sam Hayes.
who sold their shawl for $950. Made, sold their shawl for $5OO.
The fifth place shawl, bringing The seventh place shawl sold for
$650, was made by Butler Coim- $375 and was made by the Fleece
ty Pedalers. Sixth place winners, To Shuttle team
Eweniquely 60 Percent Man
Kristen Brumbach,
Dover, helped to model
wool products during the
evening’s wool fashion
show.
Wini Labrecque, Cabot, Butler County, works at “flick
ing” locks of wool to open the ends, which “makes it easi
er to spin without catching,” said Labrecque.
Nate Good, Windsor, and
Sandra Britcher, Airville,
are both part of the win
ning Yorktowne Spinners
group.