Woolcraft at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show

Hello

I have just returned home from another great ASBA Australian Sheep & Wool show in Bendigo. Coordinating the woolcraft judging is my main role and I want to thank all the judges that attended and diligently and thoughtfully considered all the wonderful entries that were on offer. The time taken to scrutinize and then comment on each entry says much about the quality of the entries and also the integrator of the judges. I also wish to thank the stewards that worked with the judges and contributed to the smooth running of the day.

To all the entrants I also say ‘thank you’.  It is an enormous privilege to be able to view all the articles that come to the Show and then to hear the complementary comments of the members of the public as they wander around on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

There were some entries of high quality that did not earn a prize and I am making two suggestions as you prepare for 2014.

1.  There are some classes that say “Wool only”  this actually means just that , so adding alpaca, silk or glitzy bits etc in these classes is not acceptable.
2. WPI (or wraps per inch).  This is a universal measure for spinners and it would appear that some people do not know what this means, so some beautifully spun skeins did not comply with the requirements.  Please find an experienced spinner to explain how this works, because it is really disappointing for judges to have to say “no” to excellent work.

It took me 20 years to remember consistently to put aside a staple of wool or a wool ball label, into a zip lock bag as soon as I started a new project but I do now.  This means I don’t get caught at the end of a project, without samples, if I suddenly decide that I wish to enter a competition. It reduces the stress and frustration. Try it.

My best wishes for 2014, the Woolcraft committee look forward to seeing more of your wonderful work.

Jay Peterson