Going to the Fair?

I am! Yes, it's county fair time again. This Saturday I'll be helping with the canning category. I check in the entries, organize them for the judges and record the results.

I will also be checking in my own entries. I'm just starting to pull them together. I don't usually make things just to meet the fair categories (because it's not like anything you make will have a category to enter) so this time of year, I look over what I've made since the last fair and see what fits.

Here's what I came up with:

1. Pullover Sweater-Adult: the Enchanted Mesa. This is an old picture before I fixed the neckline and blocked it. I don't really think they'll be impressed with it because of the unusual construction (it's very biased. ...I mean the knitted fabric is on the bias; that's not a comment on the judging) but it's what I made this year and looks great (in my opinion) so we'll see how it goes.

2. Vest or Shell: Cotton Lace Tunic. Does a tunic still qualify as a shell? I interpret this category as anything sleeveless, so we'll see how it goes.

3. Blouse: Silk Stripes Sweater. Ok, I still don't know how to define the difference between a knitted pullover and a blouse, but I'm hoping this will do. It's silk. It's fine weight. It's drapey. I guess that makes it a blouse?

4. Hat, scarf, and/or glove or mitten set: Zig Zag Hat and Cowl. I made a number of sets this past year, but this is the one I chose to enter. I think I'll mention on the tag that the purple was hand-dyed and see if that helps my cause.

5. Any other knitted article not listed: Elephant Socks. I made a bunch of socks this year but these are the ones I chose to show. Despite wearing them a couple times, they still look new and all that colourwork has got to impress, right? Of course, I'll give them a fresh blocking.

6. Quilt Block for the raffle quilt. We had to chose blocks from the Underground Railroad pattern. I picked the Carpenter's Wheel. It took no less than three attempts (not counting the practice square I made in other fabrics), but I have something good enough to enter now.

7. Recycling. I've never noticed this category before! It's under Miscellaneous in the Folk Art categories. I think I'll try my skirt-turned-purse.

Now on to some photography:

8. Black and White: Head or Figure
Is it cheating using such a sweet baby? I haven't won with a cute baby picture yet (although others have), so we'll see...

9. Black and White: Landscape
A picture of Troy's parents' barn I took last winter and then "vintaged" with the pinhole look, perhaps a bit too strongly.

10. Black and White: Still Life
Keys at the hotel we stayed at in Texel.

11. Colour: Head or Figure
Is it fair to use two pictures of the exceedingly cute baby? Oh well. I think this one tells a story (no pun intended) so I considered it worth entering.

 

12 Colour: Landscape
Doesn't this look like an alien planet? Something I took in our back field a couple years ago.

13. Colour: Seascape
Also on Texel, looking over the North Sea. Cliche? Maybe, but I still like it.

14. Colour: Abstract
I had no idea what this category was from the fair book. But I've studied some of the entries over the last two years and I think this is the type of thing that they mean. This was an indoor "sidewalk" in Des Moines. I came around the corner and was instantly arrested by the warm glowing light and pattern from the rising sun through the glass blocks. It was beautiful.

15. Colour: Animals
I have quite a collection of elephants in my house, but I find I am both repulsed and attracted (and respectfully fearful) when I see them in person. This one was taken at the San Antonio zoo.

16. Colour: Birds
This is a duck and ducklings we saw in the canals in Delft. It doesn't have the best focus, but I still really like the picture. Apparently I'm going for a lot of cute this year because I really think those ducklings really are.

Phew! I think that is all of it for this year. I would have like to enter the two quilts I finished, but I had to give them away! I guess I should finish them sooner...

I'll let you know how it goes, but if you want to see for yourself, the Fair is open Monday, July 28 through Saturday, August 2. I'll be in the home arts building on Monday night, 8-11, so feel free to stop by and say hi!