Florida State Fair
Have you ever been to a fair, county or state? (comment below and share) I grew to enjoy fairs when I lived in WA state and became active in the Jefferson County Fair. I entered items crochet and baking categories. I loved the community atmosphere, this Jersey girl had a lot to learn about animals, horticulture, canning, quilting, horses, barrel racing, draft horse pulls, monster trucks in the mud..…
In WA I have won many ribbons for my crochet and baking over those years, even Best of Show in baking for my grandmother’s cookie/filled bread. That happens to be the same grandmother that taught me to crochet.
Napa Valley Shawl, Colored Cables Cowl, Ecliptic shawl
This year I entered 6 items into my first State Fair (Florida), 6 was the limit in the crochet category. There is a category for original design, but you can enter anything crochet from a pattern too. I won 1st place for the Napa Valley Shawl (previously in an Annie’s publication) and second place for Colored Cable Cowl (also was published in an Annie’s magazine). I earned Honorable Mention for Karen Whooley’s design Ecliptic from her A Garden of Shawls book. I made it in red Bijou Basin Ranch Yak/Silk lace. Ecliptic is my go to shawl. Read my review A Garden of Shawls.
Also, this year my CGOA chapter/crochet group Central Florida Crochet had a demonstration area on one of the Saturday mornings at the fair., the state fair runs for 14 days. What a blast, 6 members started early from all over central Florida to get to the fairgrounds in Tampa by 7:30am. We brought so many samples, hooks, yarn, pompom makers…..
1. Making pompoms with the girls 2-3. Working the crowd 4. Concentration 5. Crochet dress with built in bra 6-7. Our display
By 11 am we were rocking, I sat on the floor and taught 3 sisters how to make pompoms with the Clover pompom makers, we demonstrated Hairpin lace crochet, Tunisian and standard crochet to anyone interested, and there were plenty. We hopefully gained a few new members too. Can’t wait until next year…. February 11-22 2021