The Local Fall Fair

 The very hot and dry weather this summer has made for a difficult growing season for my garden, since I'm using both deep raised beds and large planter pots.   It was difficult to keep them properly watered.  Sometimes they needed watering twice a day, but watering in the evenings usually causes mildew and other difficult to control diseases.   The only plants which seemed to thrive in these conditions were the basil, leaf celery and the peppers!   I was at a club meeting and asked for suggestions to use up some of these peppers as I wasn't thrilled with the pickled pepper recipe I used last year.   The gal on the fair committee said to enter them in the fair as they were a bit low on entries this year.   

So I entered the peppers, and a few other things.  The banana peppers which were rapidly turning red rather than yellow, took 1st place and the mystery hot peppers which weren't supposed to be hot, came second.  I was really pleasantly surprised at getting a ribbon for my meagre gardening results this year.

I also dug through the items I'd made over the past year or so and entered a few things in the hand craft division.  I certainly wasn't expecting to see this 1st place ribbon and a rosette for most points when I peeked in to the exhibit hall when I arrived to demo weaving on the first day of the fair.    

I may have entered more things than I realised.   Not everything won a ribbon.   A few things got the nice little thanks for entering sticker.   I entered 2 shawls from historic patterns, in 2 different sections.  The one section judge wrote lovely comments on the back of the entry tag saying it was  warm and congrats on finding and using an old pattern which was still a good pattern. The little stuffed bear also got a comment on how it was creative and child safe since I used safety eyes on it.

Most of these items are things that I just knit up in the evenings because I hate when the tv goes on and I have nothing productive to do with my hands!

a few items are missing due to lack of space

I was doing a demo on the Saturday with the Weavers and Spinners.   The fair was super busy and the two gals who were demonstrating table looms, spent the entire 5 hours teaching kids and adults alike, how to throw a shuttle, change sheds and use the beater bar.   It was totally awesome.  I usually bring my spinning wheel, but didn't this time, because sometimes people spend so much time talking to me about spinning and telling me their memories of relative spinning that they don't check out the weavers quite so much.   Next year, if we're invited back, I'll bring the wheel out to play.  I kind of missed that this year, but I'm happy I simply had a my little inkle loom because the other two demonstrators got so much attention.  It was great.  On Sunday I took my display of Dorset Buttons.  It was much quieter that day, so I had time to catch up with another demonstrator which I don't see very often.

The local fair is interesting because they've done away with a mid-way.  They've geared it to younger kids, with pony rides, games, bouncy things but kept it relatable for most others in the community by keeping the horse shows, the sheep show, the 4-H classes, the handcraft division, crops competition and live music the whole weekend.  I did demos both days and it was a great, albeit tiring weekend!

Supporting Our Local Fall Fair!

 A friend asked me if I'd enter some items in the local fair.   It was cancelled last year and was scaled back this year, still due to Covid restrictions.    There were far fewer classes than other years, to help keep contact risks down.    However there were weaving classes!  I do like to support local events, so of course I'd enter something.    I entered 3 items.   I had a couple of others in mind, but they were for jams, preserves and such.  I wasn't sure I had the time to get them ready, so I went with just the crafty ones.  I really wasn't expecting too much because I've seen the entries in other years and there is an amazing array of talent shown at the local fairs.

I think I did okay though.   I didn't feel right about taking any prize money, especially when times are lean for the local Ag societies, so I asked for my winnings to be donated back.   

This is my rug hooked with hand-spun, hand-dyed yarn.   I really didn't expect this to win at all because in past years there have been some pretty amazing rugs shown.   The second place rug was technically perfect and had absolutely gorgeous colour choices.   The gal who hooked it said she was happy the judge took into account the hand dyed and spun yarn.
 

This wasn't the scarf I was going to originally enter.  I had one with a lovely hand painted warp, but I'd taken it to a meeting to show off and left it in the tote bag.  Of course I hunted high and low and couldn't find it.  I entered this scarf, wool and silk blend, in a bumbaret weave structure.   It's interesting but not quite as striking as the hand painted warp.  Still, I'm happy with it.   

And yes, I found the missing scarf almost as soon as I got home from dropping off my entries.

These placemats were a last minute decision.   It wasn't in the weaving section, but the general crafts.   They are made with a commercial yarn.   I thought they'd go in my kitchen, but the colours don't match.   But they are machine washable and durable, every day sort of placemats and it must have meant something to the judges.   There were some cute appliqued Santa placemats in second place.

So hubby also had the winning bid on a silent auction item and we took home a dry wall lifter for doing ceilings, for the grand total of $35.   He was pretty happy about that!

I was happy to get to hear one of the John Denver impersonator's sets.  He was really good!

I will have to say that local fairs are becoming fewer and fewer.  There are a few big ones which are well supported, but many others struggle to survive!   Next year, please go out and enjoy the fall fair events in your area, even if they are sometimes a little old fashioned.  The livestock competitions are fun.  There are often lots of activities for kids, fair food and more.  You can ohhh and aww and sometimes giggle over the entries in the homecraft divsion and see farm crops, veggies and giant sunflowers.   Sometimes they get the 4H clubs to do educational displays, which can be awe inspiring, when you realize that these are kids showing off some amazing skills and knowledge.