So we’re newly back from Ireland (unfortunately), and it was time to turn my thoughts to the New York State Fair. I was behind on my entry this year, and had to take it with me and finish it while I was home, then mail it to the Fair from there. My shawl is more well-travelled than most Americans, LOL. I took some pictures while blocking – not the best, but I didn’t have my usual blocking setup and it’s always hard to capture good images of these ethereal shawls anyway. The pattern is Whisper Gallery by Toby MacNutt, and it goes without saying that it is a beautiful design.
I sent the shawl around the 20th of July, but didn’t know if I’d won a prize until I got back to the US on August 16th, as my mail was held and they mail out the notifications.
I got a blue ribbon and a guild award – I was pleased and not a little relieved, as I had done the same thing last year (failed to finish my shawl in time, then mailed it from Ireland) and there was some sort of processing delay and it arrived after the deadline and was not entered into the competition.
So I got to see it when I went to teach at the Fair yesterday. Always an exhausting day, but very rewarding as I always get a lot of interest at my table, and a bump in sales right after. It also inspires me creatively to be surrounded by so much talent in all fields of the arts. It’s a lot of “on” time for this introvert, though, and it does usually take a day to recharge.
Hopefully I’ll get better pictures once the Fair returns it to me, as none of these really do it justice. It used less than 50g of yarn, over 2000 glass beads, and fit easily through my wedding ring.
My plan is to buy my pattern, yarn, and beads as a Christmas present to myself this year, and start my Fair 2020 shawl in January! I could really do without all the hassle of having to finish it while in Ireland (taking away from valuable family, friend, and being out-and-about time), and then mailing it 3000 miles!
