Do you enter your crocheted items into competition?
By Buggheart
@Buggheart (445)
United States
August 13, 2007 9:05pm CST
I have been crocheting for about 20 years now and I totally love it. I've made all kinds of things from afghans to sweaters to Christmas ornaments. After I got really good at it someone suggested that I enter some of my items into the competitions at the state fair. I did OK at the state fair and won a few 2nd and 3rd place ribbons and one honorabale mention but it wasn't until I started going to the smaller county fairs that I really started kicking butt and consistently winning blue ribbons.
Two years ago I worked for 18 months on the most time-consuming and difficult afghan ever. It was Vanna White's Tyrolean Christmas afghan and it won nothing at the state fair but took first at the county fair. Since then I have submitted nothing to any fairs as I'm looking for another beauty that is difficult and pretty that will win me a blue ribbon and maybe best in show.
Do you ever enter your crafts to competitions? Or do you just make them for yourself, family, and friends? What is your favorite thing to crochet?
2 people like this
6 responses
@irishmist (3814)
• United States
16 Aug 07
Congrats on all your winnings! No I have never entered anything I have made. I love doing it as a hobby. I also love making afghans for gifts. I give them to family and friends.
2 people like this
@Buggheart (445)
• United States
17 Aug 07
Thank you and thanks for the reply! I love to make gifts for people too but I've already made something for everyone I know so I'm running out of recipients LOL!
1 person likes this
@mikesgal4ever1999 (732)
• United States
17 Aug 07
I as well as my husband have a few blue ribbons to our name for entering items in the county fair. I haven't ever ventured to enter something in a state fair but that would be fun to do I would think. I do many crafts however I have been crocheting since I was about 10 years old and doing plastic canvas since I was about 12 years old (and I am 38 now so lots of years there LOL). My favorite crochet items to make are a ripple stitch afghan--its very simple, I can complete it in a matter of days. I make an adult size as well as a baby size. I have to admit that I make a lot of items for family and friends but not near enough for me.
1 person likes this
@Buggheart (445)
• United States
17 Aug 07
The state fair here is very intimidating. The last afghan I made which was my masterpiece won first place at the county fair but they picked it apart and criticized it horribly at the state fair. I walked out of there crying. On the back of the tag they write comments and they are so mean about it. I'll never go back to the state fair again but the county fair is good. I'll try to figure out how to post a pic of that afghan.
Congrats on you and your hubby's blue ribbons! That's really exciting. I tried plastic canvas once but it hurt my hands too much so I didn't do anything more than the one piece.
I love your ripple afghan! The colors are pretty and I love the way you used multiple colors in the fringe. I've never done that before but I sure will now. I've made a few ripple afghans before and love the way they turned out. I made one for an old boyfriend about 20 years ago. He requested black and dark grey ripples. Never again! Crocheting with black yarn is too hard on the eyes. And I was about 17 then so I can only imagine how hard it would be now on my older eyes.
Thanks for the comment!
1 person likes this
@Buggheart (445)
• United States
17 Aug 07
Wah! I have to start a new discussion to post pics of my afghans. Oh well, I'll do that that lol.
1 person likes this
@shirgie (230)
• United States
29 Aug 07
I have never entered a state fair and by the sounds of it, I don't think I should, lol. I enter the local county fair when I can. The only crocheted items that I entered this year were coasters but I did win first place. I usually win first place on crocheted items there but not always of course. Hopefully, I will get busy this winter and have more to enter next year. I am pretty particular about what patterns I use though. I spend so much time hunting great patterns and yarn *on a budget so that limits me * If I spent as much time crocheting as hunting the patterns, I would have lots to enter each year, lol. Oh well, I feel a lot of crocheting coming on. The kids start back to school tomorrow! Goodness knows I can't spend all that free time cleaning the house.
1 person likes this
@venshida (4836)
• United States
18 Aug 07
When I was a teenager, I did. thought those were a thing of the past. I like to make hats and scarf. I have made 6 in the last two months. I was just thinking I need to crochet some small toys for Christmas.
@Perry2007 (2229)
• Philippines
2 Oct 07
It's a nice idea to enter competitions of crochet, I would like to do that sometime. Pehaps I can find some in our locality. Do you know of international competition? ever tried that. Thanks for sharing. I love crocheting
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
25 Sep 07
Hi Buggheart, congratulations on your winnings that is great! I only crochet once in a while when a friend, family member, or a friends friend is going to be having a baby. I really like afghans and I can't really crochet anything else! My biggest project is an afghan that I crocheted for my daughter. It is pink and purple and it will fit on a twin bed. I made that while I was pregnant with her because I couldn't work anymore.
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