Mmmmm, CWA scones, fresh and hot straight from the oven, delivered to the counter wrapped in a teatowel (but of course!). This was the first thing we did when we arrived, after collecting Kylie on the way to the tearooms. Very good way to start the day.
Then off to the knitting and crochet. I really do think the work displayed this year was better than last year - not necessarily better quality knitting, but I thought there was a larger number of modern garments, and more quality yarns used.
There seemed to be more lace, and not all the baby jackets were pastels!
But of course the way the garments and items were displayed was atrocious - mostly suspended from the ceiling using fishing wire and paper clips.
This champion cobweb (1ply) lace wedding shawl was suspended using 3 paperclips. Oh my. I'm amazed the knitting holds up - at least it proves how strong a fabric knitting produces!
Nor does it display the lace, in particular, to its full advantage - glorious lace scrunched up and the patterning barely visible. Such a shame given the work that goes into them.
We watched a lot of woodchopping as well - I do love the axemen. It's not their fine phsysiques (because they mostly don't have them!!), but it's more to do with the white trousers and dunlop volley tennis shoes, and the handicap system (the more experienced guys start well after the others, and quite often catch up and overtake them!), and the skill involved.
And that the older guys are often far better than the youngsters - one of the few physical sports where this is the case. (sorry about the mosaic being cut off - no idea why this happens or how to fix it. Sigh...)And we ended up looking at the district displays - these are made by representatives of each of 5 districts in NSW (and SE Qld), using pretty much entirely fruit and vegetables, and other regional produce like fleeces, seeds and grains, preserved fruits and wines and oils.
This one was my favourite - a fish, made of apples! And the waves were either (or both) fleece and cotton! Very cool!
More pictures of everything in my Easter Show flickr set, if you are interested.
We got home very tired and collapsed on the lounge - didn't even get any knitting done! But I have managed, now, finally, to catch up on all my blogreading from being away last week!
16 comments:
gosh I feel like I've been to the show! I've been right through your flickr set and paired with reading this, it almost makes up for not being there and not having scones with you all. Next year, I'm going.
And next year, you really ought to be IN the show.
Looks like fabulous fun - and yes I agree with Bells surely you must enter some knitting next year
Thank you for putting up the pictures of the regional displays - they're sadly missing from the Melbourne one and I loved them growing up in Sydney!
Welcome home, we missed you!! The fair sounds like a fun day! Can't wait to show my kids these pics! Love that fish!
That fish is amazing!! I love it! I'm going to look through your set, too.
I don't think I'd submit knitting to that show if they're going to manhandle it that way. It hurts to look at those lace pieces, poor things.
Love the fish, can almost taste the scones, now thinking twice about ever entering a garment in "The Royal" (which has always been spoken of in my family in tones of awe and envy, as the pinnacle of crafty/agricultural achievement).
Wonderful wonderful pics!
Love the fish - and I'm a sucker for the woodchopping - especially the tree felling where they put in the boards and jump up on them!
Hey, I recognise some of those things!
The yarn I made the green gloxineaflora from has sprung back like a pile of two minute noodles. I reblocked it, but I noticed on Tuesday night it didn't hold up too well with the second blocking. So, I can't totally blame the judges for that.
Isn't that lime green baby cardigan amazing? I overheard someone say that woman knits with piano wire! Certainly looks like it.
Gosh, I haven't been to a show, any show, in forever. I hear you on the wood chop though, I used to go down to Anglesea for new years and the market along the foreshore there had the woodchop. Fun to watch. As for that fish, AMAZING!
great photos - looks like you had a jam-packed visit!
The display of knitted exhibits is contentious all over, isn't it? It's really something that needs to be brought up to par, I think. I have to say though, the display this year (from your photos) seems better than those of the past - both in Sydney and Melbourne? Let's hope the tide is, albeit slowly, turning.
and those scones look like heaven - one cannot beat the CWA scones ;)
I think you should enter something made with that delicious wollmeise - it really is a collection of pretty ugly stuff on the whole and it needs some zing.
I love those displays done with fruits and veggies. They are fabulous! And I'm with amy, it hurts to see the lace stretched like that, like it's being tortured. Obviously the people who set up the display are not knitters. There are some beautiful pieces in there. Why don't you enter? Your work is every bit as good as those.
Now I feel like I've been to the show, too, thank you!
What a LOT of knitting, and the fish is awesome. I think we are eating apples from Oz right now - even CA storage doesn't always keep the local ones into April.
I think you need to down-size your mosaic to fit within your column width (or adjust your blogger image settings to auto do it for you).
I haven't been to the show in years! Off to check out your Flickr...
What a cool show - woodcutting competition! giant apple fish! I wish we had something like that.
We went to the Easter Show every year when I was a kid - displays [all of them], show bags, arena from mid afternoon till after the fireworks! No rides, no games. I loved it! And the wood chopping was one of my favourites!
I haven't been since the first year it moved to Homebush - maybe one day.
thanks for sharing all your photos.
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