Fibre Fantasy - Spin Off Competition
Mary-Ann English AO Spin-Off Competition 2010
2010 Spinoff Results
Congratulations on a terrific turn out for the 2010 Spin-off Competition. A total of 74 entries from 7 colour classes were sent out to be spun and judged by some talented and experienced ladies. The skeins returned are lovely examples of what alpaca yarn can look like and how soft it can feel in the hands of an experienced spinner.
Our 2010 Spinners;
White Class – Sylvia Currie – 11 entries
On spinning alpaca Sylvia said “Thanks for the opportunity to participate in the
Alpaca Ontario Spin-off Competition. It has been an interesting experience, and most enjoyable to handle
such lovely fibres.”
Sylvia’s spinning days began in the 1960's, on a bobbin winder, under the tutelege of Ted Carson in Oakville.
On moving to Kingston, she joined the Kingston Handloom Weavers' Guild; note no reference to spinning! Ted
came to town, got them all spinning, and shortly the guild's name changed to the Kingston Handloom Weavers
and Spinners. Over the years Sylvia has participated and led a number of spinning/weaving workshops.
Spinning has taken Sylvia to many varied and interesting places, from Scotland to New Zealand, to Holman
Island in the Canadian Arctic, to the Queen Charlotte Islands and to Patagonia, where the guanacos greeted
us. And with a spindle tucked in her bag, there was never a lack of something to do.
Light Class – Cindy O’Gorman – 11 entries
On spinning alpaca Cindy said The soft alpaca samples were a pleasure to handle
and spin. The colours were lovely and I was especially impressed with the older age groups which could
rival the younger ones; a well achieved breeding goal.”
Cindy has been spinning for 10 years, having been inspired to learn to spin when she met alpacas. Since then,
she has been an active member of the Ottawa Valley Weavers' and Spinners' Guild, being especially involved in
demonstrating and teaching her love of fibres and fibre arts. In 2009, Cindy graduated with Distinction from
the OHS Spinning Certificate program completing 6 years of study at the Haliburton School of Arts. She
especially enjoys spinning and combining natural coloured fibres. She lives on Hill Grove Farm in Dunrobin,
Ontario with her husband and 2 children raising a variety of fibre animals including a flock of Shetland Sheep.
Fawn Class – Diny Warren – 8 entries
On spinning alpaca Diny said “I enjoyed the process and thought overall the fibre
was excellent. Most had very good lock formation, those that didn’t were more difficult to prepare. There
was no guard hair present in any samples which was very nice and made the yarn much softer.”
Diny has been spinning fibres since the mid 80’s. She was involved for 3 years in the Sheep to Shawl
Demonstration at the Royal Winter Fair in the late 80’s. Diny took the Ontario Handspinning Certificate
Course from 1991 to 1996 with the OHS Master Certificate after the completion of the in-depth study on
“Hemp A Classic Revisited in 2002”.
Diny has attended the Ontario Handspinning Seminar since 1986 and has been involved with the Seminar in
several capacities. At present Diny is a member of: The London Weavers and Spinners Guild, The Stratford
Pioneer Treadles and The Simply Hooked rug hooking guild.
Brown Class – Diane Stewart – 21 entries
On spinning alpaca Diane said “These fleeces demonstrate care and attention.
I am impressed with the consistent quality of the fibres that I receive to evaluate. Spinners have
access to beautiful alpaca here in Ontario."
Diane is a retired English teacher who has been spinning since 1977. She now works as a textile artist,
knitting, quilting, and working on commissioned spinning projects featuring dog fibre blends. Diane
graduated in 2009 from the six-year OHS Certificate which offers instruction in every spinnable fibre.
This is her third year judging Ontario alpaca.
Black Class – Kay James – 6 entries
On spinning alpaca Kay said “Thank you for providing some excellent fleece
to work with. It was a pleasure spinning the samples knowing the difficulties in raising these beautiful
animals and after all that getting the fleece to the competition stage.”
Spinning became second nature to Kathryn, a retired physical and health education teacher, when Border
Leicester sheep were purchased in 1989. She took six lessons from Diane Adam in Richmond, Ontario and
for the next 10 years enjoyed blissful experimenting with fibre of all kinds. She began the certificate
program at St. Lawrence College with Beth Abbott, graduating in 2006. Kathryn belongs to OHS and is the
past representative for Eastern Ontario, making new friends and preparing workshops along the way. The
West Carleton Fibre Guild manages to keep her interested in new fibre works and she takes every
opportunity to teach others spinning at her farm in Almonte.
Grey Class – Donna Lonergan – 10 entries
On spinning alpaca Donna said “My experience doing the judging and spinning of
these alpaca fleeces was great. I felt it was very thought provoking and a great learning tool.”
Donna Lonergan is a retired Registered Nurse who has had a passion for spinning for over 30 years.
She has taken many courses to better herself and has given workshops on nature dyeing, rainbow dyeing,
kumihimo, drop spindle, wet felting and also a workshop on seacell, seawool and seasilk at Georgian
College. Donna also does demonstrations at pioneer villages and the grade 3 programs in many area
schools. Articles of hers have been published in The Spinning Wheel Sleuth.
Multi Class – Harriet Boon – 3 entries
Harriet learned to spin in the early 1970’s and earned a Master Spinner Certification from Georgian
College in 1976. She assisted in designing the Ontario Handspinners & Weavers (OHS) Master spinner
certificate course and has been an instructor with the program since 1980. Harriet has lectured and
presented textile workshops in Canada and the United States, and is a certified Ontario Wool Judge.
She is presently a member of several guilds and continues to work with OHS and the Ontario
Handspinning Seminar.
Harriet enjoyed the challenge and experience of spinning and judging the alpaca samples.
Thank you to all of our wonderful spinners who make competitions such as these possible. The time you take to score and comment on our entries is greatly appreciated by all participants.
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TopMary-Ann English AO Spin-Off Competition 2009
2009 Spinoff Results
Thank you to all who entered this year’s spin off competition. 61 fleeces in the colour groups white/beige, fawn, brown, black and grey were prepared for spinning and evaluated by four master spinners. First, second and third place winners were displayed at the Alpaca Fibre Fantasy display during the Alpaca Ontario Show on April 18/19, 2009.
Kay James returned as spinner/judge. She judged the white/beige colour group and commented:
"Thank you for preparing beautiful samples, with well differentiated long staples,
clean and extremely fine and lofty. I have to say the alpaca raised in Ontario could be used by any handspinner
quite successfully. It was my pleasure to be a part of your competition."
Kathryn learned to spin with Diane Adam in Richmond in 1989 and for ten years she spun wool, silk, angora,
alpaca, llama, and several far out blends with bast fibres. After attending a spinning course at Haliburton,
she embarked on a 6 year program learning about fibre. Not willing to give up such a tremendous challenge,
she graduated in 2006 with the OHS spinning certificate. Since then, she has given workshops in soapmaking,
basketry, felting, designer yarns, natural dying, and exotic fibres. She has participated in wonderful
competitions such as International Back to Back and sheep to shawl. As a retired PHE teacher, she enjoys
providing a monthly forum for spinners at her farm near Appleton and, in the meantime, attends local guild
meetings, conferences, and seminars for inspiration. Kathryn is in her fourth year as the OHS representative
for Eastern Ontario.
Diane R. E. Stewart returned as spinner/judge of the fawn colour group. Her comments:
"The presentation was careful; locks, for the most part, placed into bags carefully. The fibres were lovely,
especially the yearling group: clean and soft. All of the fibres were enjoyable to spin."
Diane is a retired English teacher turned textile artist who is completing year six of the OHS Certificate
in handspinning. Her Design Challenge final project features dog fibre blends. She works on private
commissions and teaches handspinning. Occasionally, she writes articles for Fibre Focus. Diane is delighted
to be part of the team evaluating and spinning these gorgeous alpaca samples.
Beth Abbot returned as spinner/judge of the brown colour category and commented:
"The fleeces were much better this year. I found the info sheet very helpful this year."
I started spinning in the mid 70’s and graduated with a Master Spinner Certificate in June 1990. My thesis was
The Icelandic Fleece – which was later published into a book “The Icelandic Fleece – A Fibre for All Reasons”.
I have taught workshops for close to 20 years – and am an active teacher in the Spinning Certificate program
with the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners. My special areas of interest are: Silk, Icelandic Fleece, Technical
aspects of spinning – such as worsted preparation and spinning, controlling twist in yarns. I am also a fibre
artist – graduating this spring from the Fibre Arts Certificate course in Quilting Arts at St. Lawrence College.
I teach at St. Lawrence College and at Haliburton School of Art during the summer school programs as well as the
winter interest courses.
Jean Park returned as spinner/judge of the black and grey colour groups and send
the following comment:
"All fibres were really quite nice and for the most part I enjoyed working with them."
Jean has been spinning since 20 years. jean is a Master Spinner. Her thesis was Camelid fibres –blending with wool.
She teaches the Spinning Certificate Program with the Ontario Hand weavers and Spinners at the Haliburton School of
Arts and the St. Lawrence College.
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TopAlpaca Ontario Spin-off Competition 2008
The AO Fibre Promotion Committee would like to thank the five experienced and accomplished hand spinners: Beth Abbot, Kay James, Cindy O’Gorman, Jean Park & Diane R.E. Stewart, who agreed to participate in the first Canadian Spin-off Competition and who so generously and enthusiastically spent their time to spin and evaluate their assigned fibre samples. 71 fibre samples unfurled their story.
Each 50 grams of blanket fleece was spun into yarn by these experienced hand spinners and evaluated as to first impression, uniformity, cleanliness, ease of preparing for spinning, ease of spinning, softness and loft, just to mention a few criteria. Points were allocated and the most accumulated points out of 100 determine placing within each category. Winning spin-off fleeces were displayed at the Alpaca Fibre Fantasy display at the Alpaca Ontario Show in April 2008.