People in Agriculture

A Monthly Feature from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

January 2008

 

Pennsylvania’s Bounty ‘Pedaled’ into Wool Wrap

 

A billboard advertisement was the inspiration for an award-winning wool shawl at the 2008 Pennsylvania Farm Show. 

 

Wool weaver Wini Labrecque saw a PA Preferred roadside billboard near her home in southern Butler County, showcasing fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Pennsylvania. 

PA Preferred is the Department of Agriculture’s branding program that assures consumers they are purchasing products grown or processed here in the commonwealth. 

 

The vibrant colors of the produce caught her eye and were the inspiration for the Butler County Pedalers’ Pennsylvania agriculture-themed entry for the Farm Show’s Sheep-to-Shawl contest.

 

The Pedalers went on to win the Farm Show’s 29th annual competition for the third time in the team’s history, inching out six other teams from across the state.

 

Developing a program: The Butler County Pedalers are representatives from the Butler County Spinners and Weavers Guild, a 50-member group with a love and a knack for taking raw sheep fleece and turning it into cloth.

 

The guild meets monthly, has a board of officers and offers educational programs to its members and other spinning and weaving enthusiasts.  Members are not only from Butler County but also from surrounding counties including Allegheny and Beaver.

 

“People join the group because of the educational programs we offer,” said Labrecque, president of the guild.  “They come to learn a new technique or to refresh an old one.” 

 

In addition to the three or four sheep-to-shawl contests the Pedalers compete in each year, guild members also conduct demonstrations and attend local craft shows and events. 

 

Building a team: Each competition team consists of five members.  All guild members are offered the chance to join a team and Labrecque finds that certain combinations of members gel and work well together.

 

Rounding out Labrecque’s winning Farm Show team were three spinners – Carol Buttignol of Allegheny County, Angela Fishman of Beaver County and Linda Gross of Butler County; carder Kathy Knoth also of Allegheny County; and sheep shearer Marty Gudekunst of Dauphin County.

 

“We have a very flexible and skilled bunch, but Linda Gross is the cornerstone of our team,” Labrecque said.  “Her spinning is very consistent and hers is always the first bobbin I use when I start weaving.” 

 

After the sheep is sheared, the carder combs out the fleece, which opens the ends to make it easier to spin, then the three spinners spin the fiber into yarn on a bobbin.  The bobbin then goes to the weaver.

 

Developing a theme: Together the team decides on a theme for each contest.  After Labrecque was inspired by the PA Preferred billboard, the group researched Pennsylvania’s prominent products including vegetables, fruits, nuts, mushrooms and evergreens. 

 

Generally, the weaver then develops the design on the loom, incorporating the pattern and colors that explain the concept. Labrecque chose a basket weave pattern to represent a basket holding Pennsylvania’s bounty of fruits and vegetables.

 

“The best part for me is getting people to understand why I chose the colors and how they relate to each other,” said Wini.

 

Prior to the contest, the weaver prepares a ‘warp’ on the loom which is like a blueprint for the shawl’s design.  Labrecque dyed the yarn before putting it on the loom to get the colors that translated to Pennsylvania agricultural products. 

 

Entering the contest: The team does a ‘trial run’ before the contest, making a sample shawl to get the timing right, as well as the size of the shawl. 

 

“We face the toughest competition at the Farm Show,” Labrecque said, who has been weaving for 20 years and was the weaver on all three winning Butler County teams.

 

The Farm Show’s contest takes three hours from the time the shearer takes the wool off the sheep to the time the finished shawl is ready for judging.  Each team is also required to build a display that carries out the theme of the shawl, and the sample shawl is part of the display.

 

A panel of four judges evaluates the teams on shearing, fleece, spinning, weaving, design and speed.  The shawl must be 75 inches in length, 22 inches wide and have five inches of fringe on each end. 

 

At the end of the contest, all the shawls are auctioned to bidders.  The Butler County Pedaler’s shawl sold for $850. 

 

The group uses their auction funds and first prize winnings to support their educational programs.  They also support the Butler County 4-H program by offering a premium award to the first prize handspun skein, or ball, of yarn at the Butler Farm Show. 

 

Explaining the intrigue:  The Sheep-to-Shawl contest is a perennial favorite at the Farm Show, attracting hundreds of visitors and receiving significant media pick-up each year. 

 

Labrecque says the same is true at every event they attend – whether a contest or just a demonstration.  She believes that people are fascinated with the process of turning raw fleece into clothing, returning to the era of how clothes used to be made before mass production.

 

“Spinning and weaving is a lost art,” she believes. “From the creativity standpoint, it’s very appealing to people who appreciate the detail and concept development.  Plus, people love hand-made things.”