At the state fair, barns are filled with animals large and small, and many a 4H child leads their lamb into the ring, hoping to win a blue ribbon. For urban visitors, a state fair is where knitters can experience a tangible link to the origins of our craft and appreciate the labor and resources that go into fiber production. For rural crafters, fairs revive a sense of pride, highlight the value of local resources, and can provide connections for future revenue. And, competition entrants from city and countryside can share the same sense of accomplishment and commitment that bonds us together as knitters. —Pat Olski, Editor, PieceWork
On the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair, you will find me in the Creative Activities Building waiting with dozens of other anxious crafters to see if the judges have been good to us this year. Woodworking, painting, sewing, baking, and all manner of handmade articles are on display. As I wait, I always run into other obsessed knitters, and we enjoy looking at the displays together—we know that they represent the culmination of a year’s worth of knitting.
I started knitting when I was around twelve. I don’t remember learning, but I do remember asking my mother the most basic questions ever, “Is this the right side or the wrong side?” I sometimes wonder how people keep knitting when our first efforts are often awful!
But as many of us do, I persisted. Fast forward twenty years, and I was hooked. I had become really passionate about crafting: sewing, tatting, and knitting. But knitting is what stuck the most. It was somewhere in that time frame that I discovered the Creative Activities Building at the Minnesota State Fair (also known as The Great Minnesota Get-Together). Up until then, my focus had always been on the rides and any food on a stick. But when I entered that building, my jaw dropped. The first thing I saw were tall glass cases, with knitting taking center stage. My craft! My people! This was something I knew I wanted to do.
So it was around then, or forty-odd years ago, that I started entering my knitted pieces in the Minnesota State Fair. We take knitting very seriously in Minnesota, and our state fair is extremely competitive. In 2023, there were almost 600 entries in the main knitting categories alone.
What Does the Competition Entail?
Most states have state fairs with knitting competitions. Texas has four fairs! Other options to consider are regional and county fairs, and sheep and wool festivals. Both the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck) and the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival include competitions for handknitting.
At the state fair, barns are filled with animals large and small, and many a 4H child leads their lamb into the ring, hoping to win a blue ribbon. For urban visitors, a state fair is where knitters can experience a tangible link to the origins of our craft and appreciate the labor and resources that go into fiber production. For rural crafters, fairs revive a sense of pride, highlight the value of local resources, and can provide connections for future revenue. And, competition entrants from city and countryside can share the same sense of accomplishment and commitment that bonds us together as knitters. —Pat Olski, Editor, PieceWork
On the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair, you will find me in the Creative Activities Building waiting with dozens of other anxious crafters to see if the judges have been good to us this year. Woodworking, painting, sewing, baking, and all manner of handmade articles are on display. As I wait, I always run into other obsessed knitters, and we enjoy looking at the displays together—we know that they represent the culmination of a year’s worth of knitting.
I started knitting when I was around twelve. I don’t remember learning, but I do remember asking my mother the most basic questions ever, “Is this the right side or the wrong side?” I sometimes wonder how people keep knitting when our first efforts are often awful!
But as many of us do, I persisted. Fast forward twenty years, and I was hooked. I had become really passionate about crafting: sewing, tatting, and knitting. But knitting is what stuck the most. It was somewhere in that time frame that I discovered the Creative Activities Building at the Minnesota State Fair (also known as The Great Minnesota Get-Together). Up until then, my focus had always been on the rides and any food on a stick. But when I entered that building, my jaw dropped. The first thing I saw were tall glass cases, with knitting taking center stage. My craft! My people! This was something I knew I wanted to do.
So it was around then, or forty-odd years ago, that I started entering my knitted pieces in the Minnesota State Fair. We take knitting very seriously in Minnesota, and our state fair is extremely competitive. In 2023, there were almost 600 entries in the main knitting categories alone.
What Does the Competition Entail?
Most states have state fairs with knitting competitions. Texas has four fairs! Other options to consider are regional and county fairs, and sheep and wool festivals. Both the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck) and the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival include competitions for handknitting.
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The rules and regulations differ quite a bit from one state to another. For example, in the New York State Fair, only the winning entries are displayed during the fair, and any losing entries must be picked up before the fair begins. Some fairs require an entry fee. There is also a great deal of variation in terms of the prizes which can be won.
An array of Susan’s award ribbons from the Minnesota State Fair from 2021 to 2023. Photos courtesy of the author unless otherwise noted
Learn the Lingo
The following are some terms used in Minnesota’s State Fair, which is my only frame of reference.
- Exhibitor: the person who made and entered the item
- Entry or Exhibit or Article: the item being entered
- Class or Lot or Category: the category (one entry per lot is allowed)
- Awards: blue ribbon for 1st place, red for 2nd, white for 3rd, pink for 4th, and yellow for 5th
- Sweepstakes: a purple ribbon awarded to the best of the blue-ribbon winners in that category (handknitted articles and afghans each designate a sweepstakes winner); sometimes called “Best in Show”
- Special Awards: additional monetary awards donated by the Minnesota Knitters Guild (MKG), yarn shops, and individuals or groups; may include a rosette
Competition Categories
Minnesota’s fair has no entry fee, though online pre-registration is required. There are 49 separate categories for hats, socks, mittens, gloves, afghans, scarves, jackets/outerwear, and many more. Even though you can only enter one item per category, there are many possibilities to enter items into different categories and win.
Entry classes are further defined by the type of knitting or characteristics of the item. For instance, “Pullover, limited use, color pattern” means that colorwork only occurs in part of the sweater. A stranded yoke sweater with a plain body would be entered here. Not every state breaks down the participant categories to this degree.
First Premium blue-ribbon winner in the pullover (limited use, color pattern) category. Alpine Bloom, designed by Caitlin Hunter, knit by Susan Rainey
The entry categories at the Minnesota State Fair have evolved quite a bit over time. Shawls and socks, both popular categories, have expanded over the years and are now broken down by the weight of the yarn and the type of stitchwork used. Some lots, such as scarves and afghans, have size requirements.
If you enter your exhibit in the wrong lot, the judges will move it. However, the transferred item would be disqualified if you already entered something in that class. Because of the volume of entries, only the top 25 articles per lot are judged.
Each state and/or county fair has its own rules and entry requirements, so check out your state for specifics.
Scoring, Prizes, and Sharing
The judges write an evaluation sheet with point totals for different knitting elements. They tend to favor the traditional and place a lot of emphasis on finishing. It usually takes about 98–99 points to get a blue ribbon, and the sweepstakes ribbon is generally awarded at 100 points, although a couple of times I have earned a score of 100 points and have only received a blue ribbon.
2023 Minnesota State Fair Entry, the Random Acts Cowl, designed by Elizabeth Finn, knit by Susan Rainey.
In Minnesota, all entries are displayed, and nominal monetary awards are given to ribbon winners. In 2023, a blue ribbon garnered $8, and a sweepstakes winner would have taken home another $10. Another $20–$30 and recognition come from the special awards given out at the fair by guilds or other groups. My knitting group (The Penelope Knitters, “We live to knit, and knit to rip!”) provides a small monetary gift card to a restaurant and a highly coveted ribbon rosette. One winner of our award told me she valued the rosette far more than the gift card because they’re so impressive on display.
The Tapestry Wrap (from Fair Isle Club #6), designed by Marie Wallin, knit by Susan Rainey won a rosette from the Minnesota Knitters Guild in the hand knit item category.
The Minnesota Knitters Guild (MKG) is an active supporter of state fair knitting. MKG volunteers spend one day of the fair giving demonstrations and answering questions, hoping to inspire others to take up the craft. Our post-fair meeting in September is the most highly anticipated of the year. Members show off their state fair entries and read the judges’ comments—then we get to look at the items up close and talk to each other about our projects. Even though it is a competition, there is real camaraderie. State fairs are a wonderful way for knitters to connect!
Susan Rainey is a passionate and enthusiastic knitter and has been for about 60 years. She has been entering her knitting in the Minnesota State Fair for close to 40 years and has won 16 sweepstakes awards and countless ribbons. Susan is lv2knit on Ravelry and @lv2knitmn on Instagram. She shares a knitting blog with her equally obsessed sister Sally at theraineysisters.com.
