????????? Very strange, indeed.

I can't believe that simple sweater was awarded forst place over your shawl!

your sweater looked much better than the first place sweater.

you were robbed of 1st place! some of the entrants' items were amazing--i'm always blown away by the creativity and skill at fairs and competitions like these.

Congratulations. Well deserved.

I think some of the commended's are just darling. Where do you hang the ribbons?

Amazing! (Shaking my head here)
Your Madli would get first and best of all if I were judging!

Across the pond the judging at our local county fair is about the same. Last year a pair of socks knit using self-striping yarn in plain vanilla stockinette stitch won first place in the socks category over a pair of vine lace socks (which demonstrated fine knitting skills, if I may say so myself :) ).
We local needleworkers have decided that the judges are those whose needlework skills and interests are limited to making toilet paper roll covers on large grid plastic canvas.

Enjoy your Madli!

I've been checking back but am unable to read any of the comments past jacinta's, which I totally agree with of course.

I'm surprised you didn't win all of the prizes, can't believe that aran with textured front won. Aged knitters can't be to blame, they'd have loved your lace and aran work. Maybe a non knitter, who is attracted to novelty yarn (spotted yarn)!

Was the judge an older person? The style of the winning jumper might had appealed to her because it looks fairly old-fashion. The folded over collar can hide sloppy seaming and isn't much used by commercial patterns now. Second prize isn't bad, but the aran jumper should had done better

At least you had a knitting class. I'm not sure if I dare enter the village flower and vegetable show this year, the garden is so neglected I will be restricted to "green arrangement".

I think your work was so beautiful it went clean over their heads. They were probably thinking of the machine washable merits of the speckly stuff.

I don't see how the first prize managed to be first prize. My first sweater was more complicated than that! Your shawl is gorgeous and so much more challenging to knit! At least you have the shawl to wear. Your aran sweater is also fantastic.

Judges were not knitters obviously. You are First Place!!

I bet the judges had been judging the home made wine category prior to seeing the knitting (and you know how that stuff can effect your ability to see sense!), either that or someone switched the results before you got back in.....

Congratulations! Your knits are so lovely, you certainly deserved it and MORE (1st place, anyone?). I love your blog!

I cannot believe that the fairly plain jumper was given first prize over your Madil and heirloom aran. What on earth were the judges thinking? Obviously there must be some sort of nepotism going on there.

Your madil is so lovely. Good thing you put a photo...if I just read the description of the 1st place prizewinner, I would have had a hard time truly appreciating the injustice of it all!!!

Goodness me, it seems the horticultural show is suffering from a lack of categories! In our local show, those 6 items would have all been entered in 6 different categories!

Well done!

Oh Polly, I'm wiping my eyes with laughter, thank you for sharing this with us, I enjoyed the post last year too. Your Maddi is so beautiful, and I'm sure that your second place is worth all the more for not being related.... I can't believe the heirloom sweater was fourth to that third but I believe I may have a hot tip for you for next year - neon coloured acrylic is the way to go I think. I believe these judges may have a fondness for the stuff but do your think you can knit without the risk of igniting?

Looks like there is some "in house" fixing going on here. Ah the workings and conspiracies of the horticultural shows! Glad to see a childs work shown though. Sure hope they won something.

wow, is there any chance that the knitter of the 'first ' prize and the judge shared the same surname ????? It is quite obvious to even a non knitter that your Aran should have won first prize and your shawl second prize , you ' woz robbed'

Polly, I think the judges do not know knitting! Did they think the fleck in the yarn were placed individually? Your Aran sweater is wayyyy more intricate than the first place sweater. Anyways, congratulations on your beautiful work.

Judging is so hard to understand! Your Madli is so much more complicated than the sweater. Congratulations, nonetheless!

Hi Polly,
Thank you for letting me translate your Kiri pattern into Finnish. It is now available in http://kadentaidot.blogspot.com/2006/08/kiri-shawl-kiri-huivi.html.

Knitting according a chart is the most common habit to knit in Finland - so I didn't translate the written instuctions at all. I translated only the general instructions. All the pictures and charts have to get for your .pdf -file. I can add also the pictures and charts if you wish so.

Thank you Polly, I'm sure also pretty many Finnish knitters wan'ts to thank you!!

Couldn't agree more!

Good grief. I'd love to know the critera for judging, or if any of the judges were knitters. Your work is gorgeous, and you should be proud

Whah???????
How very interesting......
What is the name of the 1st place winner?
I really love your knitting....

Congratulations on such beautiful work, and on your enthusiasm to be there and enter. You are a fabulous knitter, and blogger, and you have a winning way overall Polly. Keep on doing what you do. I come here often to read and click on your links. I get a lot from it and I'm sure many more than you realize do as well.

Great work!!

That Madil is lovely, and the Heirloom aran is wayyy better than the first place winner. Hmmmm.

That is some interesting judging. The first place winner compared to the heirloom aran....well, there is no comparison. As I said....interesting!

fI'd have to wonder what the criteria were, or if the judges had a vendetta against you. Yours are definitely the best in my opinion!

Huh ?!
I'm with Jacinta on this one. Robbed,I tell you. Robbed.

Congratulations, although I must ask why the doll was judges as it was.

Well.... congratulations on what you did win!

They could do with someone who actually knits on the judging panel - do you think they are all men? I wonder if Jean (from Creations} is one of them.... how could anyone put that simple sweater in front of your Mahdi?

goodness... makes you wonder what criteria they were judging on.

Good grief - who on earth was doing the judging? Perhaps they employ the same criterion as when they judge the oddly shaped fruit and veg.? Bizarre. Shame about the lack of a crochet category, I could actually have entered something this year!

Polly 'you woz robbed' of first place, obviously the judges aren't knitters!