Hangtown Fiber Guild: Zoom to Loom
By
Beth Callahan
Many of our favorite activities have been canceled during this pandemic year, including fiber-related events. Lambtown Festival in Dixon, California, which celebrates “all things sheep, lab, and wool,” was one of the few festivals that found a way forward. Roy Clemes of Clemes & Clemes spent many hours of determined research and organization to find a way to put much of the festival online: the highly popular Sheep to Shawl competition was one event that made the transition.
Lambtown occupies a special spot on the Hangtown Fiber Guild’s calendar: it’s been a “can’t miss” event as long as anyone can remember. So, when Roy announced the on-line transition, there was no question that the “Hangtown Fiber Miners” would sign up to be onboard for the virtual Sheep-to-Shawl competition.
In normal times, the Lambtown Sheep-to-Shawl event takes place outdoors under a giant tent with bleachers provided for the many spectators. There are usually 5 or 6 teams competing in a 4-hour timeframe to complete a 19” x 72” woven shawl. Eight members make up each team: 1 carder, 4 spinners, 1 plyer, 1 weaver, and 1 educator whose job it is to answer spectators’ questions, so the team’s workflow isn’t disturbed.
The resultant shawls are finely spun and woven – and spectacular. The competition is fierce, and the judging usually hangs on the tiniest of issues.
The online competition had the same basic rules for the finished shawls, but each team was given a certain number of timed blocks to work within, which could be divided between 2 to 7 people. Pandemic rules concerning masks and social distancing had to be observed. And all work had to be accomplished on camera on live Zoom feed – publicly available. Needless to say, this format opened the Lambtown Sheep-to-Shawl competition to a whole other dimension!
The Hangtown Fiber Miners were fortunate enough to have the use of a large outdoor covered patio, where each team member had her own socially distanced space, and multiple cameras could catch all the action. We opted to complete our shawl in one 4-hour session.
But other teams took advantage of the rules in ways that opened the competition in ways no one could have imagined! Team members could compete from their own homes without transporting carders, wheels, or looms. Teams could schedule their competition times over the course of weeks to accommodate everyone’s needs. Spectators and other teams alike were able to enjoy more intimate views of the work at hand.
Lambtown vendors and exhibitors – usually occupied with other activities – were able to join teams and compete, too. And, since no travel was required, out-of-area teams could easily join in the fun. After each team completed their shawl, the shawls were carefully packed up and sent off to the Festival organizers, who numbered them and presented them as blind entries to the judges. 10 shawls were completed and submitted.
Final judging was held live on Zoom, so everyone could clearly hear the judges’ educational commentary and see close-ups of each shawl’s attributes. (The judging event is still available on Lambtown’s YouTube channel.)
As it turned out, first place was awarded to a team from out of state, and given the heightened levels of competition, the Hangtown Fiber Miners are happy with our 3rd place finish! But we felt that the entire Sheep-to-Shawl competition was a huge success: the online format allowed for much, much wider participation from both competitors and spectators. It was definitely a bright spot during a troubled year, and hopefully can continue in some form as we all move forward in the days ahead.
We are based in Placerville, California (CNCH Area 4) and have been a guild since 1981. Our members are involved with many fiber crafts such as spinning, weaving, knitting, crocheting, felting, basketry, and dyeing. We have been involved in community outreach since the mid 1980’s. We conduct monthly meetings with education programs, hold workshops, and have annual picnics and retreats. We have an award-winning Sheep to Shawl team, and we demonstrate our crafts yearly at the El Dorado County Fair and participate in living history reenactments at Marshall Gold Discovery Site State Park.
This article was written by Beth Callahan, one of our members. She is a fantastic spinner, yarn and knit designer.
Thanks for this opportunity.
Pam Crause, President
Hangtown Fibers Guild