Every summer I try to urge my friends to enter the NC State Fair. Usually I can convince them to do so. This year many told me (publicly even) that they were going to enter and beat me, so I would not get a good ribbon (first place....my goal always). Then we had problems signing up for the contest and getting our entry tags through the mail.....would you believe they sent the entry tags in UNSEALED envelopes!! One friend got an empty envelope!!

Anyway, their plan worked. I really upped my attempts to knit projects I liked that were completed to the best of my ability. 

There were 7 potential categories for machine knitted items:

    Clothing: Adult garment, child garment, and accessory

    Household Items: Afghan (including baby blankets), full sized afghan (to fit a bed), tablecloth or placemats, and one of the afghans or table linens enhanced (something not machine knitted added to the item). 

I filled out the form to enter all 7 categories. I finished 6 items. I won 6 blue Ribbons (first place) and also got the Triangle Machine Knitters award for best of machine knitted clothing and also the Triangle Machine Knitters award for the best of machine knitted  household items. Each ribbon or award came with its own small monetary award. 

So I am tooting my own horn about my winnings <G> Here are the photos. 3 are garter carriage items, One is a Passap afghan lovely, the green blanket with the lighter edging is double bed racking enhanced with crochet edging. The baby sweater is my favorite from Bramwell Baby book, which I have knit 3 or more times with different colors over the last 20 or more years. 

The last 2 are the same blanket (Passap Afghan Lovely) to show its size (almost King Sized) and its texture. 

I am glad I did my best work for this event. Yes I should have started before the last 6 weeks before the fair, but I do best under pressure <G> 

By for now

Rita

 Yes, I am still machine knitting. I did complete another 100 hats for Country Knitting of Maine Hat contest and sent them to Maine in September. My favorites this year were my garter carriage hats, I mean those knit by my garter carriage. I used both the punchcard machine and the electronic brother machine. On Facebook I even found a pattern by Anita Cornell for a gc hat which was written from start to finish in one DAK pattern, so I knit one to donate this year and one to enter in the NC State Fair 2021. That hat won a blue ribbon (first place). 

I did a few in fairisle. 

I did my usual ribbed hats too and some of those easy bucket style hats. Here is a pile of the hats. 

There are even some fisherman's rib hats. I still love doing stripes!

Sometimes I get on a roll and really churn out hats<G> It is a lot of fun and by donating them to charity, they keep a lot of people warm. 

By for now. 

Rita