Kathy commented on my last post and asked a number of questions about the Minnesota State Fair and the judging that takes place. I don’t have a lot of answers! I have recapped my response here — check out her original comment to see it in its entirety.
“Do the judges scorn on worsted weight yarn?”
I don’t think it’s scorn or bias, but fingering weight projects take more knitting time and effort to complete.
“Could you please share other biases you’ve figured out or at least suspect?”
If you a member of the Minnesota Knitters Guild there is a wealth of information on their website. Last year they posted a letter from the state fair judges that goes into far more detail than I can offer. It is chockful of information, but too long to include here (plus, I am not sure I would be allowed!).
“The first time I entered I thought I would get a more robust critique to really help me become a better knitter. Wrong on that one, but I do realize the judges need to move quickly. Honestly, I think the process is more subjective than I would have believed before entering. Are the judges accomplished knitters? I think the evaluation sheet is too vague and or allows for subjective responses.”
I don’t know who the judges are or their backgrounds, but I do believe they are knitters. I think there has to be some subjectivity on their part. I have yet to crack the code! I have worked really, really hard on projects that get nothing. Like my Endicott Scarf this year and Jul last year (though Jul did get a blue ribbon in seniors this year which felt like vindication!). I really don’t have a clue. I don’t think only skill is involved, there is also a lot of luck. I have received a bit of helpful criticism over the years and have learned from it. This year I did receive specific positive comments.
In a nutshell, I don’t know as much as I should after entering for over 40 years!
Happy Knitting
Susan Rainey
Your experiences sound a lot like life. We never really know what someone else is thinking. And the occasional blue ribbon and lessons learned sound worth the experience. (Some people probably never get any ribbon).
Comment by Chloe — September 14, 2026 @ 9:24 am
I used to enter the county and state fairs every year. “In the old days” the State Fair used to give evaluation sheets that had 5 categories, each worth 20 points each to a total of 100 for the item. There was also commentary (sometimes just a “good job!”) that could give constructive feedback plus generally commentary. I once received a 3rd place with a score of 98 or 99, and the comment was that it was a very competitive category. At the same time, I’ve had what clearly were errors. As an example, they have told me my seams needed work (on a sweater with no seams). As you know, we’ve had State Fair show-and-tell at the Guild meeting, and I’ve seen/heard remarks like the buttons didn’t enhance the work. Clearly things that are subjective (I thought those buttons were fabulous). The newer score sheets are far less useful for improvement or even understanding how they came to the score you received. I can only guess that the change was to make it easier for the judges, but it isn’t very helpful for the knitters!
Comment by Amy — September 15, 2026 @ 1:17 pm