The Great Minnesota Get Together
The weather: cloudy, rainy, dreary
The crowds: not bad
The food: put it on a stick, fry it and you’ll find it there. This is pretty much how I looked after a Pronto Pup, pork chop on-a-stick, and a Caramel Pecan Log (omigod, the best!):
This is a momma pig waiting to give birth in the Miracle of Birth Center. They time the pregnancies so live births occur every day of the fair. It is pretty fascinating. The bars are to prevent mom from rolling over on the babies.
Back to What’s REALLY Important
Yes, the phone rang just as Sally hit “publish.” I called her with the “breaking news.” As usual, I was a bit surprised at what ribbons went to each item. I was absolutely certain that some things would do extremely well (they didn’t), and equally convinced that some things would not do that well or even get a ribbon (they did). This happens every year and every year I am surprised — last year pleasantly so, and this year, not so much.
The results, in a nutshell:
And, as they were displayed in the Creative Activities Building:
Sunrise was tucked behind a post, next to Mermaid:
The silk scarf was displayed rather nicely:
I could not get a good picture of the Camilla Gloves — they were hanging down from the ceiling and the light reflected so much off the glass that you couldn’t see anything.
There are many types of handiwork in the fair. In the What-the-Heck-is-That? Category:
Another guy and I were looking on in slack-jawed amazement. Check out the dress behind it with the built-in Monkey Bra.
As someone who tats, I love to see beautiful work:
And here is the sweepstakes winner:
What a gorgeous shawl. Thursdays at Four is contributing a $25 gift card from Panera’s:
I guess now we have to pay up! There was a sweepstakes award on another item as well (I don’t quite get how all the categories work). You may recognize the Koigu Hexagon Skirt from Vogue knitting:
The real excitement for me came when I found that my daughter Laura’s artwork, “Through the Woods,” had been selected for display from among the many high school entries. She won Honorable Mention (whatever that means — but, hey, a ribbon is involved!). Again, the reflection made it difficult to get a good picture:
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So, please excuse this long post. It’s been a long day! But — it’s Thursday! I am heading to Panera’s for knitting group!
Congratulations, Susan! I’ve been waiting all day to hear how you’ve done. Thanks for including all the photos in this entry, it will make it easier for me to find them next week while I’m at the fair. Thanks to the Thursday at 4 group for sponsoring an award. How very nice of them!
Comment by Julie — August 24, 2006 @ 4:48 pm
Congratulations to you Susan and your daughter.
I’m still laughing at the those dresses with the monkeys and I recognise Beadwork in one of the pics.
Comment by Marina — August 24, 2006 @ 5:21 pm
Congratulations, Susan! And Laura. Nice artwork. But my word. That dress! Those dresses, I should say? My mind boggles.
Comment by Carrie K — August 24, 2006 @ 6:31 pm
Ribbons – so many ribbons! Congratulations to both you and your daughter. It must be lots of fun to see your creations on display — even more so with a pretty little ribbon attached. Great news.
Comment by Wendy in VA — August 24, 2006 @ 6:32 pm
I think that shawl look a lot like a shawl in the Meg Swansen book that I’ve always wanted to make, but with a different border. I wish I could see it better.
I want the Monkey Dress. In the worst way.
Comment by surly — August 24, 2006 @ 7:45 pm
From Susan — if I saw you in that dress it would be in the worst way! Whoa — is that something or what!?! Thank you all for the nice comments. I am very happy that my hard work (work?) has been acknowledged.
PS — Laura’s art is located in the Education Bldg — right next door (kind of attached actually) to the Creative Activities Bldg — in case you are travelling through.
Comment by surly — August 24, 2006 @ 9:56 pm
The sock monkey dress… boggles.
Congrats – talk about an amazing number of ribbons. WOW.
Comment by Chris — August 24, 2006 @ 10:35 pm
Congratulations on your wins!
But I’m gonna have nightmares about the sock monkey gown.
Comment by Wendy — August 25, 2006 @ 7:23 am
[…] Ok, Marina alerted me to one of the most mind-boggling garments ever, as photographed by Susan of therainysisters.com. You’ll scroll down through many lovely pictures of Susan’s award-winning State Fair knitting, but keep going until you just have to stop and say, “WTF?!” You’ll know which picture. I’ll wait……….. Ok, wouldn’t that be fun to wear someplace dressy?? Hee hee. […]
Pingback by Stumbling Over Chaos :: In which Chaos receives a love letter — August 25, 2006 @ 8:11 am
Sock Monkey dress! Awesome! I can’t wait to go see it in person.
Comment by Jess — August 25, 2006 @ 9:01 am
Congrats to both you and Laura, her picture is beautiful! Now, when did they start the “Sock Monkey” catagory at the fair??
Comment by viclin — August 25, 2006 @ 9:35 am
Congratulations on the ribbons: great items! (me likes me especially the evening purse)
Comment by Lara900 — August 25, 2006 @ 11:45 am
Everything . . . well, ALMOST everything . . . looks just beautiful. But, um, a sock-monkey dress? Um, why??
Comment by --Deb — August 25, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
That monkey dress? Oy. My parents are coming up for the Fair next week, I’ll have to tell my Mom to check that out. (Yes, they are flying up from Houston for the Minnesota State Fair. My Dad goes every year with his brother and two sisters – just like they did when they were kids.)
I’m still shaking my head over the Monkey Dress. That is going in the next podcast – e-mail me and let me know if I can borrow the photo, if you don’t mind. Linking to you, of course! Wow. What a dress.
Comment by Christine — August 25, 2006 @ 1:37 pm
That gave me the laugh I needed today ;o) thanks.
Comment by rhelynn — August 25, 2006 @ 3:08 pm
Wow! What great wins – congratulations. I’m so impressed with the sock monkey outfits.
Comment by mrspao — August 25, 2006 @ 4:50 pm
Congratulation on all the ribbons!
It’s always fun to see what wins and what doesn’t.
And I had a hard time tracking you down to let you know that we are trying to meet at the Champlin Dunn Bros. Coffee Shop every Friday morning at 10.
Hope to see you sometime.
Cathy
Comment by Cathy in MN — August 25, 2006 @ 8:03 pm
I was surprised to see SO MANY knitted items on display. Congratulations on the many ribbons Susan! I never did find the beaded purse or lace gloves but saw the market square purse, scarf (wow!), Olympic sweater and socks.
Comment by Deb — August 27, 2006 @ 1:52 pm
I saw many of your items in the display case – I particularly remember Rogue, but the others are also well done. Congratulations! (I wonder – how did I miss seeing the sock monkey clothing?!)
Comment by June — September 2, 2006 @ 6:08 pm
I love this post, sock monkey dresses and all! You do some incredible knitting. I am so impressed by how well everything is displayed: dress forms, mannequin feet, glass cases, bright lighting. So nice. Maybe that’s the difference between a little county fair and a bigger state fair. Thank you for sharing so many pictures, of your knitting, your daughter’s artwork, as well as other people’s items. It’s interesting to see the Koigu hexagon knitted up and not in a magazine photo. I’m always a bit baffled by the awards given, feeling similarly to you about how the judging goes each year at our little county fair. At least some of the judges write comments on the back of the entry cards so that you have some idea of what they based their awards on.
Comment by Siri — September 10, 2006 @ 1:43 am
[…] 11. Twice As Nice award: The Rainey Sisters, Two sisters, one knitting blog. They got our attention with the Sock Monkey Dress, but have held it due to their amazing knitting. […]
Pingback by JenLa » It Must Be New Year’s — December 31, 2006 @ 11:28 pm
Congratulations on the “Twice As Nice Award” and all the fair stuff! The sock monkey dresses are just too cute!!
Comment by robin — January 5, 2007 @ 12:11 pm
What fun to see the knits in the case (in person) and now know who they belong to! And, I’m glad to see someone else is just as fascinated by giant pigs as I am.
Comment by Laura — September 5, 2007 @ 8:16 pm
Great sock monkey gown it’s adorable and unique, and what a lot of work you put into all your work!
Comment by Karen — December 3, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
WOW! That tatted piece is GORGEOUS! Thanks for sharing!
Comment by tattingchic — January 5, 2009 @ 7:29 am