How is handspun yarn judged at fairs and shows?

By Amelia © May 11, 2026

My best-in-show entry
two-ply sockyarn, overplied, rough finished
to make the superwash Merino durable

You've done your best, filled out the paperwork, and submitted your entry. How is it graded? Spinning isn't a multiple choice quiz, after all.

Some fairs use the Danish system, where your yarn is judged against a set of standards and awarded a ribbon on its own merits. Others use a best-one-wins system, where skeins compete against each other with the best one winning, then second, and possibly third place entries.

My home county when I was entering fairs used the Danish system, and the then-NwRSA (now NwSFA) judging scorecards. These have been developed by hand spinners for handspun, so they are more applicable than the more generic craft scoresheets used in other parts of the fair.

The Black Sheep Gathering premium book from that time sums up the NwRSA judging criteria nicely:

1. General overall appearance.
2. Preparation for exhibit — clean, properly skeined and tied, of listed yardage and/or weight, blocked if necessary.
3. Suitability of fiber to yarn—amount of twist, diameter of yarn
4. Technique — twist evenly executed, appropriate plying twist, diameter consistent throughout, structurally durable, yarn designs consistent, dyeing/blending consistent
5. Suitability of yarn to use—direction of twist, amount of twist, diameter of yarn, handle of yarn, appropriate number of plies.
6. Finished Execution – originality, creativity, complexity.

I've had the good fortune to judge at several different county fairs over the years - the only drawback is that I need to be unfamiliar with the local spinners' work, which really curbs my attendance at area spin-ins. Each judge develops their own approach to evaluating the entries, while adhering to the common knowledge of what spinning entails.

I like to divide the skeins up by the categories that the fair or show uses; some divide by fiber, some by structure, and some by spinning device. Then I typically start with the category with the most entries and evaluate several skeins without assigning any points to get a feel for the entries at that fair. Once warmed up, I can go back and complete their evaluations then continue on to the remaining entries in that category.

I always check that a fair has an evaluation form appropriate for handspun yarn, and the premium book requirements. If the premium book is missing things that impact many entries, I give feedback to the fair/show organizers so they can add requirements such as stating intended use. If that particular key item is missing, I do the best I can with what I have in front of me.

Each skein is evaluated in full against the feedback form; I work through it from top to bottom though sometimes as I get more familiar with a skein I go back to earlier categories on the form to add more detail and potentially adjust a score - usually up, not down. I know the effort spinning takes, and asking to have your work evaluated takes a certain kind of braveness that I prefer to encourage and honor.

Yes, it takes a while to evaluate each skein. I usually pack a lunch and plan on a long day. I get there before the building is unlocked so I can organize and start even before my scribe arrives. I off-load as many tasks as possible - reskeining skeins is quickly taught to a non-spinner volunteer so they can tidy the skein up after I've opened it for evaluation. And each and every feedback form is packed with positive and gently corrective feedback, and a line at the bottom with my overall joy in their entry, in whichever form it took for that particular skein and the notes the spinner provided. If you've entered a fair I've judged at, I hope you've seen that feedback and found it useful or at least appropriate. I've been told by some that they appreciated the detail but have no intention to ever spin the "perfect" skein. I honor that, and recognize that handspun yarn has character we cannot copy in commercial yarn.

Have you entered a fair? I highly recommend it, getting feedback from another experienced spinner outside your local circle can open you to a new view on your yarn. Be sure to provide the skein's backstory along with your skein when you submit it. No fair I've seen stops you from adding information beyond what is required by the premium book. And I welcome your questions on fair entries. I sure had fun when I was entering - trying to enter all the categories was often my goal, and fit well with my love of technique while it gave me ample opportunity to stretch my tool skills and explore yarn structures. And lots and lots of project ideas, a.k.a. intended uses for my yarn.

I'd be interested in writing more about the categories on the form if you are interested. Let me know! If you don't want your feedback to show up as a comment on the blog, use the Contact page instead - thanks.

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© May 11, 2026 by Ask The Bellwether, posted at http://askthebellwether.com/