What a great number of entries into the product competition at the Bradford Championship Show this January held in Doncaster. So many varied items made from natural fibres and Angora wool products.

Angora Products report by Judge Miss Rebekah Staples

I was very surprised to be asked to judge at the Bradford Championship show and felt a bit daunted by the task ahead! I am a spinner and felter and have exhibited over a few years now in the product classes, and with the help of the members who also exhibit have gained a lot of knowledge to help me progress. The wool exhibits were the hardest to judge for me but a lot awaited me to practise on! My best wool sample was a smoke coloured plucked wool by Sally May, a lovely wool sample and good depth of colour. I would have been happy to have spun that at home. The accessories classes were also large classes and so many different objects to choose from. My best accessory product was a beautiful spindle spun shawl from Lesley Hordon. A pleasure to judge, so much work in it. Congratulations to all exhibitors and winners you are all so very talented.


Class 1 – clipped white wool

  • 1st Yvonne Fothergill Hobbs – Good length to sample, lovely silky texture and feel to it.
  • 2nd Adel Wray – good silky texture and length
  • 3rd Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs – Good sample and texture, not as silky as first two.
  • 4th Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs – Good sample and texture, not as silky as first two.
  • 5th Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs – Good sample and texture, not as silky as first two.
  • 6th Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs – Good sample and texture, not as silky as first two.

Class 2 -Clipped wool Coloured

  • 1st Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs – nicely presented, very clean sample. Nice golden colour and texture.
  • 2nd Sally May – smoke – good length, colour and texture, good depth of colour
  • 3rd Sally May – Brown grey, interesting colour, nice silky texture and good length
  • 4th Sally May – Sooty Fawn
  • 5th Sally May – Blue
  • 6th Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs – Cream
  • 7th Sally May – Golden
  • 8th Yvonne Fothergill-Hobbs – Blue

Class 3 – Plucked wool white

– No Entries

Class 4 – Plucked wool coloured

  • 1st Sally May – Smoke, lovely deep colour all the way down shaft, lovely length and silky feel, well presented, My best wool product
  • 2nd Sally May – Chocolate – another well presented product, good colour, length and texture
  • 3rd Sally May – Chocolate – very similar to 2nd, just not as silky, nice length
  • 4th sally May – Sooty fawn

Class 5 – Satinised wool

– No entries

Class 6 – spindle spun single, pure or mixed

– No entries

Class 7 – Spindle spun plied, pure or mixed

  • 1st Lesley Hordon (1ply sooty fawn angora/1ply tussah silk) fine, balanced yarn, hung straight, with a lovely feel to it. Correct weight
  • 2nd Lesley Hordon (Pure white angora with a little angelina added) Lovely fine spinning the angelina a nice touch and a nice feel, not as balanced as 1st one. Correct weight

Class 9 – Wheelspun yarn single pure or mixed

  • 1st Sally May (Smoke 90% angora + 5% angelina) correct weight Lovely spinning, very nice skein, evenly spun, nice with the angelina in.
  • 2nd Sally May (White 99% angora 1% angelina) Pretty colour, very fine pinning, nice with the angelina in.

Class 10 Wheelspun yarn, plied pure angora or mixed

  • 1st Veronica Symonds (White angora 50%/mauve merino 50% lovely combination of colour, nice feel to it and good texture. Well balanced, hangs well. Nice and evenly spun
  • 2nd Veronica Symonds (Sooty fawn angora 50%/Silk 50%) Evenly spun, nice sheen and texture, very soft, a lot of halo to it.
  • 3rd Christine Robinson (Smoke angora 95%/5% merino wool) Chunkier wool to other two, nicely spun, a few slubs but adds to the texture. Nice knitted up, nice colour.

Class 11 – Beginners yarn

– no entries

Class 12 – Accessories Handspun – hats, gloves, scarf etc

  • 1st Sally May – ‘Helmet” hat – golden angora, nicely crocheted hat, very neat and well put together, nice colour, vey furry halo ‘would be warm’
  • 2nd Sally May – beanie hat (50% golden angora/50% merino, lovely pattern , well knitted and neatly done, pretty colour
  • 3rd Veronica Symonds – orange bedsocks (50% angora mixed/ 50 % mixed merino) lovely combination of colours, nicely knitted, would love to try them on, be very warm!! a lot of halo
  • 4th Sally May – cuffs grey and white (75% white angora/5% acrylic)
  • 5th Sally May – Beanie Hat (50% angora/25% silk/25% cotton)
  • 6th Mary Tomlin – fingerless mitts (plied white angora + silk)
  • 7th Sally May – Cuffs (smoke angora 50%/25 merino/25%angora)
  • 8th Sally May – Beanie Hat (50% golden angora/ 50% merino)

Class 13 – Accessories felted

– no entries

Class 14 – Garment handspun

– no entries

Class 15 – Garment felted

– no entries

Class 16 – Handspun shawl

  • 1st Lesley Hordon – (1ply white angora/1ply silk- spindle spun)
    Beautiful and very neat. Well executed spinning even and lovely pattern. Beads knitted in to the pattern and edge enhanced it. My Best Product
  • 2nd Mary Tomlin (1ply gold plied with silk/1ply grey angora+silk/1ply white +blue faced leicester)
    Large stole in lacy pattern and pretty fancy borders, well spun, nicely executed – nice combination of colour within the piece.

Class 17 – Ouitfit handspun complimentary items

– no entries

Class 18 – sample square

  • 1st Sally may – white angora, knitted in middle and crocheted on edges.

Class 19 Beginners (less than 3yrs experience)

  • 1st Jodie Griffin – needle felted brooch -Lovely idea, well executed and neat. Grey and white, angora fibre used.

Class 20 Miscellaneous Toys, bags, flowers

  • 1st Sally May Golden angora Rabbit toy, well knitted, lovely colour, uses the golden angora/mill angora produced wool. Has a lot of character.
  • 2nd Sally May Felted rabbit and baby toy, nice to see felt in the products, felt nicely made and fulled correctly. Good character to each toy well executed.
  • 3rd Sally May knitted dog toy (100% white angora) another knitted toy with character well presented and knitted.
  • 4th Veronica Symonds – Knitted necklace with beads (50% angora/50% merino and silk) A lovely different way of using angora wool, nice to see something different, nicely made.
  • 5th Sally May – Knotted rabbit with moveable arms and legs (100 white angora)
  • 6th Jodie Griffin – needle felted angora rabbit
  • 7th Sally May Golden angora rabbit toy

Here are a selection of the entries