Lead Line Competition

Updated for 2024

The Lead Line Competition is a intended to show the relationship between the shepherd and the wool products made from sheep (clothing products). The competitor leads a sheep while wearing an outfit made from wool, either sewn, knitted, or crocheted. The contestant is judged on the handling of the sheep, as well as the outfit.


Rules

1. Classes (based on age as of January 1):

Junior ages 5-8
Intermediate ages 9-12
Senior ages 13-18
Adult 19 years & over

2. Contestant’s outfit must be at least 80% wool.

3. Contestants must halter train a sheep (ram or ewe) of any age.

4. The sheep does not have to be owned by the competitor.

5. All sheep entered must be accompanied by a veterinary certification of health. See Animal Health Regulations. No pens are allocated specifically for entries.

6. Judging will be based on:

Wool Outfit – 60 points
50 pts – color, fit and style appropriate to wearer
10 pts – some or all work done by exhibitor
Sheep’s Fleece – 20 points
10 pts – general appearance
10 pts – fitted to breed requirements
Poise and Control – 20 points
10 pts – poise of contestant
10 pts – control of the animal
Total – 100 points


Prizes

Premiums in each class are:

1st – $50
2nd – $40
3rd – $30
4th – $20


How to Enter

To register for the Lead Line Competition, send your name, address and phone number, the class you are entering, a description of your outfit, and information about the sheep (including ownership) to:

Karen Fleishell-Fought
230 West Middlesex Drive
Carlisle, PA 17013
717-422-7228
or email:

Register by April 20, 2024.

2024 Festival Gear Now Available

A selection of 2024 Festival Merchandise is now available. We have short-sleeved t-shirts, long-sleeved hooded t-shirts, three styles of bags, and two sizes of posters. Click "Read More" for details on how you can get yours!

Schedule of Events

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Henry Clemes is co-founder of the “father and son” fiber arts team @Clemes & Clemes, Inc. based in Pinole, California, Henry has been building innovative and elegant fiber arts equipment and sharing his knowledge about fiber preparation for 50 years. We are pleased to have him back teaching three full-day drum carding classes this year. Although Carding for Color: Tints and Shades has sold out, there are still a few seats available for Exploring the Drum Carder and Carding for Color: Fractals. Registration is available at www.lessonface.com/sheepandwool ... See MoreSee Less
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There are still available seats in some classes! Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival is delighted to welcome Peggy Doney from Colorado Springs, Colorado to the roster of new instructors this spring! Life for Peggy was never the same after taking a spinning class with her neighbor years ago. Before she knew it, Peggy was spinning, knitting, dyeing, and creating silk fusion. Eventually, Peggy became a dyer for Treenway Silk, began exploring her own colorways, and developed her own color recipes through experimentation with gradient, triad, and monochromatic studies. She has a special interest in making accurate, reproducible dye recipes that reflect colors found in nature. Peggy loves to share her enthusiasm and knowledge of dying and has been teaching for several years at gatherings, guilds, and festivals including Taos Wool Festival. Two of her classes have already sold out, but there are still limited seats available in Tints, Tones, and Shades, Oh My! In this class, students will learn about the role of adding white, black, and gray to colors, as well as using different additives to achieve consistent depths of shade. But don’t let color theory intimidate you! Peggy will make sure you leave with lots of beautiful samples, and she is bringing lots of dye jokes and her big box of crayons as reference material! You can learn more about Peggy by following her The 100th Sheep and you can register for her class at www.lessonface.com/sheepandwool ... See MoreSee Less
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Teacher Spotlight! There are still limited seats available in some classes! Meet Jill Duarte, one of our amazing instructors at Maryland Sheep and Wool this year. Many of you know her as the co-owner of Hipstrings and a frequent contributor to PLY Magazine, but you might not know Jill also holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Evolutionary Biology! Jill’s background in science and love of fiber arts has informed her business and is reflected in the fiber, yarn, and tools she creates and produces. Jill describes herself as “inordinately fond of short-stapled fibers and fast spinning tools.” Like many of us, she cannot just stop with one fiber pursuit, and she finds herself knitting, spinning, dying, crocheting, weaving, and sometimes felting. As an author and teacher, Jill is dedicated to the resurgence of modern fiber craft that is based on a foundation of technical and historical knowledge. This year Jill is sharing her expertise with several knitting and spinning classes including Fiber Speed Dating, Spinning Short Stapled Fibers , Getting Started on a Supported Spindle, Spinning for Consistency, and Knitting with Handspun Yarn. Although a few of her classes are sold out, a limited number of seats for the remaining classes are still available here: www.lessonface.com/sheepandwool#mdsw #mdsw24 ... See MoreSee Less
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