The challenge was to create a yarn to fit a specific purpose. Entrants described the process and structure of the yarn and include a knitted sample for judging. Thirteen prize yarns were selected from thirty six entries. Yarns with the most appeal were those with lots of texture either from added materials, such as beads, or creative spinning techniques.

The popular choice was Margaret Long's vibrant purple/deep blue bouclé yarn which was a mix of English Leicester wool and silk top. The combination of the thick loopy textured wool with the lustrous silk looked luxurious.

Another winner was Ruth Saunders who created a dark, chunky yarn of mauve, pink and blue which integrated ten different fibres, including flax, wool, silk, alpaca and snippets of a commercial yarn. The outcome was a complex, fun and light yarn with lots of texture.

All entrants showed how hand spinners have total control over the creative process which makes each yarn they spin a designer yarn. The fun to be had while exploring with fibre is what draws many people to spinning.

The Winners of the 2005 Designer Yarn of the Year Award:

• 1st Margaret Long (Skein 16)
• 2nd Jenny Hopper (Skein 4) and Helen Halpin (Skein 6)
• 3rd Prue Hill (Skein 19)
• 4th Ronda McMorrow (Skein 11)
• 5th Michelle Cossalter (Skein 12)
• 6th Ruth Saunders (Skein 3) and Helen Halpin (Skein 20)
• 7th Geraldine McCulloch (Skein 2) and Michelle Cossalter (Skein 24)
• 8th Brigette Sieber (Skein 13), Lucille Ryan (Skein 32) and Michelle Cossalter (Skein 26)
• 9th Bev O'Keefe (Skein 1)

A select number of the yarns are available as a package that can be mailed to members for further study. They contain the yarns, the separate components of the yarns and an information sheet which provides directions on how the yarns were created. Please contact the Guild if you would like further information.

Anthea Stewart