Competitions

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This page is about the competitions held at Festival. Some Areas also hold competitions.

Competition Registration forms
can be found in the Members Only page

Sections

NOVICE SECTION One entry per EACH of this class. (Entry is one or more pieces.)

Class NameClass DescriptionJudgedLinks
N 1Baby/child’s entryGeneralGallery
N 2Adult entryGeneralGallery
N 3Competitor’s own choiceGeneralGallery
N 4Entry other than garmentGeneralGallery


OPEN SECTION May enter more than one entry per class (an entry is one or more pieces).

Class NameClass DescriptionJudgedLinks
O 1Baby’s entryGeneralGallery
O 2Pre-schooler’s entryGeneralGallery
O 3Child’s entry 5 – 12yearsGeneralGallery
O 4Entry in plain Stocking StitchGeneralGallery
O 5Ladies’ sports / leisure / casual wearGeneralGallery
O 6Ladies’ fashion entryGeneralGallery
O 7SocksGeneralGallery
O 8MenswearGeneralGallery
O 9Novelty or toyGeneralGallery
O 10Fashion accessory/accessories – one piece or combinations of two or more pieces – bag, belt, scarf, shawl, jewellery, hat etc.GeneralGallery
O 11Home furnishing or home accessoryGeneralGallery
O 12Festival Area’s own choice. ‘Wonders of Wool’.Judges own choiceGallery

SPECIAL At the organizes discretion whether these are run. optional for the Festival committee to include

Class NameClass DescriptionJudgedLinks
M 1Children’s specialJudges own choiceGallery
M 2Competitor’s own choice – article or garment. Open to all members over 80 years.
Judges own choiceGallery

CHAMPIONSHIP Three entries to be judged collectively.

Class NameClass DescriptionJudgedLinks
ChampionshipEach entry to be chosen from the Open Classes by the competitor. Not more than one from each class NOT including class O12.

Marking for this will be based on the skilled use of:
1. Yarns 2. Construction 3. Garment Variety
4. Stitch Selection 5. Colour 6. Impact/Design		Judges own choiceGallery

MAKE AND MODEL also can be know as KNIT TO BE WORN ……

Class NameJudgedLinks
(A) Single item of clothingSpectators voteGallery
(B) Multi piece outfitSpectators voteGallery

Awards and Trophies

The below three cups that are awarded at Festival. The winners get to take these cups home and they are returned ……

NameBrief descriptionLinks
Novice CupAwarded to the competitor gaining the most points (in the Novice section) and who
has entered all four classes in the Novice Section.		Info/Gallery
Aotea CupAwarded to winner of most points in Open, and other appropriate Classes.Info/Gallery
Championship CupAwarded to the winner of most points in the Championship Challenge section.Info/Gallery

The awards below were originally physical cups/shields/trophies but for practical reasons an award (certificate) is now presented at Festival. The physical cups/shields/trophies have been returned to their original donator or are on display at Robyn’s Cottage in Tauranga.

NameBrief descriptionLinks
Capital AwardAwarded to winner of Host Area’s Own Choice class.Info/Gallery
Elspeth Coker Memorial AwardAwarded to best Baby/Pre-school entry over all classes.Info/Gallery
City Of Sails AwardAwarded for best entry in natural fibres. Up to 5% non-wool or specialty fibres
may be used for visual decoration only.		Info/Gallery
Hawkes Bay AwardAwarded to Host Area member gaining most points in the Festival Competition.Info/Gallery
Ida English AwardAwarded for the most creative entry incorporating weaving.Info/Gallery
Creative AwardAwarded for the most creative entry other than garment.Info/Gallery
Shepherd AwardAwarded for the best entry of the competition.Info/Gallery
John Q Designer Creative AwardAwarded for the most creative garment.Info/Gallery
Designer AwardAwarded to the best self-crafted, machine knitted knitwear worn by a member
during Festival. To be judged by 2 judges from the Judges’ List who are
attending Festival but are NOT judging the competition entries.		Info/Gallery
Make & Model AwardAwarded to competitors judged best entry in each section.Info/Gallery

Judging

How the entries are judged

  • General is judged by:
    • Two Judges judge each garment separately and together, each scaling from 100 marks.
      • JUDGES SCALE OF MARKS for Novice and Open Classes – called “General”
        • Design 50 marks
        • Presentation 20 marks
        • Fabric, Seaming, Finishing 20 marks
        • Degree of Difficulty 10 marks
      • Total scores are added together and divided by two to get the average.
  • Judges own choice is judged by…

Judging Criteria Suggestions

These are some of the considerations the judges are looking for:

  • Degree of Difficulty
    • The appropriate techniques used in a garment judged in relation to other entries in the same class; how successfully
    • these techniques have been used.
  • Presentation
    • Eye Appeal
      • Pattern execution
      • Pressing/steaming
      • Distortions
    • Fabric, Seaming & Finishing
      • Sleeves / sides / neck sides same length
      • Welts / strapping / neckband (tension only)
      • Suitability of tension of yarn to pattern used
      • Slubs / pulls / flaws / knots / pull strains
      • Cast on / off
      • Matching ribs and seams (continuous)
      • Shoulder seams
      • Sleeve – attachment of
      • Suitability of seaming
      • Neatness of seaming
      • Matching of increases / decreases on seams
      • Attaching of buttons
    • Design
      • Strapping / welts / neckband (proportion)
      • Neck size / openings
      • Suitability of yarn and colour to pattern and garment design
      • Pocket – size and position
      • Design features –
      • Collars, pockets etc
      • Originality
      • Creativity
    • Colour
      • Pattern used / matching
      • Patterns balance on garment pieces
      • Suitability of trimmings / buttons / added features
      • The features which make the entry individual and special
      • Use of colour
      • Originality

Sizing Guidance

Baby and Child Sizes

There has been concern around sizing for baby garments in the competition classes at Festival. The National
Executive asked Jan Hughes to do some research into appropriate sizing for the terms ‘Baby’ and ‘Small Children’

The various charts Jan looked at were from United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand retail outlets and health
statistics etc. These were ‘averaged out’ to what she thought would best suit our people. Of course, there will always
be exceptions outside of these averages. The attached charts are suggested guidelines.

In most charts Jan looked at, it seemed that 12 months is the accepted baby limit (though some went as far as 36
months). The general feeling is that 12 months would be our standard therefore it would appear that anything up to
51cm would be the acceptable size for a baby.

SIZE CHARTS All measurements are in cm

Baby0-3 months6 months12 months18 months24 months
CHEST40 – 4543 – 4945 -5148 – 5350 – 55
HIP44- 4848 – 5148 – 5151 – 5453 – 56
BACK LENGTH = nape to waist15 – 1616 – 1818 – 1919 – 2120 – 22
SLEEVE LENGTH = shoulder to wrist16 – 1718 – 1919 – 2121 – 2323 – 25
NECK2223242525
Child3 years4 years5 years6 years
CHEST53 – 5656 – 5958 – 6459 – 67
HIP56 – 5858 – 6061 – 6465 – 71
BACK LENGTH = nape to waist21 – 2323 – 2425 – 2626 – 32
SLEEVE LENGTH = shoulder to wrist30 – 3132 – 3334 – 3637 – 38
NECK27272828
Head SizesPremieNewborn3 months6 months9 months12 months18 months2 years3 years
30-3334-3536-3940-4243-4543-4545-4745-4748-50