Sheep to Shawl
A story based on the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival’s Sheep to Shawl competition
It was a perfect May day at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. Bright sunlight filled the areas between the tents, the air thick with anticipation as the Sheep to Shawl contest prepared to commence. A group of contestants huddled nervously around the sheep pens, each casting a wary eye at the fluffy white creatures that would soon become their raw material.
One of the competitors was a young woman named Anna, who had harbored a desire to participate in the Sheep to Shawl contest for years. Raised on a farm, she deeply loved working with animals and wool. Anna had convinced four friends to join her in the competition, and the group had devoted months to preparing for this moment.
The foremost priority was selecting a healthy sheep with not too-greasy wool from lanolin, a natural wax on the thread. Lanolin is removed during wool processing to make yarn easier to spin. Anna believed she had found the perfect candidate from her uncle’s farm. The team also had …