Costa Mesa : They Aren’t Sheepish About Spinning Yarns

At the word “go,” 13 feet began pedaling in unison, 13 wooden wheels started whirring and 13 pairs of hands deftly began teasing and pulling yarn from clumps of fleece.

The contestants--11 women and two men--competed Monday in an old-fashioned spinning contest at the Orange County Fair. Participants were given 20 minutes to spin as much yarn as they could from masses of washed fleece. The finished product was rated both by “quantity and craftmanship,” contest judge Marion Logan said.

“I think it’s one of the greatest things going,” said 71-year-old Eloise Cunningham, who was quickly sidelined in the competition by a broken spinning wheel.

The El Toro resident, who has been spinning for 25 years, wasn’t downhearted at the turn of events and “enjoyed what was going on” nonetheless.

After the requisite 20 minutes had elapsed, contestants wound their yarn around whatever was closest--hands and elbows or on wooden holders called “niddy noddies”--and handed their skeins to contest officials. Twenty minutes later, Logan had chosen a winner: Gwen Powell, 28, of Torrance.

Powell, who spins 20 hours a week, said she was surprised by her victory. “I’ve never entered one of these before,” she said. For her efforts, Powell took home a silver serving tray and a $10 gift certificate for weaving supplies.

Overall, about 110,000 people have spun through the turnstiles during the first three days of the fair, about 2,000 more than at the same time last year.