Ch 4 Game of Wool. Britain’s Best Knitter

Dull as ditch water, all of it.

I don't know why so many sports people expect to become good presenters. Talent at diving doesn't make someone a 'personality' - in fact a lot of people who have devoted themselves to sport at that level become so single-minded that their people skills are sadly lacking.

I appreciate that a career in sport can be short and that people need to have plan B, but I don't think they should be catapulted into 'celebrity' presenting as a matter of course. Even TD's knitting is not exceptional. It's something of a quirky USP for a young man, but I get the impression his agent told him to learn so that he'd have a way of making money when the diving stopped. His kits are basic - boxy patterns in chunky yarns, and are expensive for what they are. This vest, for instance, is £82 to make oversized as it is meant to be worn. There are many other knitters who could have presented better, I'm sure.

Stella14

Primrose - I think your description of the judges is disgusting. Maybe think about how you have internalised misogyny and ageism.

I don't think what Primrose said was in the slightest misogynist or ageist, Stella14:

I find your comment strange as what Primrose said could equally apply to men or people of any age.

Yes, they are both talented designers but perhaps not natural TV presenters or judges.

I too watched this and felt quite critical...why did it have to be all chunky? Why couldn't they knit small things in thinner wool? (I'm thinking here of something like the decorative postbox tops I've seen at intervals here, or clothes for a teddy bear, or gloves?)
The showing of the knitting went past far too quickly and didn't show the whole work for some of them.

I can't remember what the judges said at all - so it can't have been anything perceptive. ! Or interesting.

I always have knitting on the go - sometimes more than one project at the same time. The chunky yarn that they were using really isn’t suitable for many items. I think it’s okay for pouffes, storage containers and maybe bags, but not really for garments, and it’s certainly not easy to knit with. They could have asked the contestants to design a sampler displaying a Fair-isle pattern, done in either four ply or double knitting. It didn’t need to be a garment. I didn’t understand why one of the contestants cut the armholes of his tank top. The sofa coverings were a failure. They could have made amigurumi characters - nice and small. If they’re constantly going to be using that chunky yarn, I won’t continue watching.

What came up in the Ravelry discussion were references to a Danish knitting show called Den Store Strikkedyst The Great Knit Off. It’s on You Tube.

Contestants sit in a semi circle on hard chairs and make small items: part of a sock, a Christmas bauble, a neck tie, an Alice band. Some of it is depressing not least because there seems to be a lot of “knit your life” challenges just as we had with the tank top on GoW.

The Alice band challenge was to knit something to reflect a dark period in the contestant’s life. Cue lots of stories and about death and dying with everyone crying or choking back tears. It felt horribly intrusive.

But that aside, the various challenges did give contestants a chance to show a variety of knitting skills. One one show, I saw something akin to the transformation challenge on Sewing Bee where they were given a plain white T shirt to transform with knitted embellishments.

What a disappointment. The poor knitters forced to not be able to show case their talents. Not great judges, poorly thought out. Lost opportunity.

I didn’t understand why one of the contestants cut the armholes of his tank top.

Steeking (cutting armholes and necklines in tubes of knitting, as well as to separate the fronts of cardigans) is traditional for fair isle. The patterns knit up more quickly and evenly when knitted in the round on circular needles than when done back and forth on straight needles. I assume the contestant had done it like this before, and maybe didn't realise that it works best on fine hairy yarn, which makes stitches 'stick' together and not unravel before the borders are added. Knitters usually add in a few stitches to make a column that can be steered with a bit of wriggle room.

Making fair isle garments out of chunky yarn is such an 'unusual' choice that it is unlikely that there was precedent for it in his experience, but that was the challenge as set.

Having said that, I have never used chunky to knit fair isle, but that's because it just doesn't make sense to do so.

I dont like Tom Daley .. went off him on Traitors .. he seemed mean ...wont watch it again ..

Stella14

Primrose - I think your description of the judges is disgusting. Maybe think about how you have internalised misogyny and ageism.

Disgusting? 😱
I am female and getting on a bit so maybe it’s touchiness on your part. Loads of women on here and countless other discussions are saying the same.

Shetland's Organisation for Knitters weren't too happy about the Fairisle challenge.
Here are their comments on their Facebook page -
(Sorry about the length, but worth a read).

"The Game of Wool @thegameofwool was a hotly anticipated show, in Shetland and through the world. Unfortunately, the knitters of Shetland were shocked and saddened by the way Fair Isle knitting, a living heritage craft native to the United Kingdom, was depicted in episode one of the show.
Despite Gordon successfully cutting his knitting (or steeking, as it is called elsewhere), the method was vilified as the reason why he was ejected. Gordon @manknitted has spoken out on this matter, explaining that the reasons why he was unable to finish his tank top were because he needed to take his work back, had incorporated additional features, and was working with imperfectly modified needles.
Rather than using the other contestants’ and hosts’ fear of Gordon cutting his knitting as a moment to teach viewers that cutting your knitting properly, as Gordon did, is a safe technique—something we all witnessed—and instead building drama around his actual difficulties, the show leaned into the misunderstandings about cutting your knitting, perpetuating negative misconceptions about Fair Isle knitting techniques. This is especially disheartening from a UK-based show meant to encourage more people to take up knitting.
There were additional issues. The most glaring was referring to the small patterns of Fair Isle as ‘peeries’. Peerie is a descriptive word. Small patterns in Fair Isle are referred to as ‘peerie patterns’. Many of the designs accepted as Fair Isle in the episode are more accurately described as stranded colourwork. The over application of the term Fair Isle to refer to any colourwork not only muddies the boundaries of this living heritage craft, but it erases the other forms of colourwork knitting in the world, which deserve to be named.
There are other troubling issues being raised about the show that we will allow others to speak to directly. Shetland knitters are busy, yet again, taking on the cultural and emotional labour related to seeing their heritage misrepresented to the wider public. Many have been speaking out, and more are planning to comment in the coming days. We’ll be sharing their posts, hoping the show will acknowledge and correct their errors."

Thanks ixion
There are a few groups on Facebook commenting on this programme and many, but not all, of the comments are unfavourable.

It just seemed to be a travesty of Fairisle knitting. It would have been better to ask them to design and make a sample piece in the correct yarn on the right size needles.

As for the unspeakable sofa covers 😲

As for the garments Tom Daley and the two presenters were wearing - they would not inspire anyone to pick up a pair of knitting needles!

I actually thought, -albeit cynically-, that Tom's knitting hobby (shown frequently on the box in dive downtime) was the impetus for the series.
Famous AND a passionate hobby?
Let's see how we can use in a tv show

Unfortunately, Tom is not a skilled knitter if the garments he wears are his own work so no credit to him for any comments on the contestants work.. I am glad that the Shetland knitters are speaking out about the inaccuracies in the programme and I am surprised that the judges, who should know better, went along with allowing patterns that were not actually Fair Isle to be accepted . I will try again next week and look for improvements.

Parsley3

Unfortunately, Tom is not a skilled knitter if the garments he wears are his own work so no credit to him for any comments on the contestants work.. I am glad that the Shetland knitters are speaking out about the inaccuracies in the programme and I am surprised that the judges, who should know better, went along with allowing patterns that were not actually Fair Isle to be accepted . I will try again next week and look for improvements.

This is exactly what I thought and I too am glad the Shetland knitters have spoken out. Stranded colour work is very different to FairIsle as is intarsia. TD’s garment showed no knitting skill and he wasn’t a good choice as presenter. The judges were rather dull though very skilled in their field. I was disappointed but will watch again in the hope that it improves.

My Mum was a great Fair Isle knitter and as a young bride she sat with her equally young neighbour outside their cottages and knitted slip overs for their husbands. I remember years later he was still wearing his.

This is the only item in Fair Isle I have ever knitted. A friend and I went on a one day workshop which was a good introduction. I did about 2” there and learned enough to finish it off (over some time) at home.

Primrose53

My Mum was a great Fair Isle knitter and as a young bride she sat with her equally young neighbour outside their cottages and knitted slip overs for their husbands. I remember years later he was still wearing his.

This is the only item in Fair Isle I have ever knitted. A friend and I went on a one day workshop which was a good introduction. I did about 2” there and learned enough to finish it off (over some time) at home.

My Scottish friend knitted me a similar beret, Primrose 😀

Someone posted on Gransnet that older women should not wear berets but I wear mine!

PaynesGrey

What came up in the Ravelry discussion were references to a Danish knitting show called Den Store Strikkedyst The Great Knit Off. It’s on You Tube.

Contestants sit in a semi circle on hard chairs and make small items: part of a sock, a Christmas bauble, a neck tie, an Alice band. Some of it is depressing not least because there seems to be a lot of “knit your life” challenges just as we had with the tank top on GoW.

The Alice band challenge was to knit something to reflect a dark period in the contestant’s life. Cue lots of stories and about death and dying with everyone crying or choking back tears. It felt horribly intrusive.

But that aside, the various challenges did give contestants a chance to show a variety of knitting skills. One one show, I saw something akin to the transformation challenge on Sewing Bee where they were given a plain white T shirt to transform with knitted embellishments.

That sounds more practical PaynesGray, an item small enough to be completed and to the best of the competitors' abilities in a certain time.

Watching The Repair Shop, for instance, it seems everyone chosen has to have a back story now about loss or a traumatic time in their lives.

Allira

Primrose53

My Mum was a great Fair Isle knitter and as a young bride she sat with her equally young neighbour outside their cottages and knitted slip overs for their husbands. I remember years later he was still wearing his.

This is the only item in Fair Isle I have ever knitted. A friend and I went on a one day workshop which was a good introduction. I did about 2” there and learned enough to finish it off (over some time) at home.

My Scottish friend knitted me a similar beret, Primrose 😀

Someone posted on Gransnet that older women should not wear berets but I wear mine!

Allira you have a very good friend as it takes a long time to knit!

I have never worn mine because I always wear my hair up in a top knot or messy bun so it wouldn’t sit right. I just look at it every so often. 😉

Absolutely agree with everything yo said about this programme!

Di and Sheila ( the judges ) live near me in St.Andrews so I was excited to watch the programme. Ocht aye ,it was daft but I liked it . Lovely studio and beautiful wools. Have a look on you tube , there's a Di's Cabinet of Curiosity programme . It's a delightfully calming but inspiring show and tell of past designing and projects. I'm off to buy some wool !!

Now why didn't
they do this as a
small project.

They're so lovely, Millie22

Which pattern is that? (or did you make it up? 😲)

Wow! Millie that will be a muchlater week.

I love the beret too Primrose

There was no description of the stitches or how to read a pattern. Maybe that's too scary and would frighten or bore viewers.

If they hadn't called it fairisle but just patterns, that guy wouldn't have tried the steek and could have survived another week.