Series premiere of knitting competition show Game of Wool

Sundays just got even cozier! The new knitting competition show Game of Wool is here to make knitting as stressful as possible.

Former Olympic and world champion diver Tom Daley, who went viral for knitting at the Olympics, is hosting a new reality show for knitting. He said that one of his goals was to wear progressively more interesting outfits throughout the season. In the first episode, he wears a long asymmetrical shawl made by Sheila Greenwell for La Fetiche, an avant garde house of knitwear.

Game of Wool was filmed in Scotland and airs on Channel 4. Each week, the ten contestants will show off their knitting and crocheting skills in ambitious assignments, tackling projects that test their creativity and technique.

Each episode will consist of two challenges: the Big Knit, a group task where they’ll be working together in teams on an extremely complex project, and the Wee Knit, an individual knit where they’ll each take on briefs that will test their capabilities and skill level. Making clothing, jewellery, home accessories, furniture, and larger than life sculptural pieces will be part of the challenges.

The competition will be judged by Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell, who have created pieces for Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, and NIKE. Di will be judging their creative approaches whilst Sheila will be inspecting their technique.  

meet the contestants
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Ailsa Stephen
age: 30
hometown: North Ayrshire
occupation: assistant at a ferry company
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ailsa.makes.things

Ailsa has been knitting for over 20 years. She likes creating vintage styles: "Some of them are so wacky. I like doing older style designs but with modern textures and bright colours. "Her advice for first time knitters: "Don’t start with a scarf. You’ll learn 90% of what you need to know in the first five minutes, and then you’ll get bored. Learn something you want to make and you’ll feel better at the end."

Dipti Patel
age: 42
hometown: Nottingham
occupation: library worker

Dipti is a singer and a former chemist. She loves the problem-solving aspect of knitting: "You can be absolutely despising a project and not able to work it out, and then you have that light bulb moment where suddenly everything clicks."

Gordon Cree
age: 47
hometown: East Ayrshire
occupation: cruise ship singer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manknitted

Gordon says the knitting style which appeals to him most has revolved around the Shetland traditions, especially Fair Isle and lace knitting. He loves the art and the intricacy of these styles, as well as the math and geometry involved.

Holger Auffenberg
age: 55
hometown: London
occupation: Savile Row fashion designer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generalhogbuffer

Holger learned to knit from his grandmother. He likes traditional knitting methods and styles. He also likes to sew, knit, crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch and quilt. He brought his nonchalant emotional support chicken with him.

Isaac
age: 23
hometown: Milton Keynes
occupation: cybersecurity student
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isaacmadeit.uk

Isaac is a fan of colour work and his favorite thing to make is a tank top. Even though he loves knitting, he admits he isn't good at teaching other people to knit. Isaac plays the saxophone, enjoys rock climbing, and can solve a Rubik's Cube in 30 seconds.

Lydia Amartey-Williams
age: 32
hometown: Hertfordshire
occupation: charity partnerships director
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wekuyarn

Lydia is a mom to three year old twins. She describes herself as "an aggressive blocker" and confesses to holding her knitting needles "in a very funny way." But she says, "I’m too scared to learn another way of knitting as my tension is perfect with my weird way of knitting."

Meadow Pollock
age 18
hometown: Belfast
occupation: fashion student
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snazzy.mj

Meadow started crocheting when she was struggling in school. She loves to make super chunky cardigans.She also plays the guitar.

Simon Fannon
age: 42
hometown: Kent
occupation: builder
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veteranknitter

Simon is an ex-Royal Marine who has been knitting for over ten years. He loves colour work and cable knit. He said, "Some people hate casting on and weaving in, but I like it. It’s the finality of a project."

Stephanie Thompson
age: 65
hometown: Derby
occupation: life coach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniethompsoncoaching

Stephanie has been knitting for 45 years. She knits cardigans and jumpers but also enjoys dress making,  sewing, and baking cakes.  

Tracy Callaghan
age: 63
hometown: London 
occupation: psychotherapist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracythecreativetherapist

Tracy has ADHD and says knitting keeps her calm and helps her feel like everyone else. She is a grandmother of eight. Her advice for first time knitters: Her advice to first time knitters: "Find the knitting needles and wool that feels right. My aunt once gave me some advice – to find the dearest wool you can afford, find a difficult project and you’ll never give up on it, because it was so expensive to buy!"



1x1
The ten knitters must re-invent the classic Fair Isle design in a modern tank top. After this, they are split into two teams to knit on an epic scale - a full-sized, fully stitched sofa.

solo challenge: reimagine Fair Isle into a tank top (must include peeries or motifs) - 12 hours
team challenge: fitted sofa cover - 10 hours

knitter of the week: Ailsa
cast off: Gordon



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