Game of Wool Britain's Best Knitter Season 1 Episode 1

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Transcript

00:00A new generation of knitters are taking the world by storm.

00:04With just two needles or a hook, they are testing the limits of creativity.

00:09And ten of the nation's most talented are joining me in Scotland to battle it out stitch

00:15by stitch to secure the ultimate crown.

00:19Each week they will face two mind-blowing challenges right here in our magical yarn

00:24bar.

00:25The solo challenge will test the knitters' individual talent and skill.

00:38I think those are going to look visually very pleasing.

00:41While the team challenge will see them collaborate on a scale never seen before.

00:46Is it straight?

00:47What do I care about straight?

00:49Nothing escapes the forensic gaze of judges Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell.

00:55Softly spoken but with eyes sharp as steel.

00:58I will be looking at the smaller technical details.

01:01I want to see that creativity coming out.

01:04Oh my gosh, Sheila.

01:05I always cry when I see something beautiful.

01:10Ten knitters, eight weeks, 16 spectacular challenges and one ultimate champion.

01:17I need small sharp scissors.

01:20Sew as fast as you can.

01:21Oh, I've missed a stitch.

01:24We can do this.

01:25We can, we can, we can.

01:27At the end of the day, this is a competition and someone has to be cast off.

01:33This is knitting like you've never seen it before.

01:36It's a big wooly adventure.

01:38Britain's best knitter, that would be unbelievable.

01:43Welcome to Game of Wool, Britain's best knitter.

01:52It's week one and ten talented amateur knitters have arrived in Scotland.

01:58Historic home of all things wool where the sheep are fluffy, the stakes are high and our magical yarn barn awaits.

02:06Oh my gosh, look, doesn't this look fabulous?

02:19Oh wow.

02:27As our knitters battle it out to claim big knitter of the week and avoid the dreaded cast off.

02:36Welcome knitters.

02:44I'm Tom and over the next eight weeks I'm going to be guiding you through some incredible challenges

02:49where nine of you are sadly going to be cast off.

02:52But we will be left with one Game of Wool champion, Britain's best knitter.

02:58And although I am knitting obsessed, I'm not going to be judging you through this competition.

03:03I have two people next to me who are true knitting VIPs.

03:08We have Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell who have worked with the likes of Chanel, Vivian Westwood,

03:13and even His Majesty the King himself.

03:16These queens of couture have built their career on high fashion, hand-knit show-stopping garments.

03:23And in this competition, nothing less than perfection will do.

03:27I'll be interrogating all of the technical choices that they have to make.

03:32I want to be completely blown away by creativity.

03:37Every stitch counts.

03:40These two boss stitches are going to be responsible for setting your challenges each and every week.

03:49And speaking of challenges, this is your first solo challenge,

03:53where you will be able to show off your individual talent and skill to impress our lovely judges.

03:59For your first solo challenge, we'd like you to reimagine a Fair Isle.

04:07We'd like you to make a tank top.

04:09And we'd like you to make it your story, defining who you are as a person.

04:15There are a few key elements to include repeating patterns.

04:19We would like to see periods or motifs in your tank top.

04:26Don't let the people of Fair Isle down.

04:32There you go. I mean, you've heard Di and Sheila.

04:34They would love for you to make a modern twist on the classic, the Scottish Fair Isle.

04:39But as a tank top, you only have 12 hours. So, let's get knitting.

04:43Fair Isle is a traditional but tricky knitting style which was invented here,

04:52on Fair Isle, a tiny island in the Shetlands, centuries ago.

04:58Fair Isle is a visual story told through repeating bands of symmetrical patterns,

05:03larger motifs and smaller periods.

05:06The yarn barn's fully stocked haberdashery is now open.

05:16This is my idea of heaven.

05:18And knitters have full creative freedom to design and knit their own Fair Isle story.

05:23Right. Come on, let him.

05:28To knit their tank tops, they will all start from the hem of the garment

05:32and work upwards using circular needles,

05:34which means they can knit continuously in a loop.

05:38Then they will move on to their Fair Isle periods and motifs,

05:43which they have meticulously designed beforehand.

05:46To knit these, they will use a technique called stranded colour work,

05:50which is where they alternate two coloured yarns along each knitted row

05:54to create their iconic Fair Isle pattern.

05:56Once the body of the tank top is done, they switch to straight needles

06:01to create the arm and neck holes before finishing and weaving in any loose ends.

06:06An average Fair Isle tank top could take over 40 hours to finish using a fine weight wool.

06:12Our knitters are using chunkier yarn because they have just 12 hours to complete this first challenge.

06:19This is quite a first challenge, creating a modern twist of a Fair Isle, but with a tank top.

06:25We deliberately set a really tough first challenge.

06:30We wanted to push them both in creative and technical terms.

06:34It's a visual world, Fair Isle.

06:36Fair Isle. We really want them to be telling their own story, talking about themselves through the medium of knit.

06:46I've started my tank top at the bottom edge with the ribbing that will then go into the main body of the tank top.

06:52Originally from Germany, but now living in London, is Savile Row fashion designer Holger.

06:58I was always very much interested in the construction of clothes, the way they are made.

07:02And obviously for classic men's tailoring, Savile Row is like the place to be.

07:06Fair Isle is very much what I like doing, but not on this yarn and not on this needle.

07:12So to tell me that I have to express myself on a super chunky yarn is like asking a vegetarian to,

07:20to, you know, express themselves and with a medium of steak or something.

07:26Holger has chosen ribbed neck and arm holes for his tank top.

07:30On the body, he's gone for classic Fair Isle motifs and peeries in a red, yellow and blue gradient,

07:37inspired by a previous project.

07:42She came into being around the time as everybody seemed to have been knitting emotional support chickens.

07:47It does represent me, a nonchalant chicken.

07:53For my design, I've got a repeating pattern throughout of the Sierra Leonean flag,

07:59because my family is from Sierra Leone.

08:01Cyber security student Isaac learned to knit when he was 10 years old.

08:05I knit primarily for myself because I don't have to impress too much.

08:10It's quite handy. I don't need to stick to any deadlines.

08:13I have in the past knit for my mum and my granddad.

08:19Isaac's family inspired tank top features a gaggle of geese marching across it as his motif,

08:24and peeries in the colours of the Sierra Leonean flag.

08:28It's finished with a ribbed hem, neckline and armholes.

08:33So Isaac, what exactly are you up to?

08:35You've gone through the ribbing and you've done your first motif.

08:39My main motif is a series of geese.

08:42My mum calls me a silly goose, my girlfriend calls me a silly goose.

08:45I'm just a silly goose.

08:46In terms of time, is it something that you're worried about with this challenge?

08:49I'm not great at estimating time, so I suppose we'll see.

08:56Fair Isle is largely a lot of what I do when I knit for myself, so I sort of feel I know what I'm doing.

09:03Already familiar with the Fair Isle technique is cruise ship singer Gordon.

09:07I'm a very traditional knitter. I've never tried anything particularly avant-garde.

09:14Heritage knit enthusiast Gordon is combining his love of Shetland with his passion for music

09:20by knitting peeries of piano keys accompanied by the oxo motifs used in traditional Fair Isle designs.

09:27Gordon is the only knitter attempting the risky traditional Fair Isle method of steeking,

09:33which means to cut open the neck and armholes. You heard that right, cut into the knitting.

09:39You can't spell steek without spelling eek.

09:42It won't ravel out. People think it'll just completely disintegrate, but it won't.

09:48Knitters, that's two hours gone. You have ten hours remaining.

09:58Pile of wool next to me. Cup of tea on the side.

10:01Nice.

10:02Torted.

10:03You guys are loving this, aren't you? Time over your lives.

10:07The best part of any day is a cup of tea.

10:14Hoping to impress the judges with a nature-inspired knit is psychotherapist Tracy.

10:19Hello.

10:20Hello.

10:21I'm a grandmother of eight and I've been knitting as long as I think I've been breathing.

10:27Do you want to tell us a little bit about the design?

10:29As I kind of thought about what I'm going to do with this, I saw a picture in a charity shop

10:33and it was a picture of trees. So I kind of believe that everyone's born as a little seed

10:38and then they grow into a mighty tree. And no one says, well, that's a fat tree,

10:41that's an odd tree, it's a weird tree. We just love trees the way they are.

10:47Tracy's Fair Isle design story is all about the circle of life

10:51and incorporates nature symbols and scissors to represent pruning and shaping your path.

10:58So are you going to embellish it?

10:59I might be.

11:01You know, I've been known to add pieces of chandelier to a shawl,

11:06so I do like to change things as I go along.

11:10This whole thing has been absolutely new to me. I've never done Fair Isle before,

11:14ever in my life. Library worker Dipti knits to unwind,

11:18but is still getting to grips with some of the trickier techniques.

11:21I generally am very amateur. I have told my son that I'm going to be in a knitting competition

11:27and he said to me, you're not very good, so you'll come home soon anyway.

11:32Dipsy. Hello Tom. How are we getting on?

11:36I am a massive fan of soft toys and so is my little boy. This is a design for the love of his

11:44favorite soft toy. We love him so much. That's his own bedroom. He literally is a member of the

11:50family. We even celebrate his birthday, the first of August.

11:53Wow. Okay. Literally, it is adorable. Dipti's knit has both heart-shaped motifs and her son's

12:01favorite birthday celebrating bunny, all incorporated in a blue, white and pink design.

12:08Is there anything with this project and this challenge in particular that you're concerned

12:11about? For me, it's always the fit. I'm not a massive maker of garments and finishing it because

12:17I'm quite a slow knitter.

12:22I'm back on track. I thought I was behind but I'm back on track now. I'm so delighted. It's really

12:28exciting. It's making me run it faster. Oh dearie. Can't stop there. We smoke coming off me needles soon.

12:36This giddy knitter is life coach Stephanie, who first picked up a set of needles 45 years ago.

12:43I'm not your average gran. I do all sorts of things and now I'm in an extreme knitting competition

12:49that I'm going to win. Stephanie's Fair Isle design features motifs of all the things she loves.

12:58Games at the table with her daughters, knitting needles and a cup of tea. But she's hoping to

13:03wow the judges with a unique roll neck collar. Tell us a little bit about the design. I'm going to

13:12do a roll collar. A collar? That's exciting. That's the plan. Fingers crossed.

13:2018 year old fashion student Meadow only got into knitting recently but already loves its creative

13:26potential. For my motifs, I've decided to go with Daisy or my granny. I just really like bright colors.

13:33I'm the youngest knitter in the competition. I'm very excited to show people that I can make.

13:37Meadow's Fair Isle tank top is a multi-colored love letter to her gran. Complete with checkerboard

13:43peeries and a giant daisy motif, her gran's favorite flower. I have my granny's knitting needles. She

13:51taught me how to knit when I was really young so it's always something we've had a bond over.

13:55During the first half of the challenge, it is essential that knitters complete the body of

14:04their tank tops to allow time for the fiddly neck and arm holes. Well, unless you've found a cheeky

14:10shortcut like me. Oh, stunning. That's me finished with my Fair Isle sweater and we're only halfway

14:18through. So, knitters, you're halfway through. Six hours to go. How you doing, Gordo? I'm further behind

14:29than I would have liked to have been. It's like being in one of these anxiety dreams. It isn't a dream.

14:34I'm really here and I'm knitting like mad. It's week one here in the Game of Wool yarn barn

14:47and our ten knitters are over halfway through their first solo challenge, a modern Fair Isle tank top.

14:54The plans are still fine. I've just messed up this motif so I'm just trying to fix it at the moment.

14:58Ex-Marine turned builder Simon has been knitting for over 10 years. Generally, a knitting on a

15:03building site goes down with a bit of shock. Like what the hell is this dude doing with a set of

15:07knitting needles? Simon, can you tell me about your tank top design? Some of my motifs are based around

15:12my life story really. Simon's tank top is partly inspired by his time with actual tanks as it uses

15:19the colours of the Royal Marines. He's also adding a trowel motif as a nod to his new career as a builder

15:26and to reflect he and his wife's IVF journey, motifs of petri dishes and egg timers.

15:33Each egg timer should, if I can get there, go down in time to signify IVF and the amount of time it took.

15:40Well that's such a great idea because Fair Isle usually repeats but there's like subtle

15:44differences. How far in are you? Not as far as I should be.

15:47Also struggling to stay afloat is cruise ship entertainer Gordon.

15:57I decided to do what I always do and I'm stinking the yarn holes.

16:03Stinking using a chunkier yarn will be tricky because this wool isn't as sticky so it won't

16:08cling together like a Shetland wool which is traditionally used in Fair Isle.

16:12That's quite a risky decision Gordon. So timing? Timing, yes. I'm hoping I'll be okay but I don't

16:21think I'm going to be sitting around having a cup of tea.

16:29With just a few hours remaining the knitters should all have moved on to the neck and arm holes.

16:35I've done the main body of my vest and so now I'm picking up stitches for the neckline.

16:42Lydia juggles her passion for knitting with a career in the charity sector whilst also raising

16:48three-year-old twins. Right, I don't knit for barely anyone but myself and yes I have kids and

16:54no I don't knit for them. Wow Lydia, what have we got going on here for your Feral vest? I'm doing

16:59a take on a kente print which is a traditional West African material so I was inspired by this dress.

17:06Oh wow! This is me and my husband at our wedding party.

17:11Inspired by her wedding dress, Lydia's Fair Isle story explores her Ghanaian roots combining

17:16traditional symbols representing love at her motifs and periods within a bright West African colour

17:22palette. Wow that's so special like that the meaning behind it, the patterns, you're cracking

17:27through it. I think I'm about an hour off. And she's not the only knitter approaching the finish

17:33line. It's possible looking around I might be one of the first to finish but I've also got a couple

17:39of design features further up that take a good bit of time. Elsa works for a ferry company and has been

17:46knitting for over 20 years. Elsa, do you want to tell us a little bit about the story? My design is based on

17:54a day in my life. I live next to the beach with my dog Brillo, that's who this is. Oh lovely.

18:02Elsa's tank top is inspired by her local beach with a waved peary accompanied by a motif of her

18:09beloved dog Brillo. She's pushing the boat out with a few extra flourishes such as a vintage ribbon

18:15inspired necktie and a surprise on the back. I'm creating a hole, like a porthole. Oh.

18:23Because I work for a ferry company, I'm bringing that into my design because I'm lucky enough

18:28through work to be able to go to places with some of the best knitting and wool history.

18:34When I discovered that there's a history to knitting and it's such an interesting history, I was just

18:41down that rabbit hole. I have been called an old soul quite a few times in my life.

18:47I'm probably perceived as being quite quiet, but I'm just soaking everything up and seeing what I can

18:54do to be really loud with my knitting, albeit being quiet myself.

18:58How are you getting on mate? I'm feeling very stressed about time. I am whizzing up my front piece.

19:08Unfortunately, the whizzing is not quite as whizzy as it should be. Do you want me to run across for a cuddle?

19:13I'm busy. I'm busy knitting. I think I'm here to just try and put a smile on Holger's face.

19:20Yeah, amazing. Thank you.

19:22So right now, I'm adding a duplicate stitch to add the orange bills. So instead of being these sad

19:33little bill-less geese, they're nice and happy and they can honk at you. Duplicate stitch is a common

19:40technique used to embroider over existing knitting to add detail. But Isaac is unusually combining this

19:47with the ladder back technique, a method to neatly hold strands of yarn on the inside of your garments.

19:52I've done duplicate stitch before, so I'm quite confident doing it. I've never done it, uh,

19:56cashing it on the back using the ladder back, but that was just as easy as doing it on the front.

20:01But I think timing-wise, I might be running a little bit behind. Still got three to go.

20:07Knitters, that's one hour to go.

20:09Is it really? No. No, no, no, no, no. One hour.

20:14I'm in big trouble. Major big trouble. We've got about 16 rows still to knit.

20:18In the final hour, our knitters must complete their garments and cast off their designs,

20:24which means securing their final row of stitches before presenting to the judges.

20:30Holger, how are you doing? Concerned about time or are you...?

20:32Yep. Somebody just told me I've only got one hour left to do it in.

20:37And how are you doing, Dipti? Honestly, I haven't got the time. Sorry.

20:44While some knitters are finishing up... I'm just finishing, casting it off here.

20:48Happy to have finished. Good to go.

20:51For others, the knit goes on. I'm unfortunately gonna have to sacrifice the

20:57finish that I wanted on the neck and arms. Time-wise, it's not gonna be feasible.

21:04This thing's not getting finished.

21:05I might not be able to sew the ends in, but I should have a garment that goes on a mannequin.

21:12Knitters, you have ten minutes remaining.

21:16OK, I'm going to cut these. I'm going to just stick the armholes in the neck hole.

21:22It's not really feasible to do sticking with such a chunky yarn, because the risk of the

21:27the steaks coming loose is far, far greater. I certainly admire Gordon for doing it. Takes guts.

21:33God, it's sticky.

21:40God, it's sticky.

21:45What's that?

21:46That gives me one armhole.

21:57Gosh, he's cut these sticky.

21:59And...

21:59All done. The openings are now made. I've just got two big raggy gaping holes where your arms poke out.

22:14Knitters, cast off your stitches. This challenge is complete. Your time is up.

22:20I embraced my ends. You got them on show?

22:25Yeah. Beautiful.

22:26This looks absolutely appalling. Dear God.

22:31Birthday bunnies, a gaggle of geese and steaking scares. That's ten Fair Isle tank tops done in just 12 hours.

22:39I hope the judges see the fact that I've had a bit of fun with it.

22:43I worked really hard to create something that I think represents the culture well, so I hope I've done the side proud.

22:50Well done, knitters. Before we get to judging, I should let you in on a little secret.

22:55We're not going to be trying them on mannequins today.

23:00We have a special guest coming in to model them for you.

23:05Me.

23:06Yay!

23:09Let's get to judging with the first person, and that is Lydia, please.

23:19Wow. I mean, I could see somebody going straight down a catwalk wearing that.

23:25The colourways that you've chosen are so vibrant.

23:29Beautiful.

23:31It's a story, and Fair Isle, and knitting generally, is all about making stories.

23:37This has really answered the brief to show us you and your roots and your heritage.

23:44Well, thank you very much, Lydia. Stephanie.

23:46Stitch work is really even and flat, and as you would hope for a really nice piece of Fair Isle knitting.

23:58Collar, Stephanie.

24:01Yeah.

24:02Yeah.

24:04Well done.

24:05Next up, we have Meadow.

24:06I think this is just such a lovely design story.

24:11Great colour choices.

24:12Yeah. Thank you.

24:13Yeah.

24:13Contemporary, modern, dynamic, can I say?

24:17Great Piri.

24:18Yes.

24:19There.

24:19It's really worked out very well.

24:27Yeah.

24:28Next up, we have Simon.

24:33I think this is just such a lovely design story, and these I particularly love.

24:39The egg timers.

24:40Thank you, Simon.

24:41Next up, can we have Gordon, please?

24:43Ooh.

24:45The walk of shame.

24:46Okay.

24:54So, you were steeking.

24:59Yes.

25:00Quite an undertaking in the chunky yarn.

25:04I think that's what has caused it to be more complicated.

25:08Those are difficult decisions when you're a steeker.

25:11Can I just say, Gordon, I really like the overall design.

25:16It tells me a lot about you.

25:18Piano keys, lovely Fair Isle, and it speaks Scotland.

25:22We're very sad that you ran out of time to finish it,

25:25because there is so many elements that we really appreciate.

25:30Well, thank you, Gordon.

25:31Thank you so much.

25:32Be careful.

25:35Ooh, are you okay?

25:36I'm all right.

25:37It's all right.

25:37There we go, we're out.

25:38Yes.

25:39I'm going to come and get yours, Tracey.

25:46Got tassels, Tom.

25:47Wow.

25:48Got embellishments.

25:49It makes you do that.

25:52I actually love what you've done here, Tracey.

25:54We weren't expecting the tassels.

25:56Thank you so much.

25:58Next up, we have Elsa.

25:59It is really, really something else, actually.

26:11Yeah.

26:11I find this quite emotional.

26:15Sorry, because it is just so beautiful.

26:17Oh, thank you.

26:22There's so much about this, which is the balance, the wave pattern,

26:26your little fine detail, little tweaks that can make something completely new and different.

26:35The neckline, the classic V-neck with the tie, you've appreciated that this wool is quite chunky

26:44and that actually looks fantastic. Very much like the green touches.

26:48You know, the stitch work is really lovely.

26:51Yeah.

26:52And oh my gosh.

26:53I've just spotted the pork hole on the back here, Tom.

26:57It's not every day that you see a pork hole in a Fair Isle tank top.

27:02Well, thank you very much, Elsa.

27:03Thank you very much.

27:05Next up, Isaac.

27:06The geese, that's a stroke of genius, really. I love it. I love the way you've put the feet

27:17one step in the grass, almost, the green. And the thing that really, really I love,

27:25and we would need to just hold this up, the way you did a ladder back for holding your strands

27:32to use it for the duplicate stitch. It's very clever.

27:36And quite innovative, really. I haven't seen it used very often in Fair Isle.

27:42Tell me about the neck, Isaac.

27:45I have been intending on doing ribbed neckline and armbands, but obviously I sort of ran short.

27:52Yeah.

27:53Yep.

27:54Thank you very much.

27:54Thank you very much, Isaac.

27:55Next up, we have Holger.

28:02Really lovely colour.

28:03Yes.

28:03And I love the transition.

28:05So how would you, Holger, have finished off the armholes?

28:09Well, I've finished one of the armholes.

28:10It's not ideally finished off either.

28:12Ideally, I would have finished the ribbing off with an Italian bind-off, but there was like no time.

28:19It's a real shame about the armholes, because that detracts from a really nicely tailored piece.

28:32Well, thank you very much, Holger.

28:33And last but not least, dip tea.

28:35Oh.

28:45No.

28:47Oh.

28:48Unfortunately not.

28:49Oh.

28:50We'll hold it up like this instead.

28:51Hold it up in front so that we can see it.

28:55Let's have a wee look.

28:56Well, it's a fab design.

28:58Yeah.

28:58Do you think you just had not quite enough time to plan the neck?

29:04Yes.

29:04I was rushing quite a lot to actually just get it into a garment.

29:09Yes.

29:09Yeah.

29:10And then it was after I'd finished it, I realised that the neck hole was just far too small.

29:13Yeah.

29:14Thank you very much, dip tea.

29:15Thank you very much.

29:18It wouldn't go around his neck, so I was very upset that he couldn't wear it.

29:23That really upset me, but...

29:26Yeah.

29:27I mean, I spend my whole working life under pressure, playing music live on Radio 3 and things,

29:33and that's pressure, but this really got to me somehow, and I've disappointed myself.

29:37How I sort of cracked under pressure of knitting that no one was paying me to do.

29:50With the Tank Top solo challenge complete, it's time for our first Team Knit.

29:57A surprise challenge on an epic scale, and one last opportunity for knitters to impress.

30:07This is going to be knitting like you've never seen it before, so grab onto those needles and get ready.

30:13You're going to be working in two teams to transform...

30:17..a sofa.

30:19Oh, what?!

30:20What?!

30:21What?!

30:22A sofa?!

30:23We want you to come up as a team with a fitted sofa cover using a chunky yarn.

30:31You can use as much colour as you want, or you can use as little as you want.

30:38We're looking for a really cohesive design concept.

30:42And we want the best possible practical fit. All parts of the sofa must be covered.

30:50And it's a sofa that when we walk in, we really want to go, wow!

30:56Now for this challenge, it is going to be judged blind, so now I am sadly going to ask Di and Sheila to

31:02leave the yarn barn and come back a little bit later on to see your lovely creations.

31:06Now knitters, you are going to be working in two teams of five. So team one is going to be Isaac,

31:15Gordon, Meadow, Tracy and Dipti. And in team two, we have Simon, Lydia, Stephanie, Olga and Ailsa.

31:26So now you know your teams, there's no time to make friendly here. It's time to get going,

31:31and you're not going to have very much time to do it. You have 10 hours to complete this

31:36challenge. So knitters, let's get knitting. Our knitters are used to working alone,

31:45but to beat the other team, they must now combine their technical skills and work together to pull

31:50off a cohesive design in just 10 hours. This is quite an ambitious challenge.

31:59Well, not very many people have knitted a sofa cover. There's five people working on it,

32:04yeah. And they have to work together to make it cohesive. At this point, we know they can knit.

32:11Yes. But it's down to those little details. They have to have planned right to the very end,

32:18including how they're going to put the pieces together.

32:25Has anybody done anything like this before?

32:27No. No. Okay. We need to think about when we're splitting it out, how people knit differently.

32:32So how does that fit into the design concept? With his experience of precise Savile Row tailoring,

32:38Holger is the first knitter to pitch a plan. As it is a fairly angular design, that lends itself to being

32:44split up into lots of geometric shapes, as in like rectangles. The concept could be like, let's say it's a

32:51gradient. You know, you could then do various colours in different textures, for example.

32:58We could have a cable at every join. A diamond. Yeah. You know, one person knits solid yellow,

33:04one person knits yellow-orange, one person knits orange, and so on. It could literally be any colour

33:09gradient and then you would join them together. Roughly some sort of look like that. Yeah. It would be a

33:15relatively simple concept, but visually it's quite impactful and strong.

33:23Holger's idea is for each team member to knit strips in different colour combinations,

33:28holding two different coloured yarns together to create a marl effect. These will be accompanied

33:34with strips of a more complex cable stitch to add detail and texture. These strips would then be sewn

33:41together, creating a gradient or ombre effect. OK, team, each of us are going to do a panel.

33:47We're going to knit the length of the panel. Two metres. What? Two metres? Just under. Two metres.

33:53Once we've done that, we can allocate who's going to do the cabled panels with the solid colours.

33:58I'm good with Chunky, whatever you need me to do. Chunky. OK. We'll see. We'll see how it goes with Chunky.

34:05The other team haven't been putting their feet up either. Student Isaac has already hatched a plan.

34:11I had a thought. I'm a fan of colour work. We can maybe do some kind of like sunset across the back

34:16of the sofa. Oh, that sounds nice. How about holiday scenes? So we have beach,

34:21beach, sea, sunset. Maybe the sunset would be the star of the show.

34:29The team have struck on an ambitious design built around a picture postcard holiday scene

34:34of rippling waves, sandy beaches and even the starry night sky. But the centrepiece

34:41will be Isaac's sumptuous sunset. The team have decided to use a variety

34:46of stitches across the entire sofa. If you garter stitched them, that would be quite good.

34:50A garter stitch? Yeah. We'd have the stockinette on the front.

34:53That's why I did. I'm happy to do anything. I think that's going to be like a series of hands.

34:57Do we agree that we think it's cohesive enough? Yeah, because that was...

35:00Yeah. I mean, it has a story, right? Yeah.

35:09With only 10 hours to execute these designs, both teams are getting to grips with the sheer scale

35:14of this sofa stitching showstopper. I've got a newfound respect for people who

35:19consistently knit in really chunky yarn. I physically can't cope with size 20 needles.

35:26Isaac is tackling the centrepiece of his team's design, the sunset.

35:32I've been quite ambitious with what I'm aiming to do. Intarsia is a different beast.

35:36Intarsia is a colour technique used to create blocks of colour by using separate lengths of yarn.

35:43But unlike Fair Isle, where the yarn is carried along the back of the work,

35:47with Intarsia, you use a separate ball of yarn for each colour change.

35:51Every time you see a colour change in a single row, you're carrying a new set of yarn behind it.

35:57I'm basically switching which colour I'm using, so I have to, like, cross them in the back right here.

36:02This just sounds like a different language, doesn't it?

36:05Room for a little one. Wow, look at all this.

36:08It's getting a bit hectic over here. I've added in the gradient and it's starting to take shape.

36:12So quite an ambitious panel to be making.

36:14Yeah, it is. Was it your idea?

36:16Yeah, it was.

36:17If we can get it done, it's going to be really fantastic. It's going to have that wow factor.

36:22Yeah, because look at that. That's, even as a knitter, that is terrifying.

36:33Here we go. Wow. So this is the plan.

36:36It's a gradient.

36:37OK, all with a bit of cabling.

36:38With a bit of cabling.

36:39So we've got these various colour combinations going on, which is what we've got.

36:46Great. Who has knit with all this chunky before?

36:48Nope.

36:49Never?

36:50Nope.

36:50I love a chunky thing.

36:51It's just not me.

36:52Not for you.

36:53I just can't knit with really chunky yarn and really chunky needles than you.

36:56These needles are some chunky.

36:58They're huge.

36:59Chunky, chunky.

36:59They're huge.

37:0020 mils.

37:01Yeah.

37:01They're massive.

37:02Yeah, we love it.

37:03While the chunky yarn is slowing Holger down, on the other team, Meadow is racing through her pieces.

37:13Nearly done the first of the three back panels.

37:15Whoa. That's quick.

37:17So, Meadow, when did you start knitting?

37:19Well, my granny, she taught me when I was really young.

37:24Like, because I'm autistic and I was having a really hard time managing some things in school.

37:30My mind could be so busy and stressed sometimes, so it's just really relaxing to just sit and focus

37:35on a project.

37:36Yeah.

37:36It's like when I just started, it was just like, whoa.

37:38Yeah.

37:38I found my thing.

37:40It's the thing that I do for myself.

37:42Yes, it is. It is.

37:44Gordon, did you say you did knitting at school?

37:46Oh, yes.

37:47Even as a boy?

37:49I've always been a boy.

37:52Cruise ship entertainer Gordon is knitting the beach using garter stitch, a beginner-friendly stitch.

37:57I don't often knit in a public place, especially on board the ship.

38:03Most of the time, I do it in the cabin.

38:07It's only maybe in the last few years I've been a public knitter.

38:11I was once on a cruise knitting and a lady came past.

38:13She looked at me with great disgust and said,

38:15I think a jigsaw puzzle would be a bit more manly.

38:18Oh. Wow.

38:20So that was me told.

38:22I don't know any of this business of it being like, oh, you know, it's not very manly.

38:26Like, there are going to be people in life who don't like you.

38:28And if the reason that they don't like me is because I'm a bloke who knits,

38:31then I've got more, like, I've got better things to worry about, really.

38:35I've got stars on there.

38:48I know, I'm noticing that.

38:49We've got quite different designs.

38:54You say it.

38:54No, you say it.

38:57Ugh.

38:58We Tom doesn't want to say it.

39:00You're halfway through, five hours to go.

39:04Oh, my gosh.

39:07I think we need to start seaming,

39:09because if there's a problem, then we need more time.

39:14The gradient team are now moving on to the critical stage of sewing their strips together.

39:19Right.

39:20Let's see if we can put this baby together.

39:22To see how the whole principle that the whore decides based on whether this actually works.

39:26With that many strips, it's obviously crucial that they're going to be nicely aligned.

39:31As an analogy, this team, the gradient team, are doing a modern twist on a Victoria sponge.

39:38When executed well, lovely.

39:40Is it as ambitious as the other team?

39:42No.

39:43But while they are now racing to turn their strips into one cohesive cover,

39:47the sunset team are still knitting their individual panels.

39:50I'm slightly concerned that they're going to finish in time. Mainly, Isaac.

39:58The intarsia work and the colour work and the stranding that he's doing is very complicated,

40:03and he still has a way to go.

40:06We need to start joining.

40:08We haven't. We've got panels missing, haven't we?

40:13Currently, we don't have enough pieces to cover the sofa yet, which is slightly panic-inducing.

40:21Do we think we're on track?

40:25Debatable.

40:26It's getting tight.

40:27It's getting tight, isn't it, guys?

40:28Yeah?

40:28Yeah, I don't think we're on track.

40:35The knitters are running out of time in their first team challenge to design and knit a sofa cover

40:41to wow the judges.

40:42Ploughing on across this vast expanse of sand.

40:46While the gradient team are now sewing theirs together.

40:49I'll sew from this way, that way, you sew.

40:50Yes, sir.

40:51We'll pass somewhere in the middle.

40:52The sunset team are still knitting individual panels.

40:56Close.

40:56No.

40:57Sorry.

40:58Isaac, how are you looking at that aspect?

40:59Not fantastic.

41:01Do you think your time might be better spent joining pieces together?

41:07If I start joining stuff together, there's going to be a massive hole.

41:10If I don't start joining stuff together and other people are doing it, there's going to be a smaller hole.

41:14Okay.

41:14I don't want to say that I've bitten off more than I can chew, but I think it just took me a bit of time to find my flow.

41:19And knitters, you have one hour remaining.

41:25No way.

41:26No.

41:27No.

41:28Simon and Holger are doing the sewing up and almost finished.

41:31I'm on one of two of the pink legs.

41:33I don't know if it's blind hope or optimism, but I think we're going to be all right.

41:40Right, fun knitting.

41:41Well done.

41:42Well done.

41:43I'm crocheting the back pieces together.

41:45Do I just cast this off and we have a massive hole?

41:48Yeah, yeah.

41:48Let's just get those other two bits on.

41:52Tip it upside down to put the feet on.

41:56Feet.

41:57Take a look.

41:58Is it straight?

41:59What do I care about straight?

42:02Are we all good?

42:03I think so.

42:06Five minutes, guys.

42:07Five minutes.

42:10Should we offer to help?

42:13Guys, do you need help pinning up?

42:15Tell us where you want us.

42:16Thank you so much, guys.

42:17This goes together, right?

42:18Four balls of water put around the legs.

42:20What colour?

42:21Anything.

42:22Good one of you.

42:22Take him out onto the back, right?

42:24Down there.

42:24That's the one that you need.

42:26A new pin of star on there.

42:30Knitters, needles down.

42:32Place your final pins.

42:34Time is up.

42:37Thank you so much, guys.

42:39Well done, guys.

42:40Oh, go and have a good cry.

42:41Yeah, right.

42:42It's just such a hodgepodge.

42:47We need to do, we need to finish on a group hug or something.

42:49Should we have a team hug?

42:50I'd rather not.

42:51Okay, see, we need a team hug.

42:52I'm not a massive hugger.

42:53Okay, I'll hug you, too, then.

42:54That's fine.

42:59In ten hours, both teams have completed their sofa covers.

43:04Sort of.

43:05Well done, knitters.

43:06It is now time to hear from the judges.

43:09So, Di and Sheila, would you like to come back into our yarn barn

43:13and let us know what you think?

43:16Starting with the sandy sunset sofa, what do you think?

43:23Well...

43:30I mean, it's a very ambitious design.

43:34It saddens me to have to say that it's not properly finished, is it?

43:41It's not finished.

43:42There's some car crushes.

43:44Well, there's lots, actually.

43:45Yeah.

43:46We've got lots of holes because the garter stitch, it's stretched.

43:50Yeah.

43:52There has had to be some intarsia work done here, which is commendable.

43:59The stocking stitch going to garter, there's no cohesion, is there?

44:04No.

44:05I do think they're an inventive group.

44:08I mean, the balls of wool for the legs.

44:10We said covered.

44:12Look!

44:14Indeed.

44:16It is really quite fun, but it's incomplete.

44:21Dian Sheila, can I ask you what you think of the gradient sofa?

44:24It's the cables that strike me first, but you would probably say it's the sweep of the colour.

44:31Colour going through.

44:33It's very cuddly.

44:34That's because of the raised effect.

44:36With the wide cable.

44:38The diamond.

44:38Interlocking diamond design.

44:40Very clever.

44:40That's why this works so much.

44:42It does have feet.

44:44The feet.

44:44The feet are fabulous.

44:48Have each of these panels actually been knitted separately?

44:52Di, that's an incredible amount of sewing up.

44:54You end up with an uneven effect.

44:58It hasn't been neatly finished.

45:00No.

45:01At all.

45:01It's actually, do you know, a very simple design.

45:05And we did want something that is like, wow, wow, wow.

45:11It's wow, but it's not incredible.

45:22Dian Sheila, have you come to a decision?

45:25Ladies, tell us.

45:26One sofa demonstrated a better design concept and execution overall.

45:35And that sofa is the ombre.

45:48Whose idea was the ombre so far?

45:52Holger?

45:53Yeah.

45:53Congratulations.

45:56Well, knitters, those are the challenges complete for this week.

45:59So it's time to wind up your wool and let Di and Sheila decide your fate.

46:08Intagia is a different beast when it comes to a lot of types of knitting.

46:12I don't know why I said I would do it.

46:14I think the bits that I completed were fine.

46:17If I do go home, I'd be disappointed.

46:19It was just time.

46:20And if we had more time, it would have been better executed.

46:23I'm worried.

46:24It's now up to Di and Sheila to decide who will be cast off based on their performance across both challenges.

46:33I mean, wow, what an incredible first two challenges.

46:37You asked a lot of the knitters.

46:38We certainly did.

46:39So who has done particularly well this week?

46:42Lydia.

46:43Lydia.

46:45We found very striking.

46:47Ailsa.

46:49Her attention to detail.

46:51Who are you worried about?

46:54Isaac.

46:57The sunset sofa was a car crash.

47:02He didn't quite have enough time to finish.

47:05And then in the Fair Isle challenge, Gordon.

47:10I don't love the steaking.

47:15No.

47:15Dipti didn't quite produce a garment that was fit for purpose.

47:23So, have you come to a decision?

47:26We have.

47:37It's time to hear who has knit big and whose journey has started to unravel.

47:43Di.

47:43So, our first big knitter of the competition is...

47:52Ailsa.

47:56And to commemorate the occasion, I'd love to present to you...

48:00The Sheep Badge.

48:03You're very welcome.

48:04You deserve it.

48:05Congratulations.

48:07But this is a competition.

48:09And sadly, we have to say goodbye to someone.

48:15The person being cast off this week is...

48:25Gordon.

48:34Oh, give us a hug.

48:36You did so incredibly well.

48:38I just was so keen to come on and show that everyone can knit nowadays without shame or embarrassment.

48:45We'll have a group hug. Come on, everyone in.

48:47Oh, Gordon.

48:49Thank you, everyone.

48:51Oh, my goodness. I can't believe I'm here next week.

48:53I genuinely thought I was for the chop.

48:55No, it's literally going to diminish the humour in this room by about 50%.

48:58Yeah.

49:00We've only got Simon to listen to.

49:04I didn't expect to be the first big knitter.

49:06It's a good confidence boost going into the next week.

49:14Next time, iconic knits for dogs.

49:17Don't hate me. I'm not a dog person.

49:20She's so beautiful.

49:23And a throwback to the 80s.

49:25You know, we all remember the 80s, right?

49:27The shoulder pads.

49:28The big hair.

49:29Results in fashion fabulousness.

49:32I love the big, puffy sleeve.

49:34Boy, I love the big Come.

49:39Because young man could use only an infection of the emergency system,

49:39and that maybe it wouldn't fix us.

49:41I love the.

49:43I love the way 바로 that Baby,

49:44and I love the camera so that she's looking for the right,

49:45and I love the ability.

49:47It's true.

49:48There's no worries.

49:48I love the diana.

49:51The Holy N tend to have no idea.

49:52Isn't so beautiful.

49:53Can you wait for that time?

50:02You should be super-grandma.

50:03You should be super-grandma.

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