Why Is Everyone Arguing About This Knitting Show?

Video Description

*How to Watch* For my friends in the US who are looking for a way to watch Game of Wool, I used NordVPN and set my location to London. Here's a link to try it out: https://go.nordvpn.net/SHAV6 *The Great British Bake Off… but with yarn.* Channel 4’s Game of Wool promised Britain’s best knitters, breathtaking creativity, and cozy vibes. What we actually got? Half-baked challenges, chunky yarn, inconsistent judging — and a full-blown controversy about how knitting is represented on TV. In this video, I react to Game of Wool Episode 1, break down the Fair Isle vest challenge, and explain why knitters across the UK (and Shetland!) are calling out the show for misrepresenting their craft. We’ll talk about fairness in judging, physical strain, the Rowan monetization backlash, and what this all means for how the world sees knitting. *👇 Chapters* 00:00 Imagine Bake Off… but with blisters 00:37 What Game of Wool is (and why it matters) 01:03 Challenge 1: The Fair Isle Vest 01:39 The Chunky Yarn Problem 02:46 Storytelling vs. technique 3:17 What does this show actually want? 4:02 Shetland’s backlash & Fair Isle confusion 04:52 Contestant deep dive 10:00 When skill doesn’t win 13:46 The physical toll of “speed knitting” 14:37 Who stands to profit? The Rowan sponsorship controversy 💰 16:54 What they actually got right 18:01 Challenge 2: Sofa Cover Chaos 🛋️ 19:13 The runway problem: fashion vs. handknitting 20:53 Knitting stereotypes & what’s at stake 21:12 Final thoughts + Episode 2 preview *Previous Videos Referenced* * Can a Reality Show About Knitting Actually Work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqsCeJI_8Us&t=327s * What Happened To Yarn? How The Algorithm Turned Knitting Beige https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaft11tUQnE&t=42s * Why Are Knitting Patterns So Bad? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrL9lqA7xn8&t=3s *Mentioned in this video:* 🧵 The Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers, and Dyers official statement https://www.instagram.com/p/DO6RwM4iIeD/?igsh=eGIyeHY2Nmo2czJu 🧶 Rowan Yarns website and “Game of Wool” kits https://knitrowan.com/the-game-of-wool 🎥 Channel 4’s Game of Wool (UK only) https://www.channel4.com/programmes/game-of-wool-britains-best-knitter 💻 Gordon's Response Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTJ8OfjnINM #GameOfWool #KnittingShow #Channel4 #TomDaley #RowanYarn #FairIsle #KnittingReaction #KnittingCommunity #CraftTV #HandKnitting #KnittingControversy #ShetlandKnitting #YarnCulture