Game of Wool | Wk 6

...from a crocheter's perspective

So, it’s week 6 - Statement Week with 5 contestants remaining.

(video unavailable at time of publishing)

And now, here’s a recap -

The solo challenge pushes them into unfamiliar territory: creating coordinated statement jewelry using unconventional materials, tools, and extreme precision.

Solo Challenge

Lydia

West African–inspired beaded choker and cuff; Mosaic crochet for structure; freeform lace crochet; bead-on-hook crochet technique.

Holger

Makes plarn from bin liners (garbage bags) to mimic Victorian jet; knits collar + cuff; lace trimming.

Simon

Dedicates jewelry to his wife; builds with metal wire to form a heart and oxytocin molecule; learns Viking knitting (wire chain technique using a crochet hook).

Ailsa

Scottish thistle inspiration; uses i-cords, knitted/crochet forms, and wire.

Isaac

Freeform crochet daisy chain with pendant; worked without a plan; judges worried about lack of impact.

Beautiful jewelry can be made using crochet. Crochet.ElenaRugalStudio has some of the best video tutorials for making crochet jewelry; but any search of crochet+ jewelry will yield some amazing stuff.

Team Challenge

The knitters must collaborate on a lace-knit lighting installation, each producing one lace panel of a Shetland “pineapple” motif. Lace proves punishing—dropped stitches, miscounts, the need for lifelines inserted into the knitting, varying tools, and emotional stress dominate the room. And after the judging, the winner, “I like clear instructions…“, surprises everyone with their extraordinary precision.

Lace making and crochet have gone hand-in-hand since crochet’s beginning. The Pineapple motif is one that appear and reappears constantly throughout crochets ~200 year history. There are probably hundreds of vintage patterns out there, but if you want a little assist, here is a video that not only shows how to crochet the motif, but also ways of joining to create other bigger and more intricate things.

I actually enjoyed watching this episode; due in large part to the fact that the tasks were equally challenging to all the contestants. I still have some concerns about the judging, but all in all a good episode.

I agreed with the choice for Big Knitter and, although I was a bit sad about it, I also agree with the choice of the individual cast off.

What were your thoughts about this week’s episode? Do you think the judges got it right? Leave your thoughts in the comments.