2025 Fashion On The Ration Challenge

PollyWollyDoodle

I did watch it, but don’t think I’ll be watching any more episodes.  

I get frustrated with the time-limits imposed on ‘Sewing Bee’ but you can make a dress in a few hours, while it really isn’t possible to knit at speed.  To me, knitting is a thoughtful and meditative activity. The only way they could produce a garment within the time constraints was by using enormous needles and chunky wool, and if it’s going to be like that all the way through, I’m definitely not interested. 

I have read some of the comments from Shetland and Fair Isle knitters and they are justifiably very angry. What was shown is not true Fair Isle, and they used incorrect terminology - your analogy with Bake Off is a good one, @Laura_Elsewhere. Very disappointing. 

PipneyJane

PollyWollyDoodle said:

I did watch it, but don’t think I’ll be watching any more episodes.  

I get frustrated with the time-limits imposed on ‘Sewing Bee’ but you can make a dress in a few hours, while it really isn’t possible to knit at speed.  To me, knitting is a thoughtful and meditative activity. The only way they could produce a garment within the time constraints was by using enormous needles and chunky wool, and if it’s going to be like that all the way through, I’m definitely not interested. 

I have read some of the comments from Shetland and Fair Isle knitters and they are justifiably very angry. What was shown is not true Fair Isle, and they used incorrect terminology - your analogy with Bake Off is a good one, @Laura_Elsewhere. Very disappointing. 

Agreed.  It was colourwork, not Fair Isle and Laura’s analogy is a good one.

However, I think that the gentleman who was voted off had the most unfinished garment.  I think that if he’d had the time to finish up his steeks and knit the neck and armbands, he would have survived.  (Someone else had a neckband that was so tight, Tom couldn’t put his head through it.).  What wasn’t explained is whether the knitters are given proportions to knit to, or whether they can pick the sizing to suit themselves.  I got the distinct impression that he was knitting a garment to fit a man, whereas the women were knitting something to fit a woman, which is considerably smaller and quicker to knit.

For now, I’m giving the show the benefit of the doubt.  I will watch the next episode and see how I feel about it, afterwards.

- Pip

itsthelittlethings

It really annoyed me that they only knit using chunky wool. It’s not representative of knitting at all.