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Fiber Factor Contestants Named

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fiber factor design contestA while back I told you about the Fiber Factor, a knitting design competition that will pit 12 designers against each other and the clock for a chance at a trip to Germany for the big winner.

The contestants were announced over the weekend, and it looks like a fun, diverse bunch. There are two guys among the 12, and the contestants range in age from 21 to 55. There are three New Yorkers, but the rest come from all over the country, which should be good fun.

The first challenge was announced this week as well. I don’t know how much the viewing public will be kept up on what’s going on behind the scenes, but I’ll bet at least some of these designers have blogs and will be talking about the process as they are able. The winner of each of the six challenges will win $500, so there’s a lot riding on the competition throughout.

I’m excited to see how it all turns out and will keep you posted on events as they unfold.

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Comments

  1. It would be great if they had one link and we could keep up with all the contestants. I will try to ‘watch’ out for this. Going to mark my calendar for their first completed challenge..May 1.

Have you read?

Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.” 

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them. 

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits. 

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves. 

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit. 

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy. 

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]