Game of Wool Renewed for Second Series

March 16, 2026 by Sarah White

Game of Wool, the controversial (among knitters, anyway) knitting competition series set in Scotland and hosted by Olympic knitter Tom Daley, has been renewed for a second series, according to Channel 4.

The Great British Bake Off style knitting competition challenged eight knitters with team and individual challenges in knitting and crochet, ranging from a super bulky sleeveless pullover to amigurumi food, knit jewelry to children’s play clothes.

Knitters had a lot to say about the show, finding the challenges silly (who really knits an entire couch cover or a deck chair, least of all over the course of 12 hours?), too short and not really indicative of the knitters’ skills. Only one challenge, to knit a lace panel for a lamp, actually showed the all important knitting skills of being able to read and follow a pattern, and it’s the only time the knitters all made the same thing so they could accurately be judged against each other.

All the same, viewers in general seemed to like it, with Channel 4 reporting it was among the top 8pm shows among 16-34 year olds last year.

Daley will return as host of the show, and Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell will be back as judges.

“I was blown away by the response to the first series of Game of Wool,” Daley said in a news release. “Knitting is such a creative and joyful craft and it’s been amazing to see so many people inspired to pick up their needles. I can’t wait for the show to return and to meet a whole new group of brilliant knitters ready to take on the challenge.”

Clemency Green, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said the next series will have “an even stronger focus on knitting” as well as some “exciting new elements in the competition.” Here’s hoping that means fewer crochet challenges and more technical tests.

Game of Wool will be back in the fall, and if you’re in the UK and want to subject yourself to the rigors of the Yarn Barn, you can apply to be on the show now. Participants must be at least 18 years old, residents of the UK and their “primary income” shouldn’t come from “commercial knitting activities.”

[Photo via Channel 4]

Have you read?

Apple Knitting Patterns for Fall and Back to School

It feels like it’s too early to be thinking about back to school, but as I write this my daughter has just a couple of weeks of summer left! So let’s get in that school and fall knitting spirit by looking at some apple knitting projects.

If you have a 22 needle circular knitting machine, knitting an apple is one of the easiest things you can do. I have an apple pattern over at Our Daily Craft that will take you just a few minutes to knit and they’re a great addition to your fall decor.

Apple hats are a classic, and whether you want to knit a hat that looks like an apple or one with apples on it, we’ve got you covered. For hats that look like apples check out the rolled brim version from Emma Crochet Design 4 U, which uses worsted weight yarn and comes in sizes for kids of all ages; and the ribbed brim version from Hand Knit Hugs. This one also calls for worsted weight yarn and comes in four kids sizes. Both include a stem and leaf.

If you’d rather have apples on your hat, try the Red Apple Hat from Little Red Window. This one is sized from newborn to 2T and calls for four colors of worsted weight yarn.

How about apple socks? You’ll find Ariel Chang’s Apple Picnic Socks as a free download on Ravelry. These use three colors of sock yarn and come in three sizes. Stone Knits also a pair of stripey apple socks that show the inside of the apple. These also have three sizes but they use six colors total, with the main color being a self-striping yarn.

If you want a little apple accessory for the house, the apple potholder from Nifty Knitter Designs is cute and a great way to practice double knitting. It uses two colors and you’ll find the colors in the reverse on the other side. The pattern only uses about 50 yards of each color of worsted weight yarn, so it’s a great use for odd balls, too.

Once you’ve got your double knitting skills sorted you can also try the double knit apple scarf from Crow and Chai Shop. The Winter Apples scarf is shown in red and gold, but you can use whatever colors you like. There are apples, stars and random stitches in the design, which calls for DK weight yarn. There’s also a matching fingerless glove pattern.