Have What it Takes to Be a Knitting Superstar?

Have you heard about the Fiber Factor yet? It’s a knitwear design competition that will pit 12 designers against each other in six challenges spanning in length from two to five weeks. Finalists will take part in a seventh challenge that will last several months, all leading up to the grand prize, which is a five-day fiber lover’s trip to Germany. (Winners of individual challenges will get $500.)

This sounds like an incredible experience for someone with a lot of creativity and stamina (I’d love to do it but honestly I have enough work right now, which is a nice problem to have). If you’re up for the challenge you can apply now through March 24. Participants must be American (because the sponsor of the contest, skacel, will be sending yarn and people have to ship their finished projects back) and at least 21 years old. You also need to be comfortable taking video of yourself and talking about your design process.

The application process is lengthy and includes filling out a form, sending in photos of yourself and your original designs, and shooting a video about your background and why you want to take part in the contest.

It sounds like a lot of work but also a lot of fun. Would you try out for a challenge like this? Are you applying? I’d love to hear about it!

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Many times when I write these posts I will say something like “you can use any yarn you want” or “this would be a great stash-busting project.” That’s just how my mind works. And my stash, too, since I probably have sweater quantity of two or three yarns at most, but tons of singles and odd balls and leftovers.

Blankets are generally a really good way to use up those bits, but in this case, I think you’re going to want to plan it out a bit better.

Looking at photos of the Color Study Blanket from Purl Soho, it looks like it’s made with two yarns held together, and that block in the center is worked with one of each color from the adjoining sides to make a mixed up color.

But that’s not actually how it’s done. This is three separate colors (four, really, with the neutrals in the corners) chosen form a yarn with an expansive palette so they play off each other. The project calls for a worsted weight superwash wool, which is a great choice for a blanket that’s both warm and washable.

This pattern was originally designed by Laura Ferguson and was updated by Hiromi Glover. It is worked in one piece in garter stitch intarsia, which is a great way to learn the intarsia technique if you don’t already know it. It comes in crib or throw sizes.

Despite the introduction to this post, I am going to go ahead and say that, yes, of course you could do this blanket with scraps or odd balls or even just choose five colors that don’t blend together so easily. But I really do love the look of the color play, and I think it would be worth your time to find colors that play well together to get a similar effect.

This pattern is available for free from Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

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