Dear Kay,
Well, here it is: the thing we have been waiting for, dreaming about, training for, all these years: a hardcore, high-stakes, full-on knitting reality show.
The Fiber Factor.
This is going to be great. It will be happening completely online, with a dozen contestants battling it out for the grand prize: a trip to Germany and a tour of the Addi knitting needle factory.
AHHHHH! I HAVE NEVER TOURED A KNITTING NEEDLE FACTORY. It’s the knitter’s equivalent of a week on a beach in Waikiki!
Here are the basic rules, from the Fiber Factor website:
12 contestants will be selected to compete in The Fiber Factor™ design contest.
Applications will be accepted starting February 6, 2013 and running through March 24, 2013.
The 12 chosen contestants will be announced April 6, 2013 and posted online by April 8, 2013.
A series of 6 challenges will be presented to the contestants, with challenges ranging in length from 2 weeks to 4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the challenge.
These first 6 challenges will run from April 2013 through October 2013.
The first challenge will be presented on April 8, 2013!
The 3 contestants with the highest overall total scores after the first 6 challenges will then be announced and given several months to complete the final challenge.
From these top 3 contestants, the grand prize winner of The Fiber Factor™ will be selected and announced in January 2014!
A $500 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of each challenge, and the overall winner of The Fiber Factor™ will receive a 5 day, all-expense paid trip to Germany to tour yarn production facilities and the addi needle factory!
Videos and/or photos of the contestants, the contestants’ completing the challenges, the contestants’ finished pieces, and the judging of the competitions will be posted regularly on www.TheFiberFactor.com website.
All fiber and knitting enthusiasts can actively participate in the competition by voting for their favorite design submission to each challenge and by submitting their own designs to each challenge!
The judges are going to have their hands full. The back-room bribery, the backstabbing, the secret tying of knots in fine-gauge yarn–can’t wait.
Not since Teeny Project Runway has there been such juicy knitting intrigue. Will you swatch or will you watch?
Love,
Ann
Too bad ignoring instructions and blithely knitting along any old how is not considered design or I would be a sure winner. This should be a lot of fun.
Too bad ignoring instructions and blithely knitting along any old how is not considered design or I would be a sure winner. This should be a lot of fun.
I loved Teeny Project Runway (and – is this sad? – still have my design submission and my cast-iron model on somewhat dusty display here at home) but the Fiber Factor may be beyond my farthest knitting-challenge horizon. I get the feeling it would require me to not only design but to actually knit something bigger than a sock. However, I will be an interested observer! And will cheer on the participants!!
Too bad ignoring instructions and blithely knitting along any old how is not considered designing. Guess I will be watching with interest from the sidelines.
I’m sorry…were you saying something? I can’t get past the photo!
I don’t wanna sound like Debbie Downer here, but as a native and resident German (living in Munich) I feel like this is the least exciting first price I’ve ever heard of. But that may just be me…. 😉
As long as none of the contestants are on camera in their magenta man briefs, I’ll watch.
Yeah, I’m with Amanda. . .
but seriously, I’ll watch, because I don’t do any knitting to a deadline! The challenges could be fun on their own terms, though, so I look forward to seeing what they are.
The contest is only open to continental U.S residents… Bummer…
I’d just like to spend time with members of that phenomenal list of judges!
I’m going to check it out. I haven’t designed anything (on purpose at least), but that is mostly because when it comes to knitting projects I am like a ferret with a thousand shiny bouncing balls. Maybe this would be the kick in the pants I need to be serious. Or maybe I’ll look at the application and decide it is to crazypants for me at this stage in my life.
This sounds intriguing, but I know what I look (and sound) like under knitting pressure, and the combination of bed head/pajamas plus swearing is not what I want anyone else to see! : )
I am loving these comments! 🙂
Can one tour the Addi factory? They only sell wholesale & couldn’t even give me the name of a store that sold the needles. I have some German connections & they have yet to find a source for them! Pity for me!
I saw this yesterday, not a designer at all, but will hope to watch, especially if you remind us when something happens!!
It’s a testament to the creativity of Ms Madon & Ms Dixon that at first I thought it was a spoof; then thought it was a M-D contest. But as I read on I began to think it *could* be real…. Clearly this is the best Blog in the Sphere!!
Oh, my. Oh. Oh, my.
I love it! 🙂
That sounds so cool. Thank you so much for posting about this on your blog. Still can’t belive it is real. I’m totally appyling.