COMM: Previously... (captivating music) Knitters tackled intricate jewellery sets... I've got this super tiny crochet needle.

COMM: ...before their most challenging team knit yet, lace lighting.

It's not going to be finished.

COMM: Lydia secured her second Big Knitter win.

It's the first time I've felt something's perfect.

COMM: Ailsa fell short.

There's something missing here.

COMM: But ultimately, Simon was the sixth knitter to be cast off.

Now... We've reached the semi-final, and only four knitters remain.

And you're probably wondering why on earth I look like this.

Well, this week, it's all about turning rags to riches.

Welcome to the semi-final of Game of Wool.

(captivating music fades) (birds chirping) Welcome back, Game of Wool knitters.

Can you believe we've gone from ten down to just four of you in the Yarn Barn?

Well, that can mean only one thing.

It's the semi-final.

Yay!

The tension in the Yarn Barn is like never before.

A little knitting gag there for you.

Now, you might be wondering why you're looking at a mannequin covered in a bin bag.

Well, that's because for this week's Group Challenge... (hypnotic music) ...Di and Sheila would love for you to refashion... old charity shop Aran jumpers into a catwalk-worthy dress.

We would like you to work in two groups of two to reimagine the iconic Aran sweater.

In the repurposing, use existing scraps from the haberdashery.

We want to see something that's ready for the catwalk.

We will be looking very carefully at execution and finishing.

How you put the pieces together, how you seam them, how you join them.

And it has to fit the model perfectly.

(hypnotic music fades) Well, as usual, Di and Sheila are going to have to leave the Yarn Barn because this challenge is judged blind.

So, teams, in Team One, Ailsa and Isaac.

In Team Two, Holger and Lydia.

You have ten hours to turn your jumpers into a catwalk-worthy dress.

Let's get knitting.

(bleating) (suspenseful music) COMM: It's the semi-final and the knitters are kicking it off with the team knit.

The catwalk challenge is all about standing out from the crowd, and in a team of two, there will be nowhere to hide.

Semi-finals, it's very intense.

The stakes are very, very high.

Lydia: When you think about one person is going to go, you want to put your best foot forward this week.

COMM: First knitted over 100 years ago off the coast of Ireland, the Aran jumper has become a modern knitwear hero, celebrated for its complex textured stitch patterns, rich in symbolic meaning.

We've given each team two hand-knit charity shop Aran jumpers to utterly reinvent from the cosy to the couture.

There we go!

(exhales) (grunting) God, no.

COMM: The haberdashery has been freshly stocked with offcuts and scraps, available for them to knit into their catwalk pieces.

Oh, look at that.

That's perfect.

Lydia: This could be interesting.

COMM: You only get one chance to impress on the runway, so the knitters must showcase innovative design skills, confident garment construction and a perfect fit to create a high fashion dress, all in just ten hours.

Isaac: Ten hours isn't a lot of time.

-Ailsa: It's a tough one.

-It's a different one, yeah.

I'm worried.

(suspenseful music fades) Refashioned charity jumpers.

What was the inspiration behind this challenge?

Waste is a massive issue.

When somebody has knitted a beautiful Aran sweater and it's gone maybe a little bit past its date, you can actually repurpose and make it something incredibly fashionable, chic even.

And that wool garment has got another life.

We really want to see the Aran as the star of the show.

One of these knitters is not going to make it to our final.

What could go wrong in this challenge?

Sheila: Design is going to be huge here.

We want to see not just how they join pre-knitted pieces together, but we want to see what they're adding in themselves.

This will take a certain amount of boldness and bravery.

We have four really great knitters now.

I really want to see that everybody has found their voice and been able to put their design ideas into this piece.

(tense music) Any first thoughts, Isaac?

Ah.

I... I... yeah.

We could take the sleeves out, and take the neck off and just do sort of like a halter neck.

I think both of us really like this colour.

We could just go down the raglan seams, do like an i-cord edge in that same colour.

That was the only thing I had.

And then everything from down, I'm like, miss me, I have no ideas.

What were you thinking for the skirt?

Ailsa: At the front, it could be like a mini skirt, long at the back, short at the front.

-Yeah.

-Like a kind of Tinker Bell type, kind of jaggy shapes.

So that her legs are out at the front, but then she's got this kind of floaty thing going on at the back.

Isaac: Okay, okay.

COMM: Ailsa and Isaac plan to remove the arms from both jumpers, using the bodies to create the top and bottom panels of their dress.

Isaac will tackle the top, and plans to knit a new ribbed halter neck, and crochet a lace corset into the back.

Ailsa will focus on the bottom half, creating a Tinker Bell skirt with Aran strips of material, and over-embroidering extra detailing.

Using a yarn winder, they will unravel purple yarn from haberdashery offcuts to create one cohesive colour scheme.

(tense music fades) Ailsa and I have been in a team together before.

The ability and the talent is so high, but I also think that we're relatively equally matched, so it is really just going to come down to the small details.

COMM: While Isaac and Ailsa are preserving the original shape of the jumper... That is a dress.

COMM: ... Holger is ripping up the rule book.

We could theoretically take the front piece and make it into a giant sleeve.

-Lydia: Yeah.

-Holger: I think it would be quite nice if we could have these literally start going all the way down.

-Lydia: But we, I think we... -Holger: And also you could, this could, could be set in like a godet, a massive skirt, and like, and a thick sleeve or something.

-Yeah?

-Okay.

Yeah.

Lydia: I think fitted is important.

I don't want it just to be, like, oversized.

Holger: Okay.

COMM: The front and back panels will be transformed into two balloon sleeves, and blanket offcuts from the haberdashery will form the body of their dress.

The original jumper sleeves will then become the bottom half of the dress with newly knitted godets inserted, triangular panels adding volume and flair.

I hope they'll appreciate the creative use of the pieces that we have.

We're going to divide and conquer.

I think it's very clear that Holger is a stronger sewer than me, and that is totally fine, but I am a faster knitter than Holger.

(bleating) This looks like a finished dress.

You've been throwing stuff at it, but whose idea was it to put all of these in these places?

(playful music) Lydia: Look, Holger's... Holger came up with the sleeve.

I wanted a fitted item.

Let's not kind of tally who does what here.

Um, we're just all doing our best.

So, what you're trying to say is that it's a collaborative effort.

Holger has more of a design background than me, so I'm happy to take more of his lead in terms of initial vision, but actually when it comes to what we finally decide to do, I'm not just going to go, "Yes, Holger.

Sure, Holger".

Like, it's going to be both of what we decide.

Tom: Okay.

Do you have a name for your dress yet?

-No.

-I've got a couple of ideas.

-Holger: Oh, God, yeah.

-Lydia: Okay, go on then.

Holger: I was afraid that was going to come.

Tom: Kate Blanket?

Oh, for God's sake.

Sleeve'en Fry.

Oh, God.

(playful music fades) Have you ever made a dress fit for the catwalk before?

I've never made a dress before.

Never made anything fit for a catwalk.

Oh, that's not true.

This is the mini skirt part ending here, and then the back will be longer where all our wee bits will be trailing.

I can see on there, it looks like some kind of, like, peacock.

-Isaac: Yeah.

-Business in the front, party in the back.

Yeah, I like that.

Tom: So, are you planning on unwinding that one then, Isaac?

It's just a really nice yarn.

Having the sort of unity by using the same colour in multiple places across the whole thing is going to make unravelling these worth it.

Holger: I don't understand why he's taken... He's taken these and unravelled them.

It's like, why?

Um, to secure my spot in final, I've got to really pull out all the stops now.

I think I'm onto a winner with this strand.

Oh, here we go.

Let's see some winding.

-Tom: Okay.

-Isaac: Yes!

Isaac: Oh, this is amazing.

(bleating) (rousing music) How are you doing over there?

Ailsa: Plodding on.

How are you?

Just beavering away.

COMM: Lydia is now working on the balloon sleeves, carefully picking up live stitches from the original front of the jumper to create a new tight cuff.

Lydia: This piece here was actually the back of the jumper.

COMM: But managing the stitch pickup, matching the tension, and ensuring a seamless blend from Aran jumper into new knit won't be easy.

Lydia: You've got this billowy sleeve that's been created by this piece of ribbing here.

So, I've picked up stitches to pull this in tighter.

It's gone from that width... to this width.

It is so close now.

I really want to get to the final.

It's like, we've come this far.

I know I've put my best foot forward.

I think winning would give me opportunities, whether that be with our yarn business, doing more designing, or maybe I'm on the trajectory of Alison Hammond.

Like, that would be fantastic, wouldn't it?

You don't know.

Maybe, I'll... Maybe Tom needs a co-host and maybe it's me.

(rousing music fades) Knitters.

You're halfway through.

Five hours to go.

COMM: At the halfway point, knitters should be starting to reassemble their Aran knits into couture catwalk pieces.

Lydia: She's looking like something, isn't it?

Holger: She is looking like something.

Have you had a look over to the other side?

Isaac: Not really.

Ailsa: It's very, very different.

Isaac: Oh, that's clever what they've done with the arms.

Ailsa: Yeah, that is cool.

I'm liking that traditional Aran.

Ailsa: I'm now thinking it may be better just to stitch the strips and the ruffly bits at the back, because this is centred and it would be a shame to lose that.

Yeah.

Ailsa: I don't know.

What's your thoughts?

Isaac: I trust your vision.

Yep.

(bleating) (captivating music) COMM: It's the semi-final and the knitters are over halfway through the team challenge, reinventing the iconic Aran jumper into a runway-ready star.

Holger is carefully sewing the Aran panels into the blanket body of their dress.

I am attaching the second sleeve into the armhole.

There's still quite a bit of sewing to do.

COMM: While on the other team, Isaac has knitted a new purple neckline using the off-cut yarn he created earlier.

I'm just casting off the ribbed neck, which I think is, is looking great.

-Ailsa: Which is a halter neck.

-Very nice.

COMM: With only four knitters left, the judges will be scrutinising individual contributions in the team knit more than ever.

Isaac: So, the halter neck was my idea, and the sort of, like, skirt and bottom section was Ailsa's idea.

We've got a good combination between the two of us.

Holger is a stronger sewer, but I am a faster knitter.

Let's be real, if I wasn't part of the team, there probably wouldn't be a finished garment, right?

(captivating music fades) Lydia and Holger, where are we?

-Getting there.

-So, you're making another panel?

-Yes.

Yeah.

-And I see you've pulled out the colours, like this kind of mimics this, right?

-Yes, yes.

-Lydia obviously makes up for my slow-ass knitting by kind of whizzing through with her clickety-clack of needles there.

Lydia: Behave.

Tom: Okay.

Those godet panels flank the main... -Tom: I see.

Okay.

-Lydia: That's really good.

So, when you say godet... It's very simple.

A godet is a more or less triangular-shaped piece that is inserted into the body of a skirt to create extra width.

-Tom: Godet.

-Holger: Godet.

-Tom: Godet, mate.

-Lydia: Godet.

Tom: Oh.

(ticking rhythm) Isaac and Ailsa.

How's it going?

Isaac: So, I'm just doing, like, a little corset lace thing at the back.

It's just an additional feature that we've added on top of the Aran.

Oh, okay.

How's the party in the back coming along?

It's a different kind of party.

Tom: A different kind of party?

It's a more sophisticated party now.

-Oh, okay.

-Ailsa: Yeah, we had a, a bit of a chat about the strips and the ruffly bits at the back and thought we need to get it absolutely perfect, or not at all.

Do you think it's quite a big risk to change your plan this late in the game?

I know.

Feeling nervous, or are you feeling confident?

-Ailsa: I'm feeling confident.

Yeah.

-I'm always nervous.

(ticking rhythm fades, bleating) Tom: Knitters, you have one hour to go.

COMM: In the final hour, teams must fit their catwalk creations to the live models.

-Yay, models.

-Hello.

Hey!

Holger: Do the sleeves.

Lydia: I mean, it's a dress.

Oh my gosh.

-I think the back looks amazing.

-Let's see.

Could you turn around to show Lydia?

-Lydia: Wow.

Yeah.

-Holger: No?

Lydia: That looks great.

Ailsa: Oh no.

Oh no.

Isaac: Is it too tight?

Ailsa: I'm not so happy with the way that the back piece is sitting.

Thank you.

I mean, we could force it by sewing it on like that, and it'll force it to sort of, like, stand out a bit.

-Hm-mm.

-Like, we could try that or... Yeah.

I'm sewing in the second godet.

We both need to be sewing right now, so... -Okay.

-We've just got to get these on.

We're literally speed sewing for our lives right now.

Why does the thread always come unthreaded when you have no time?

Lydia: Breathe.

Holger, breathe.

(fast-paced music) If we could just have you step back into it now.

Is it tighter?

Yeah, a little, a little, a little sort of cape.

Yeah.

Tom: One minute.

We've got one minute.

Ooh.

It's in your hair, I'm so sorry.

(fast-paced music fades) Knitters, needles down.

The challenge is over.

It's time to get those Aran jumpers on the catwalk.

(foreboding music) Holger: Okay, attitude, right?

Yeah, good, good, good.

Isaac and Ailsa's approach was obviously very different from ours, which makes it unpredictable.

Isaac: I think particularly as the group has gotten smaller, your individual contribution in the Group Challenge could be the difference between staying and going, so... Yeah, it's intense.

(foreboding music fades) Well done, knitters.

Aran you glad that one's over?

Oh my gosh.

So, let the knitway begin.

(light piano-driven music) Tom: What do you think of the first one?

(light music continues) Well, we asked for Aran, didn't we?

Sheila: And we asked for fit.

Di: And fit.

So, this is one garment and this is from another garment, and they've used that shaping really well round the back using another sample of knitwear.

The contrast colour works particularly in certain places.

Also, this newly created crochet edge gives amazing fit because it can be laced onto the body.

Hm-mm.

Great, it's really, really great.

That top is really, really successful... with this very nice single rib neck cuff.

(light music fades) Sheila: It looks a little bit bulky in a couple of places.

-Di: It ruches out, doesn't it?

-Sheila: It does, it's... It's coming out because you have too many stitches.

Di: Mm.

Yep.

I'm less sure about these wings.

Very obvious stitching.

You know, if you're going to do, kind of, sewing and adding things in, when it gets to the catwalk level, it has to be really, really precise.

This sewing and edge doesn't work.

Catwalk pieces have to have impact.

-Yes.

-You have one chance on the runway to really say something, and I think it just needed to be a little bit more wow.

-Well, impact.

-Impact, yeah.

Thank you very much.

Are you ready for the next one?

(enchanting music) I love this.

There we go.

Di: I think it's really, really great.

The sleeves here, I'm imagining might have been the original back and front.

Taking the sleeves and making them into the body, taking the body and making them into the sleeves is, is very clever.

Yeah.

The sleeves add this huge drama.

The shape is really good.

You've had to go from a huge number of stitches... -Di: They have.

-Sheila: ...to bring them all in to a much, much smaller number of stitches, so that this works as a cuff.

We can see the Aran is amplified by having strong coloured godets for it to be offset with.

It's a lovely piece of knitting.

When the model walks, the thing that you see is the Aran sweeping up the catwalk.

I love the way the Aran's been used.

It's making its own repurposed statement, which is what we asked for, Aran repurposed.

(enchanting music fades) Tom: Okay, Di and Sheila, it's time to make your decision.

In first place this week is... this dress here.

Can I ask who made it?

-It was me.

-It was us.

Us two.

So, we felt this dress had the impact for the catwalk.

Who knitted all the godets?

I knitted most of them, but Holger did knit... I did one.

I did one.

So, Ailsa and Isaac, some of the finishing we felt wasn't what we expect in semi-final week.

Well, let's see what the Solo Challenge has in store for us.

Holger: I mean, we all know what the game is about.

When the Solo Challenge comes, it's every, every man or woman for themselves.

It is so close now.

I really want to get to the final.

(anticipatory music) What a semi-final we've had so far.

And only our solo knit is standing in the way of the Game of Wool final.

Not winning in the Group Challenge at this stage in the competition puts you in a really, really precarious situation.

We'll need to really hit hard with the solos.

(anticipatory music fades) Okay, knitters, it's time for the Solo Challenge.

Di and Sheila would love for you to make a refashioned bag.

(hypnotic music) We want you to make a bag.

But the important thing is the material.

And we want you to repurpose your material to make into a yarn.

The fabric that you have chosen has to work effectively as a yarn, no matter what it originally was.

So, we will still be looking for structure and stitch choices.

And finally, practicality.

It has to function as a bag.

(hypnotic music fades) With a place in the final at stake, you have ten hours for this challenge.

Let's get knitting.

(adventurous music) COMM: For the Solo Challenge, the judges are expecting to see exquisite and uniquely handcrafted bags made from unexpected fabrics.

I'm using running leggings and gym tights that can handle people doing squats in them.

Then they can handle your shopping.

COMM: This challenge will test the knitter's yarn selection, stitch precision and structural ingenuity, pushing their skills to the limit in the last chance to secure themselves a place in the final.

I'm absolutely going to go into this fighting.

I really want to go to the finals.

COMM: Knitters are free to crochet or knit their bags.

But the first step is to create the yarn by cutting any material they want into long strips.

Next, they should construct the bags by either working in the round or by assembling individual panels, which will be sewn together.

Finally, knitters must securely attach handles or straps to ensure their upcycled bag passes the judges' weight test.

(adventurous music fades) Refashioned handbags.

What inspired that challenge?

The thing that is really challenging about this is actually the material.

We really wanted to see what people could do with their own form of yarn.

We want them to consider a shape, a form.

I think how they manage their handles... is going to be a really big challenge.

(dreamy music) COMM: With the team knit win in the bag, Holger has now got his sights on a record-breaking third Sheet Baa-dge.

I am cutting up a bunch of t-shirts.

I've chosen t-shirts because it makes a very clean stitch definition.

What we're ending up with in terms of the overall look is something that's a bit more bohemian, kind of festival-y.

COMM: Holger will be transforming a selection of t-shirts into a festival saddlebag.

His construction incorporates a combination of slip stitch, single, half-double, and double crochet stitches to give it a chic scalloped look while maintaining structural integrity.

He's also planning a shoulder strap, a bespoke crochet button and decorative fringing.

Glastonbury, we're coming for you.

To be honest, I'm not a great festival-goer, so I don't really know what you need to take.

I know, look surprised.

Um, but whatever you need, it will fit in there.

-Ailsa.

-Hello.

It's good to see that you separate your darks from your lights -for your laundry.

-Yeah, always.

So, what have we got here?

-We've got... -Leg... -Leggings?

-Yeah.

These are a mixture of me, my mum, and my sister's gym leggings.

Okay, do you all go to the gym together as a family?

-No, no.

-Oh, okay.

Okay, so, why these?

Ailsa: Well, my design is an active bag for active people made from things that active people wear.

Okay.

Ailsa: It was one World War II pattern I seen to make slippers from old stockings or tights.

So, that's what made me think, "It's got to be tights".

COMM: Ailsa has raided her family's laundry basket for her variety of super stretchy yarn.

She will crochet her active bag alternating between double and treble crochet stitches to create a solid base.

Finally, she will add a shoulder strap and a water bottle pocket.

Feel the burn, baby.

(dreamy music fades) So, how are you feeling after the, the Group Challenge?

I'm feeling alright after the Group Challenge.

Holger and Lydia's design was something special.

So, how are you feeling about the possibility of someone being cast off in this group?

Ailsa: All I can do is my best and hope that the judges like what they see.

So, you've decided to crochet?

Yeah.

Yeah, I think with this material I've got to be quite conscious because I don't want it to stretch too much.

So, I've got to take some of the stretch with me as I crochet.

And I think it's easier for me to adjust my crochet tension than my knitting tension.

Sure.

Well, it's in the hands of Di and Sheila now, isn't it?

-Yep.

-The knitting gods.

(anticipatory music) COMM: Also hoping those knitting gods will be looking down favourably on her is Lydia.

She is upcycling wax print fabric for her bag, a traditional African material known for its bold and vibrant patterns.

Dresses, hats, you can make anything in wax print as I'm trying to show you right now with my bag.

COMM: But using this fabric as yarn is tricky because the stiff cotton has no stretch.

Lydia: Honestly, knitting with this is a full body workout.

It is flipping hard work.

COMM: Lydia's traditional wax print bag will be knit in the round using the linen stitch, which creates a beautiful woven look.

But because of its density, it takes longer to knit.

She will crochet around plastic rings to give her bag handles.

(anticipatory music fades) Lydia: Because I'm slipping every other stitch in the linen stitch, I'm essentially doing each row twice, so it grows really slowly.

So, it's not going to be huge, but it's definitely more like a handle top bag.

I would like to think I'm in with a chance to win Big Knitter this week, but I don't think I'm the only one in with a chance.

So we'll just see which way the judges go.

(foreboding music) COMM: Two hours into the challenge, and the knitters should be well into the body of their bags.

But Isaac is still meticulously creating his yarn.

Once I've finished the cuts on this t-shirt, it will unravel into one long strip.

I'm using scissors... which may be a little slower going, but achieving precision in the finished product is all in the working.

(foreboding music fades) Isaac, what's the plan?

My bag is designed to look like a mint humbug.

I'm calling it a humbag.

A humbag!

(fast-paced music) COMM: Isaac is using a combination of black and white t-shirts to create his humbag.

He will knit the bag in panels of striped stocking stitch, and then crochet around hair curlers for his handles finishing with a zip, and after impressing with last week's lace he is planning to elevate his humbag with a delicate lace crochet for the wrapper.

My grandma always used to have a bag of mint humbugs that she would share out with people.

I grew up not far from my grandparents.

You know, during the school holidays they used to look after me, and I didn't know this until after she died, but she used to crochet.

Oh, really?

And actually we found a pattern that she had been working on made of some lace, and so the decorative wrappers on my bag are actually going to be that same lace pattern.

Oh, well, that's really nice.

I'm kind of at a point in my life where the world is my oyster, so this competition is just something that I can use to grow from.

I didn't go into this expecting to get... on the show in the first place, to get this far, to win would just be gravy.

But I know my grandma, she would have been proud of me regardless of what I produced.

(fast-paced music fades) Yeah, I know she's up there looking down on me being like... "Come on, get to the final".

(adventurous music) COMM: With a place in the final up for grabs, the judges are planning a rigorous weight test.

So, knitters must consider strength as well as style.

(adventurous music fades) How is that knitting up?

Is it quite a struggle?

It's not the funnest thing to knit with, no.

The goal for my bag, sort of, was to make it look woven, so I'm doing the linen stitch.

Yeah.

I love linen stitch.

In weave you have lines going in both directions, they're firm, they do not give.

(hypnotic music) This actually gives you lines going in both directions in the same way, and that creates strength.

-Yeah.

It's a really good stitch for bag material.

-Hello.

-Di: Hi, Holger.

So, what are you doing?

Holger: This is where we are at the moment.

The way this is constructed, you're starting with very small stitches, like slip stitches, then you do single crochet, half double, double crochet.

You can see that V that forms here, this is because the stitches in the centre are taller than the stitches on the outside.

-Can I have a feel?

-Of course you can.

Thank you.

Great.

Love the idea of that.

So, when we get something heavy in this... It will not do a deckchair on us.

No.

It's not going to do a deckchair.

This structure will actually help that, won't it?

And what's going to go there?

There is going to be a crocheted button.

Di: Oh.

Well, I'm very glad to hear that.

I said, why not give it to you?

Holger: I've come into this to make it as far as I can.

The main thing for me is I want to enjoy this whole process.

I lost my last job just when the pandemic started, and then my dad started to get less well.

Because I wasn't working, I decided to move back and look after him.

Me and my life and everything was completely on hold.

So, I was there for him, which is absolutely fine because he's my... he was my dad.

Um... But I felt after he passed and I came back to the UK, I felt... not only do I need to rebuild my life a little bit, but also make this about myself.

And when I saw the casting call, I thought, "You know what?

You can do something that you actually just indulge in".

(hypnotic music fades into playful music) COMM: Painstakingly cutting his strips of yarn has taken Isaac much longer than he anticipated.

Isaac: This is taking so long.

COMM: So, he's now at least three hours behind.

Isaac: I still need to connect the two of them, then I also need to do the handles... and the lace on the side.

So, I have, like, quite a bit to go.

COMM: Isaac's failure to finish has come under scrutiny before, so it's imperative he stays on track with this challenge.

Isaac: Yeah, I think, I think time's probably my biggest enemy.

(playful music fades) Hi, Ailsa.

What are you doing?

I'm making a gym bag from gym leggings.

Di: Oh.

Sheila: In terms of holding the weight you're sure?

You've done your research?

You've done your homework?

As I'm going, I'm trying to take stretch out of it by adjusting my tension to try and keep it even.

Okay.

(suspenseful music, bleating) Holger, do you mind taking wee Tom out there, please?

He's got a message for you.

Has he?

Where is it?

You're halfway through the challenge.

Knitters, you are halfway through the bag challenge.

COMM: At the halfway mark, knitters should be starting to complete the body of the bags, and working up the straps, handles and finishing touches.

Lydia: I'm happy with how it's coming together, but my God, it is... hard work.

Having nightmares about, like, how to stabilise the bag.

I was, like, "I might have to start cutting into my own trousers to get some strength into this thing".

Lydia: Please don't cut into your trousers.

Ailsa, laughing: Wee sad school boy leaving the barn.

This competition is quite tough.

I feel like the first half I'd been given a few high ranks, been given the first sheep, I was feeling quite confident.

But then from week four, Kids' Week, I was, like, "Hmm".

Every week since then I've had a bit more doubt over how well I'm doing.

At this stage in the competition, the pressure is definitely on.

It is quite daunting.

I'm looking for a darning needle that's big enough to put my tights through, so that I can get the pockets on.

I'm trying not to feel defeated and rattled.

I think that's me.

I think that's me a goner.

(suspenseful music fades) (tense music) COMM: It's the semi-final, and the knitters are over halfway through their Solo Challenge, upcycling unusual fabrics into show-stopping bags.

I think the biggest workout these leggings have seen is this one.

It's quite tough to use.

COMM: Good job there's a five-time Olympian on hand.

Do you think we should do some hand yoga?

Oh, God.

Stretch them out to the side.

Touch your head, shoulders, knees... And toes.

Tom, laughing: You got there before I did.

COMM: In the final stages of the challenge knitters should be attaching handles or straps strong enough to withstand the judges' weight test.

But while some are reinforcing with structural elements... I'm going to be using these as the handles.

I need to crochet into the bag and round the handle to secure it in.

I'm doing the shoulder strap.

I'm crocheting over a core, because this has no stretch whatsoever.

There would be nothing worse than Di and Sheila picking up the bag and the handle falls off.

Mm-mm.

COMM: ...Ailsa is hoping the strength of stitches alone will pass the test.

(tense music fades) If I make my tension really tight, I can take the stretch out of it.

It's a stretchy fabric.

That seems like such a stupid decision now.

(Ailsa laughs) I think I'm on a shoogly peg.

A shoogly peg just means that my position's not secure.

Knitters, we have one hour to go until we find out whether you have designer bags or Bags for Life.

The pressure is on.

(suspenseful music) COMM: With one hour to go, knitters should be moving onto the final flourishes.

-You're putting on the button.

-The button was the last bit that was crocheted.

-How much more have you got left to do?

-The fringing and the lining.

-You're lining it?

-I'm trying to.

I just need to do my handles now.

It's not looking likely that I'll get any lace on.

COMM: With less than an hour remaining, Isaac is sacrificing his humbug wrappers.

I'm feeling disappointed that I'm not going to get to do the lace that my grandma had done.

I've once again messed up my time.

This is something that I am known for.

Ailsa: I'm just adding my little water bottle slot at the side, just to add another wee bit.

What am I doing?

That's a lost cause.

Lydia: I don't think there's anything to lose by trying it, and if it looks awful, rip it out.

Which it does anyway.

No, that is not... that is not what we're saying right now.

It's what I'm certainly thinking.

I'm on my second handle.

I've hit my peak with this.

I just want to stop.

I'm so close to the end.

I'm so close to the end, but I just want to stop.

Holger: I'm literally just fringing, and it is just strips of fabric that are being pulled through.

Isaac: I don't know where my zip's gone.

There it is.

Um... Actually, no, handle's more important.

Sorry.

It's a bag with secure handles.

Feeling good.

And I think that's where we're going to leave this.

-Wow.

Hold it up.

-There you go.

Wow, that's a bag.

(suspenseful music fades) Knitters, your time is up.

(foreboding music) Isaac: Even in its full glory I don't think my bag is super attractive.

COMM: After ten hours, that's four refashioned bags... (clears throat) COMM: ...in the bag.

Feeling cautiously optimistic.

I've done everything I can do.

I really just ran out of time, like, that's all it was.

It doesn't have a closure.

It doesn't have the features that I was planning on putting on it.

It's not clean.

It's bad.

It's really bad.

(foreboding music fades) Well done, knitters.

It's now time for Di and Sheila to try out your bags.

So, first up we have Lydia.

(light, piano-driven music) Ah.

This is strong.

Amazingly strong fabric.

You're using a linen stitch, which you're probably regretting at this point, but it does give a look of a woven bag, which is really nice.

And of course, everything is built from the base, and you've integrated the handles into this.

Sheila: For strength.

Di: Quite a nice fashion accessory.

Sheila: I think we're ready for the weight test.

Ooh.

Can we have some weights, Tom?

Yes, you may.

So, here I have two balls of yarn that weigh one kilo each.

So, you've got a two-kilogram weight test.

-Sheila: Here we go.

-Tom: In they go.

Di: That's held very well, hasn't it?

Sheila: It did hold well.

Di: The handles.

Sheila: It didn't move.

-Tom: Thank you very much, Lydia.

-Lydia: Thank you.

Tom: Next up, Holger.

It's a very lovely bag, with a feeling of luxury to it.

I do really like this shape.

Really interesting, lovely shape.

And this construction, it's like a scallop.

-Yeah.

-The shell.

Here and here.

Ah, a bobble.

-A bobble button, yes.

-A proper bobble button.

-Holger: Yes.

-Di: Very happy to see that.

Holger: Yes.

So, this has given it incredible strength, hasn't it, which is actually a really good idea to use a woven fabric inside so you don't get that stretch.

And I like the tassels.

-A bit of flamboyance and... -Yeah.

Bit of fun.

Di: Fun.

-And you've lined it.

-Yep.

Di: It's good to have a lining.

I think it needs the weight test.

That's really not bad.

-Thank you very much, Holger.

-Thank you.

Tom: Next up we have Ailsa.

Di: Ha.

So, this idea came from the repurposing of tights?

-Ailsa: Yeah.

-That's a really nice concept and idea to take through to a sports bag.

We very much like the circularity of where it came from and what it ended up being used for.

The construction hasn't quite worked.

It is quite tricky working with the fabric that you chose, and I think all those variations from the different pairs of leggings has given you quite a trouble in keeping that uniformity.

Are you ready for the weight test?

Here we go.

One and... -Oh, God.

- ...two.

I think it might be better if we pull up.

It needs that double handle.

Thank you very much, Ailsa.

Isaac.

So, it's a great idea.

The humbag.

Sheila: You were going to create... A little lace for some wrappers.

Yeah.

Just ran out of time.

-Didn't make it.

-No.

Also your original idea for the fastening.

That's... It was a, it was a zip, but again... -It was a zip.

-Didn't have time.

Di: Not being able to put the zip in... Yeah.

...and insert the lace has had an impact on the design.

Definitely.

We don't get to see the sides coming together.

It, it sits open.

Was it just that it took so long to manipulate?

Just the creating the yarn.

I think I vastly underestimated how long it was taking me.

Di: Which is a shame.

Do you think we should try the ultimate test?

-Tom: Here we come.

-Di: Tom.

Okay.

Let's see.

There we go.

Di: Yeah, that's pretty good.

So, a shame it didn't get finished.

Yeah.

Sheila: Mm.

-Thank you very much, Isaac.

-Thank you.

(music fades) Tom: Well done, knitters.

You really pulled it out of the bag there, and for one of you, victory is in the bag.

It is now time for me to take Di and Sheila into the Stituation Room to see who has bagged a place in the Game of Wool final.

(suspenseful music) I'd flippin' love to be the first person to get three badges.

That would be amazing.

I would feel it probably comes down to between Lydia and me.

I can't really call it.

I'm definitely at risk of going home.

I think it'd be foolish to think that I wasn't at risk of going home.

There's a huge chance and a huge possibility that it'll be me saying goodbye today.

(suspenseful music fades) This week has been wild.

It's really getting close to the wire now.

Who stood out for you?

Di: So, Lydia and Holger.

(ethereal music) Di: The long dress with the enormous sleeves, it was pretty amazing.

The design for that dress was mainly, I mean Holger and Lydia worked on it, but Holger was very much responsible for how it all came together.

But do you think that he was really able to show off his skills in that challenge?

-I do.

-Sheila: Yeah.

And they've done really well in the bag challenge as well.

-Both of them have done extremely well.

-Very strong.

So... we have... two people not performing as well in both challenges.

Ailsa.

She seemed to have lost that sparkling design element that she puts into things.

She kind of just lost her way.

Isaac.

His bag was completely unfinished.

Sheila: By semi-final week we really do expect everyone to have finished their projects.

Yeah.

It's so hard.

Have you made a decision?

Yes.

(ethereal music fades) Well, knitters, it's now time... to find out who has knit big this week and guaranteed themselves a place in the final.

The Big Knitter this week is... Holger.

Congratulations.

Con-stitch-ulations, Holger, I'll give you a big Baaaaa.

Thaa-nk you.

And this part gets harder and harder every week.

So, the knitter being cast off this week is... Isaac.

-All good.

-Sheila: Isaac.

-All good.

-Oh, that hurt to say.

All good.

Tom: You've done so incredibly well.

I had a bad week.

This is not a shock, but in the best kind of way.

Like, I've just had such a fantastic experience.

Yeah.

I'm very lucky this week.

It feels amazing to be in the final.

I really need to bring my A game next week.

Me and Holger are both up there, so it was going to be one of us.

So yeah, I'm really excited to be in the final next week, and I'm absolutely going to give it my all.

Holger: It feels like this is the last push.

Now we're literally there.

We're on the cusp of the final.

We're about to kind of... battle it out to the death.

COMM: Next time... (captivating music) Welcome to the final of Game of Wool.

Lydia: We've come this far.

Ailsa: I'm going to throw absolutely everything I've got.

Holger: Shoot for the stars and then you land on the moon.

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