Found out last night that competitive knitting is actually a thing with real tournaments

I was digging around on some old hobby forums at like 2am and stumbled on a group that holds speed knitting contests. Apparently they time you on a basic scarf pattern and judge for even stitches, no dropped loops. One woman from Ohio claimed she finished a full baby blanket in 47 minutes. Has anyone else run into these weird organized competitions that nobody talks about?

2 comments

2 Comments

samflores17d ago

Yeah but have you seen the competitive yarn-bombing crews? That's a whole different world. @phoenix_bailey is right about tension being the killer though. Those judges are brutal. They run their fingers over every single stitch. I watched a regional final once and a guy got disqualified cause his gauge was off by half a millimeter. The blanket in 47 minutes thing makes sense if you're using chunky yarn and a size 15 needle. Thinner yarn changes everything, adds way more time.

phoenix_bailey17d ago

Speed knitting is definitely real but you gotta be careful with the tension. If you rush too much your stitches get loose and the judges will absolutely call you out on it. I knew someone who trained for months just to enter a local competition and they still got disqualified because of uneven rows. The baby blanket thing sounds wild though but 47 minutes is actually on the slower side for the top tier competitors. If you're thinking of trying it out start with a simple dishcloth pattern and a timer, don't jump straight into something big.