Join our Game of Wool knit-along: Make our Lace & Blooms blanket!

The brand-new knitting competition, Game of Wool, has hit our screens, and we're eager to see how the show unfolds. In our interview with Tom, Di, and Sheila, they expressed their wish for people to knit along with the show... their wish is our command!

We've teamed up with our friends over at Simply Knitting to bring you a weekly knit-a-long. To celebrate the start of the TV show 'Game of Wool: Britain's Best Knitter', we've released the Lace and Blooms Blanket knit-along patterns to you for free, so you can enjoy some exciting knitting R&R as you watch the show!

Find the perfect spot in the conservatory or bedroom for our dreamy Lace and Blooms Blanket by Nicola Valiji, complete with 3D flowers. Working a knit-along comes with a wonderful sense of achievement, adding another piece to the knitting puzzle as you work through the sections.

We will update this page with the next four stitch patterns every Monday for seven weeks, meaning you can knit along with us and a community of yarn lovers.

Each part release will be announced in Gathered's knitting and crochet newsletter, sent out at 10am every Monday.

Sign up here, or through the widget below, to prevent missing out on new section releases!

Keep scrolling to enjoy the first instalment of Nicola Valiji beautiful throw KAL – you'll find the first four stitch patterns below.

To join in with our Lace & Blooms Blanket knit-along you will need:

For the entire blanket:
King Cole Merino Blend DK (100% wool, 50g/104m)
16 balls of Yarn A Aran (046)
1 ball of Yarn B Lavender (927)
1 ball of Yarn C Pale Blue (1531)
1 ball of Yarn D Pale Pink (1532)
1 ball of Yarn E Carnation (3090)
1 ball of Yarn F Mustard (855)
2 balls of Yarn G Sage (853)
A pair of 4mm needles

TENSION
22 sts and 28 rows to measure 10x10cm (4x4in) over st st using 4mm needles

MEASUREMENTS
Blanket 115.5x93cm (45½x36½in); individual square 14.5x15cm (5¾x6in)

KNIT-ALONG BLANKET 
Note A long-tail cast on is recommended throughout this blanket KAL (there’s a great tutorial to help: here). The squares are worked separately and joined after they are all completed. Numbering squares once knitted will make it much easier to construct the end project at the end. Each square should be blocked to the given measurements before attaching the flowers. 

Part one of the knit-along!

SQUARE 1 - ROSE (MAKE 6)
Cast on 33 sts using 4mm knitting needles and Yarn A.

Row 1 (RS) *K1, P1 rep from * to last st, K1. 

Rows 2 to 6 As Row 1. 

Row 7 (K1, P1) twice, K25, (P1, K1) twice. 

Row 8 (K1, P1) twice, P25, (P1, K1) twice.

Rep Rows 7 and 8 sixteen more times ending with Row 8. 

Rows 41 to 46 As Row 1.

Cast off. 

FLOWER A FOR SQUARE 1 (MAKE 6) 

Make two in Yarn B, one each in Yarn C, D, E and F. 

Cast on 108 sts using 4mm knitting needles.

Row 1 and all WS rows Purl.

Row 2 *K2tog, rep from * to end of row. [54 sts]

Row 4 *K2tog, K4, rep from * to end of row. [45 sts]

Row 6 *K2tog, K3, rep from * to end of row. [36 sts]

Row 8 *K2tog, rep from * to end of row. [18 sts]

Row 10 *K2tog rep from * to end of row. [9 sts]

Cast off.

LEAVES FOR FLOWER A (MAKE 12)

Cast on 4 sts using 4mm knitting needles and Yarn G .

Row 1 (RS) Kfb, K1, kfb, K1. [6 sts]

Rows 2, 4 and 6 Purl.

Row 3 Kfb, K3, kfb, K1. [8 sts]

Row 5 Kfb, K5, kfb, K1. [10 sts]

Row 7 K2tog, K6, k2tog. [8 sts]

Row 8 P2tog, P4, p2tog. [6 sts]

Row 9 K2tog, K2, k2tog. [4 sts]

Row 10 (P2tog) twice. [2 sts]

Row 11 K2tog. [1 st]

Fasten off.

FINISHING 

Roll up Flower A around cast off edge, shape and secure with a few stitches. Attach two leaves to the base, using photograph to assist placement. Block squares. Sew one Flower A to each Square 1.

Part two of the knit-along!

SQUARE 2 - ZIG ZAG LACE (MAKE 6)

Cast on 31 sts using 4mm knitting needles and Yarn A.

Row 1 (WS) Knit.

Rows 2 to 5 Knit.

Commence pattern repeat:

Row 6 (RS) K2, *K4, yo, skpo, K3* rep from *to last 2 sts, K2.

Row 7 and all WS rows K2, purl to last 2 sts, K2.

Row 8 K2, *K2, k2tog, yo, K1, yo, skpo, K2, * rep from * to last 2 sts, K2.

Row 10 K2, *K1, k2tog, yo, K3, yo, skpo, K1, * rep from * to last 2 sts, K2.

Row 12 K2, *k2tog, yo, K5, yo, skpo*, rep from *to last 2 sts, K2.

Row 13 K2, purl to last 2 sts, K2.

Rep Rows 6 to 13, four more times.

Rows 44 to 48 Knit.

Cast off. 

Part three of the knit-along!

SQUARE 3 - FLOWER CLUSTER (MAKE 6)

Cast on 1 st using 4mm needles and Yarn A.

Row 1 (RS) Kfb. [2 sts]

Row 2 (Kfb) twice. [4 sts]

Row 3 Knit.

Row 4 Sl1, K1, yo, knit to end of row.

Rep Row 4 to 43 sts ending with WS row.

Dec row Sl1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, knit to end of row. 

Rep Dec row until 4 sts remain.

Next row (K2tog) twice. [2 sts]

Next row K2tog. [1 st] 

Fasten off. 

FLOWER B FOR SQUARE 3 (MAKE 18)

Make four each in Yarns C, D and E and three in Yarns B and F. 

Cast on 3 sts using 4mm needles.

Row 1 Kfb, knit to end. [4 sts]

Row 2 P3, pfb. [5 sts]

Row 3 Knit.

Row 4 Purl.

Row 5 K2tog, knit to end. [4 sts]

Row 6 P2, p2tog. [3 sts]

Rep Rows 1 to 6 twice more (three small petals).

Row 19 Kfb, knit to end. [4 sts]

Row 20 P3, pfb. [5 sts]

Row 21 Kfb, knit to end. [6 sts] 

Row 22 P5, pfb. [7 sts]

Row 23 Knit.

Row 24 Purl.

Row 25 K2tog, knit to end. [6 sts]

Row 26 Purl to last 2 sts, p2tog. [5 sts]

Row 27 As Row 25. [4 sts]

Row 28 As Row 26. [3 sts]

Rep Rows 21 to 28 once more (two larger petals)

Cast off. 

LEAVES FOR FLOWER B (MAKE 18)  

Cast on 8 sts using 4mm needles and Yarn G.

Row 1 K6, turn, working on these 6 sts:

Row 2 Purl.

Row 3 Knit across all sts.

Cast off. 

FINISHING

Roll the knitted roses with the smaller petals innermost and shape to resemble a rose. Secure with a few stitches. Attach a leaf to the base of each rose. Block squares. Attach to Square 3 in groups of three, using the following yarn combinations: 

1. D, B and F. 

2. D, E and F.

3. B, C and E. 

4. C, E and D.

5. F, E and C. 

6. C, B and D.