A missed opportunity? The Fair Isle knit controversy and Game of Wool.

An exploration of the controversy that erupted after the airing of the first episode of Channel 4's new craft reality competition show, Game of Wool, in relation to a challenge to produce what show makers called a Fair Isle knit. It is argued that the ensuing row illuminates several of the faultlines that modern Scotland negotiates on a daily basis. These include tensions between the central belt and the Highlands and Islands; disparities in the way in which cultural value is recognised and protected; and the way in which 'place' and heritage can be misrepresented and blurred in order to appeal to wider sensibilities. Coverage of the controversy in local and national newspapers enabled the new organisation Shetland’s Organisation for Knitters (SOK) to establish itself as an important voice in the area and to undertake valuable fundraising. However, on occasion press coverage merely served to reinforce stereotypes of Scotland, Fair Isle and the Shetland Islands and exacerbated misunderstandings of a craft that contributes millions of pounds to the economy of modern Scotland.