It is no secret that in Finland, the land of bands like Nightwish and Apocalyptica, people love Heavy Metal. In fact, it is estimated that in that country there are approximately 50 Metal bands per 100 thousand inhabitants. This 2022 was once again a Finnish world championship that combines the two passions of many people globally: knitting and Heavy Metal.
If you too enjoy knitting while listening to the most pounding guitars, then you know it’s the most fun to do it to the beat of the music. That’s what the championship in Finland is all about: each team takes the stage, along with a Metal band (which this year was Systematic Sickness), to knit with needles while headbanging.
Below you can see how the 2022 edition of Heavy Metal Knitting in Joensuu, Finland went down. Spoiler alert, the winners were the English team String Thing. According to the jury, the decision was unanimous: “The winning team put on an amazing and energetic show, their creativity was shown in many ways: from the costumes to the use of space. The show came off the stage in the form of giant balls of yarn and the audience was included to have fun with the performers.”
This year, the jury of Heavy Metal Knitting in Joensuu included Anni Kokkonen, vocalist of the melodic Metal band Nevicate, and Dalva Lamminmäki, organizer of the event at the Susiraja Metal Club. This is the third edition of the championship and the second to take place in person, as the first was online. The next edition will be held on July 7, 2023, and teams from all over the world can participate, so get your needles ready because it could be you who will be knitting on that stage in the promised land of Metal.
Story originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva.
