Finland Hosted the World’s First Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship and It Was as Weird as It Sounds

Heavy metal and knitting have always been natural companions — it’s just that no one has ever thought to combine them. Not until now, that is. On July 11, Joensuu, Finland, hosted the first-ever Heavy Metal Knitting World Championship, and if you’re new to the competition, the rules are pretty simple: Knit while listening to heavy metal. The competition attracted around 200 people from around the world, primarily fans of heavy metal and knitting.

Photo: Heavy Metal Knitting

Heather McLaeren (knitter in the photo above) traveled to Finland from Scotland for the competition, and told Fox News, “It’s ridiculous but it’s so much fun. When I saw there was a combination of heavy metal and knitting, I thought ‘that’s my niche.’”

Photos of the event show headbanging knitters doing their best at purling stitches while showing their dancing moves.

Photo: Heavy Metal Knitting

To win the highly coveted title, however, you have to get creative. This year’s winners were a five-person group from Japan called Giga Body Metal, who put on a sumo wrestler show as part of their knitting performance.

Photo: Heavy Metal Knitting

Thankfully, this competition isn’t the last. Organizers have already started planning for next year, so you’d better start sharpening your needles — and your spiky outfits.