Somewhere in Finland, two women dressed like Vikings and carrying shields and swords walk on stage in front of a band. One carries a large gift bag and places it on the floor. The other woman pulls a knitting project from the bag while the first woman holds the yarn to keep it from tangling.

The band begins playing eardrum-splitting heavy metal music while the woman holding the project knits and the other woman feeds yarn to her. Then a man runs onto the stage and draws his sword at the woman holding the yarn. A swordfight erupts between them, but somehow the woman continues holding the yarn while her partner knits.

The yarn holder stabs the man. He falls on his back, pulls red scarves from his chest, and throws them into the audience. The music ends, and the women hold up a knitted Finland flag as the audience applauds enthusiastically.

They’re competing in The Heavy Metal World Knitting Championships, a popular annual event in Finland that celebrates the Finns’ love for knitting and heavy metal music. The competition attracts entrants from Latvia, Sweden, Japan, Russia, the UK, Denmark, the U.S., and Finland, of course. They show off their knitting skills while rocking out on stage for one minute.

Judges evaluate each performance and choose three winners. One receives the title of Heavy Metal World Knitting Champion and a prize. Two runner-ups receive a prize.

There’s no fee to enter. If you’re interested, read the competition rules and enter online.

The 2020 competition is July 15-16 in Joensuu, Finland. Get all the details at heavymetalknitting.com.

See a previous competition here:
Watch: Heavy Metal Knitting World Championships from Finland