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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 13 July 2019

Purl jam: Finland hosts heavy metal knitting championship

By DAVID KEYTON long winters," said Mari Kar-
Associated Press jalainen, one of the found-
JOENSUU, Finland (AP) — ers of the event. "This really
Armed with needles and a gives us lots of time to plan
yarn of wool, teams of avid for our short summers and
knitters danced Thursday come up with silly ideas."
to the deafening sounds Thursday's competition
of drums beating and gui- saw participants from nine
tars slashing at the first-ever countries, including the
Heavy Metal Knitting World United States, Japan, and
Championship in eastern Russia, put on inspired per-
Finland. formances full of theatrics,
With stage names such as passion and drama and
Woolfumes, Bunny Bandit the jury struggled to agree
and 9" Needles, the par- upon a winner.
ticipants shared a simple Finally, it was a Japanese
goal: to showcase their performance by the five-
knitting skills while dancing person Giga Body Metal
to heavy metal music in the team that clinched the title
most outlandish way pos- with a show featuring crazy
sible. sumo wrestlers and a man
"It's ridiculous but it's so dressed in a traditional Jap-
much fun," said Heather anese kimono.
McLaren, an engineering The competitors of the first Heavy Metal Knitting world championship react on stage, Thursday, "It's a great release," said
PhD student who traveled July 11, 2019 in Joensuu, Finland. Elise Schut, a 35-year-old
from Scotland for a shot at Associated Press nurse from Michigan who
the "world title." er-jackets and swirling their highest number of heavy people judging the com- performed with her 71-year-
''When I saw there was a long hair to the fast-paced metal bands per capita petition. old mother and 64-year-old
combination of heavy met- rhythm of the music. in the world with over 50 While combining heavy family friend, Beth Everson,
al and knitting, I thought A niche musical genre in bands per 100,000 people. metal music with knitting who added that "knitting is
'that's my niche.'" many countries, heavy Even former U.S. President might not seem an obvious such a meditative activity
The competition took place metal is more mainstream Barack Obama comment- match, the organizers say but now it's energetic and
in a packed square in the in Finland, with several ed on this rich tradition it's similar to other unusual heart pumping."
small town of Joensuu close bands household names while welcoming his Finnish events in Finland, such as After the success and fun
to the Russian border. frequently played on the counterpart to the White world championships in of this first championship,
An eclectic group of radio. House in 2016. air guitar, swamp soccer, the organizers announced
around 200 people Its popularity grew further "In Finland it's very dark in and wife carrying — Finn- they would repeat it next
watched the performanc- in 2006 when the Finnish the wintertime, so maybe ish ways of goofing around summer, adding Heavy
es, from families with young band Lordi won the Eurovi- it's in our roots. and making the most of the Metal Knitting to the al-
children and elderly to the sion Song Contest dressed We're a bit melancholic, long summer nights in these ready long list of weird and
less conspicuous heavy as monsters. like the rhythm," said Mark northern latitudes. yet hilarious Finland sum-
metal fans donning leath- Today, Finland has the Pyykkonen, one of three "We have such dark and mer gatherings.q

Ed Sheeran wins again with new terrain, new friends

A stunning who's who of one from H.E.R. to Paulo feel like I'm nobody," he out (OK, a little cringingly)
music's top stars — includ- Londra, an artist from Ar- sings. "te amo, mami."
ing Cardi B, Justin Bieber, gentina. One thing that has Finally, Cardi B storms in
Travis Scott, Khalid, Eminem If listeners go on to explore changed is that marriage to play up the double en-
and Bruno Mars — appear some of the lesser-known seems to agree with Sheer- tendre of the title and an-
on "No. 6 Collaborations collaborators — like the bril- an. nounce: "I think that Ed got
Project." The result is an un- liant rapper Dave — then If in the past, he was creep- a lil' jungle fever."
derstandably scattershot everyone wins. ing a little in an ex's DMs, A few of the guests elevate
of styles — G-Funk, grime, Standouts include "Cross the newly wed Sheeran has some songs — Stormzy and
trap, R&B, tropical hip-hop, Me" with Chance the Rap- created an album awash YEBBA, among them — but
ballads, hair metal — but per and PnB Rock, "Take with love messages to his there are a few under-
what knits it together is an Me Back to London" with wife. "I'm stickin' with my whelming tracks, including
This cover image released by
Atlantic Records shows "No. 6 impossibly high level of Stormzy and "Beautiful Peo- baby, for sure," he sings on the Sheeran-Ella Mai union
Collaborations Project," by Ed songwriting and an undeni- ple" with Khalid. "Cross Me." On "Put It All on on "Put It All on Me" and the
Sheeran. able joy. Despite all the collabora- Me," he admits: "Having my Bieber song.
Associated Press Sheeran seems to revel in tions, there are little touch- woman there is good for For the last track, Sheeran,
By MARK KENNEDY playing with Migos effects es that remind you it's a my soul." Missing home is a Mars and Chris Stapleton
Associated Press (Skrrt!), rap with Eminem, Sheeran album. continual theme. — just take a moment to
Ed Sheeran, "No. 6 Collabo- sing in front of a horn sec- He's still got that sad-sack, He does get frisky for some- wrap your head around
rations Project" (Atlantic) tion and be on a track with lovable misfit thing going one not Mrs. Ed Sheeran on that stunning trio — get into
If anything, Ed Sheeran's Cardi B purring "Okurrr." on, despite earning ac- another fun track "South of a Led Zeppelin groove with
new album does two The title of the 15-track proj- claim and millions of bucks. the Border," a kind of U.S. "BLOW," a head-banger
things. ect is a nod to his 2011 "No. Two songs — "Beautiful Peo- cousin to his "Galway Girl." awash in sexual imagery.
It lets him show off his tre- 5 Collaborations Project," ple" and "I Don't Care" with He and Camila Cabel- "Pull my trigger/Let me blow
mendous range. And it lets which saw Sheeran team Bieber — have Sheeran at lo celebrate a lass with your mind."
him show off his impressive up with U.K. rappers. This a party where he feels he "brown eyes, caramel Too late. Our mind was
rolodex. time, he welcomes every- doesn't belong. "I always thighs" who makes him cry blown a few tracks ago.q