Spinzilla 2017!

The first week of October we participated in the 5th annual Spinzilla spinning competition. For one-week hand spinners across the globe compete to spin as many yards of yarn as they can. Every year we select a theme that runs throughout all of our events. We even have t-shirts made with our team logo! This year was all about Game of Thrones, and our teammates cam up with silly fiber/GOT pun handles. For example, Jaime Lambister (Skein Slayer), Ambrys Targhee-ryn (The Mad Skeinmaker), Ramsey Bobbins and Jeor Merino (Lord Commander of the Knit Swatch). We had a ton of fun and spun a lot of wool. Way to go #teamfancytiger!

Every year during Spinzilla we participate in and host several spinning events. Some are in breweries and pubs, some are at awesome landmarks, some are after hours in the store, all of them are great fun and bring together an incredible community of spinners.

This year we had our kickoff party at Ratio Beerworks! It was the perfect relaxing environment where we could spin, chat with friends and enjoy delicious beer.

We also had the chance to spend the day at the Botanic Gardens on one of the most beautiful days this Fall. 75 degrees, sunny and surrounded by the huge migration of Painted Lady butterflies that have taken over the state. It could not have been a more perfect setting.

Spinzilla is not only about the competition and spinning the most yards. It is also a great opportunity for us to get out into the community and educate people on modern spinning, different fibers, and show them how accessible it can be. It's part of why we love to host so many events throughout the week.

The final day of the competition was spent with hundreds of spinners at the Denver Art Museum. Talk about an incredible sense of spinning community!

As much as we love to get out and spread the word about spinning, sometimes it is fun to just hole up in the shop, and spin the night away. This year the good people at Sweet Bloom provided us with delicious coffee to fuel our feet as we locked the doors and spun until we couldn't keep our eyes open. It's not all smiles, sometimes there are tangles and tears but in the end, we are always glad to be together working with our hands (and eating pizza).

The unsung heroes of Spinzilla are definitely the friends and family that volunteer their time to help us count and skein our beautiful yards of yarn. Thanks so much to everybody that donated their time to help Team Fancy Tiger this year. It is always greatly appreciated.

We had some inter-team competitions, for "Most Yardage Spun", "Best Game of Thrones Spinning Photo", "Best GOT Themed Yarn Photo", and "Best Spinning in Public Photo".

Shannon was our top spinner for the third year in a row with 13,040 yards!

Kim won the Best GOT Spinning Photo, with this epic snowy shot with her "direwolf" and sword. Lacey won Best GOT Themed Yarn Photo for her "Greysmoke" skein. And the prize for Best Spinning in Public Photo goes to Melanie, who documented her impressive dropspindling-while-drinking-in-a-crowded-room at The Great American Beerfest. That takes skills!

This year was another great year. The team spun some really amazing yarn and we collectively made 124,648 yards of yarn!

Thanks to all the Spinzilla participants that make this event so special.