Knitting to be featured on Norway's next "Slow TV" movement

Norwegians really know their knitting, and they love their "Slow TV." If you have ever seen a 24-hour broadcast of a burning fireplace, you are familiar with Slow TV, but Norway takes it to a whole new level.

Norway's public television station NRK has had astonishing success with their previous Slow TV events, which air in prime time television slots. In the past they have featured 12 hours of a wood stove burning and being maintained, which not only set records for television attendance, it also fueled acrimonious disputes among viewers about when logs should be added, which logs should be shifted for optimal burning, and so forth.

Another event was a 130-hour live broadcast of a cruise ship sailing up Norway's coast to the Arctic. NRK calls it "slow but noble television," and it's not only relaxing, it is also proving surprisingly popular. (Think this is strange? Consider the way the internet went nuts over Syfy's made-for-TV movie Sharknado. We have no grounds to talk.)

On November 1, NRK will feature a knitting-themed event, and they hope to break a world record. The show will begin by shearing a lamb (who has already been selected). Seven knitters will then proceed to prep, spin, and knit the yarn into a sweater.

The previous record for "televised sheep to sweater" was set by an Australian team of four hours 51 seconds. NRK plan to beat that record, but nevertheless, the show is scheduled to be on long past midnight. What do you think? Would you stay up to watch it? I'm curious to find out if there will be a live stream of the event. I bet a lot of spinners and knitters worldwide would make it a point to tune in and root for the Norwegians to break that record!

Image courtesy Flickr/NotReallyAmPlumbum