Spinzilla

What is Spinzilla?

Spinzilla is an event designed to increase education and awareness of hand spinning. Our goals are:

• Collectively spin as much yarn as possible during Spinning and Weaving Week.
• Raise awareness of hand spinning in the yarn market and beyond.
• Increase spinning confidence and knowledge through various challenges.
• Establish a spinning component with the Needle Arts Mentoring Program (NAMP), supporting educating children in the needle arts.

Why Spinzilla?

Spinning and Weaving Week has been a long-standing tradition in the spinning and weaving community. Based on membership feedback, the Spinning and Weaving Group created a committee to explore the options to create a fun event that would engage spinners of all skill levels and capture the imagination of the general public. Spinzilla 2013 is our inaugural year!

How can I get involved?

Come cheer on your local Asheville Spinzilla team! We are a group of very enthusiastic spinners with high hopes of winning the contest. We are sponsored by Asheville Homecrafts and will have several “spin-ins” throughout Spinzilla week where you can come meet us. Here’s our spinning schedule:

• Monday – Spinning at Asheville Homecrafts 10 am to 12 pm, Asheville Visitor’s Center 11 am to 2 pm, Asheville Homecrafts 4 pm to 6 pm
• Tuesday – Spinning at Asheville Homecrafts 10 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm
• Wednesday – Spinning at Asheville Homecrafts 10 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm
• Thursday – Spinning at Asheville Homecrafts 10 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm
• Friday (I love yarn day!) – Spinning at Asheville Homecrafts 10 am to 12 pm, Echoview Fiber Mill (Weaverville) 11 am to 3 pm, Asheville Homecrafts 4 pm to 6 pm
• Saturday – Spinning with the Knotty Ladies Retreat in Jonesboro, TN 9 am to 5 pm
• Sunday – Spinning at Asheville Homecrafts 12 pm to 4 pm

My preparation for Spinzilla – fiber has been chosen, wheels oiled, cleaned, tightened and ready to SPIN!

How does this event work?

Beginning on August 15^th, 2013, individuals can sign up for a team based on proximity to a store or an affinity with a certain brand.

The registration fee is $10 with a limit of 25 spinners per team. Once you have registered, your team captain will get in touch with you with more information about your teams goals, events, incentives, and other information about the event.

How will the winners be determined?

The first goal of Spinzilla is to spin the most yarn! Spin time begins at midnight EST on Monday, October 7 and ends at midnight EST on Sunday, October 13. In between these dates, spin, spin, spin! Registered spinners must submit a photograph of their yarn and how much yardage they spun by midnight EST on Wednesday, October 15 to their team captain.

Team captains will submit their team’s yardage by 8pm EST on October 16^th. The winning team will be announced on Friday, October 18^th! The Spinzilla Trophy will be awarded to the team who has spun the most yardage. Each member of the winning team will receive a $25 gift certificate from a participating prize donor. All Spinzilla participants will be entered into random drawings for product gift certificates.

How can I form a team?

The initial response to Spinzilla filled first year team capacity within the first month of opening team registration. Therefore, team registration for the 2013 event is currently closed.

 Where will the proceeds go?

100% of the proceeds will go towards toward establishing a spinning program within The Needle Arts Mentoring Program (NAMP), whose mission is to create community partnerships that promote and encourage relationships between adults and youth, fostering curiosity, creativity, and a feeling of achievement through the teaching of needle arts.

NAMP is a non-profit organization that supports programs that teach children the various needle arts, including crochet, cross-stitch, knitting, needlepoint, and now spinning. Spinzilla proceeds will fund supplying the organization with CD spindle packs to make available to educators that want to teach spinning to youth.

What is the Needle Arts Mentoring Program?

 NAMP is a volunteer-based program that supports adult mentors who teach needle arts to groups of children in grades one through twelve. NAMP resources are available to school systems, after school programs, scout troops, library programs or any other places where children gather. Generally, mentors meet with the children one hour per week for a six to nine week session, although programs can be designed to suit a particular situation.