27km-long scarf Guinness record bid
IF ENOUGH people get hooked on crocheting, a world record could be set at the Nelson Mandela Capture site in Howick this year.
That is when Guinness World Record officials check out the massive roll of scarves that have been crocheted by an army of dedicated KnitWits across the country – and if it reaches 27km, as hoped, it will be declared the longest crocheted scarf in the globe.
Organised by 67 Blankets, a Nelson Mandela Day-linked initiative which aims to keep disadvantaged people warm in winter, the big scarf will be made up of many individual and group contributions sewn together to clinch the record.
After the record attempt, the monster scarf will be unpicked and the scarves returned to the various provinces they came from, for distribution to the needy.
“Twenty-seven kilometres is an extremely long scarf and we need as many hands on deck as possible,” said Carolyn Steyn, founder of 67 Blankets, which has been running for five years.
Although not every knitter can crochet, KnitWits groups are standing by to teach the skill, said spokesperson Sneziwe Dube yesterday.
The Guinness World Book criteria is that each scarf has to be 20cmx150cm to 200cm and the crochet hook size must not exceed 6.5mm. Anything that does not fit these criteria will be allocated to another project, Secret Scarves SShhh.
The scarves must be completed by July 6.
The big scarf event will unfold at the capture site at 10am on July 29.
Visit www.67blankets.co.za