KnitWits confident of longest scarf record
IN AN extraordinary countrywide effort to break the Guinness World Record for the longest crocheted scarf, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day surpassed their initial target of 27km by over 2km, reaching an astonishing length of 29.18km.
Professional land surveyor Kevin Melhuish, who recorded and calculated the final length of the scarf, said the bend points of the joined scarf were surveyed using a RTK GPS and the co-ordinates were downloaded to a mapping software application, where the total distance was calculated.
“I am pleased to confirm that I have measured the scarves, joined on site at the Mandela Capture Site, and the total length is 29176.98 metres or 29.18 km,” said Melhuish.
This final calculation will be submitted to Guinness for verification before the organisation can claim the world record.
The current world record is held by Mother India’s Crochet Queens, who crocheted the longest scarf measuring 14.089km last year.
Over the past four months the KnitWits for Madiba have been crocheting scarves to the exact standards of the Guinness World Book criteria, which include each 20cm x 200cm scarf being crocheted using a hook size no bigger than 6.5mm.
Carolyn Steyn, founder of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, said ambassadors came from across South Africa to achieve this record attempt and the “spirit of Ubuntu” that she saw on the field was “amazing”.
“I’m so so proud of our KnitWits for Madiba all around our country, who put hook to wool and turned out thousands and thousands of scarves to break this record,” she said.
Steyn added that there is a knitting revolution for Madiba – where people from all races, religions, socio economic backgrounds including children and men are “stitch by stitch” continuing Madiba’s legacy.
“It’s a very very exciting unifying project, we are knitting our lives together because obviously the beneficiaries receive warmth but in the process people come together from all walks of life from around the country,” Steyn said.
About 19 000 scarves will be distributed across the country in the next two weeks with the services of moving company Stuttaford Van Lines.