Volunteers from 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day’s KnitWits movement continue a decade-long tradition of creating scarves to bring warmth and hope to people in need.
A simple act of kindness that began with leaving handmade scarves for people in need has grown into a nationwide movement, with thousands of volunteers helping spread warmth and hope through the Secret Scarves Shh... campaign.
The initiative, run by 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, will mark its 10th anniversary on Mandela Day, July 18, with a handmade scarf chandelier created by the Gauteng KnitWits of 67 Blankets.
The chandelier, which will be unveiled at Hyde Park Corner’s Centre Court as part of the Yarn by Design Expo, has been pieced together entirely from handmade scarves created especially for the installation.
The Secret Scarves Shh... campaign began a decade ago with people leaving hand-knitted or crocheted scarves in public places for those who needed them. Since then, thousands of scarves made by volunteers known as the KnitWits of 67 Blankets have been left in parks, on fences, around trees and in public spaces across South Africa.
