There is a certain rhythm to crochet that cannot be hurried. Every loop must find the next. Every knot must hold. Over the past few months, that rhythm has travelled from drawing rooms in Visakhapatnam to homes across India and overseas, where hundreds of hands have been working towards a common goal: knitting tricolour crochet flags for a World Record.On August 1, more than 40,000 handmade crochet tricolour buntings stretching nearly 13 kilometres will be displayed at Port Stadium, Akkayyapalem, in what Mahila Manovikas hopes will become the world’s longest chain of crochet buntings and earn the organisation its fourth Guinness World Records title. A formal gathering of participants will follow on August 2 at CMR Function Hall, Venkojipalem.The scale of the undertaking is striking. Around 330 crocheters, divided into six groups, have contributed to the project. They span generations, from school children and teenagers to Gen Z enthusiasts, homemakers, working professionals, senior citizens and experienced Guinness Record holders. Some learnt crochet only recently, while others have been practising the craft since childhood.
Madhavi Suribhatla, founder of Mahila Manovikas, and a Guinness Record Holder in crochet.
