Shoppers invited to knit, crochet and donate wool at Hyde Park Corner’s Centre Court ahead of nationwide Secret Scarves Shh… activation on 18 July.
On Nelson Mandela Day, 18 July, Hyde Park Corner’s Centre Court will host what is believed to be the world’s largest handmade scarf chandelier, marking ten years of the Secret Scarves Shh… campaign run by 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. Shoppers are invited to take part by knitting, crocheting or donating wool at the Yarn by Design Expo, a décor and design showcase which runs at the centre from 18 to 30 July.
The campaign began a decade ago as a simple act: leaving a hand knitted or crocheted scarf in a public place for someone in need. It has since grown into a nationwide movement of kindness. 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. Some have even been handed out from Johannesburg’s City Sightseeing Red Bus, each carrying a handwritten message of care.
To mark the anniversary, Centre Court will become the Yarn by Design Expo, featuring three curated living spaces designed by Cabbages & Roses and dressed in colour coded handcrafted scarves and bespoke blankets. The bespoke scarf chandelier will hang above the installation, pieced together entirely from handmade scarves by the 67 Blankets Gauteng KnitWits especially for the installation.
“Hyde Park Corner is proud to open its doors to the Secret Scarves Shh… campaign as it celebrates a decade of warmth and connection,” says Sheree McHaffie, Hyde Park Corner marketing spokesperson. “The scarf chandelier suspended above Centre Court is a striking symbol of what a caring community can build together, one stitch at a time. We hope our shoppers will stop by, pick up a needle or simply take a scarf home for someone who needs it.”
Each Secret Scarf carries the campaign’s familiar tag: “I AM NOT LOST. If you are cold and need me, please take me. Love, 67 Blankets xxx.”
“What started ten years ago as leaving handmade scarves in public places for people in need has grown into a nationwide movement rooted in compassion,” says Carolyn Steyn, founder of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. “Every scarf represents warmth, dignity and hope, and we are proud of the thousands of people who have embraced this simple idea and helped it grow into a national movement.”
Everyone is invited to be part of this heartwarming initiative. Bring along your handmade scarves and blankets to donate to 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, helping to keep someone warm in winter. Need supplies? A wool retailer will be on site, where you can purchase wool to donate or to start your own handmade creation.
Since 67 Blankets was founded in 2013, more than 200,000 handmade blankets and scarves have been distributed internationally, a figure the organisation attributes to volunteers giving their time and skill to strangers.
The Yarn by Design Expo runs at Hyde Park Corner’s Centre Court on 18 July. Entry is free.