AFTER years of hard work, thousands of volunteers and countless stitches, Valery Larkin’s attempt to break the world record for the largest knitted blanket is coming to fruition.
The blanket will be unveiled at the Showgrounds in Ennis on Saturday, August 25 and will be open to the public on Sunday, August 26.
“I can’t wait. Everyone that contributed from all over the world can’t wait to see it come together,” Valery said.
She has received knitted squares from the furthest possible reaches of the planet, including Australia, New Zealand, British Colombia, and Singapore.
When Valery started the project, she hoped to reach 15,000 square feet, breaking the current record of 14,835 square feet.
The blanket has surpassed all of her expectations and Valery reckons it is now closer to 20,000 square feet.
It is made up of 60,000 individual squares, all painstakingly knitted together.
“I didn’t think it would be as big. It’s been a fantastic journey and I have met such wonderful people. It has proved that I am not the only dreamer. There are others out there too,” Valery said.
The mind boggles at the thought of transporting all of that woolly cosiness, but Valery has a strategy to ensure it all goes to plan.
Valery and her team are currently winding the blankets onto rolls ten at a time for easier transport and plan to unfurl them on the day.
They are looking for lots of volunteers to help them stitch the sections into one colossal super-blanket.
“I’m actually hoping to get someone with a drone to film the record attempt and show how big it really is,” Valery said.
According to Valery, the cost of getting an adjudicator from Guinness World Records is out of the project’s reach.
She plans to obtain a five day validation instead, which is considerably less expensive.
Valery has set up a Gofundme page to help cover the cost of the record attempt, including paying for plastic sheeting lay under the blankets.
Once the project has been completed, the blanket will be cut up and donated to the Red Cross.
To become a volunteer or donate to the Gofundme page, visit https://www.facebook.com/largestknittedblanket/.
