Knitting Marathoner Hits New Personal Best in NYC

I’ve written before about David Babcock, the knitting marathoner who holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the longest scarf knit while running a marathon (12 feet, completed at last year’s Kansas City Marathon).

Babcock ran the New York City Marathon earlier this month, in part to raise money for the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and while he was knitting while running, he wasn’t going for a record this time.

For one thing, he wasn’t allowed to use knitting needles, which are considered a security risk. So he had to knit with his fingers. (He was supported by Lion Brand Yarn and his training included running on a treadmill while knitting, which you can see if you click on the link below.)

For another, he was double knitting a scarf with his fingers with the words “I’ll Remember for You” worked into the scarf that he was knitting while running a marathon.

He finished the scarf around mile 19.

Which is probably why he was able to finish up the race besting his fastest time by almost a minute.

If you want to support his fundraising efforts, you can still visit his page and make a donation before the end of the month. His goal is to raise $3,000 and he’s about 80 percent there.

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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