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Simon Fannon Breaks World Record for Marathon Knitting

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I’ve been writing about knitting long enough that I remember (and wrote about) when knitter David Babcock broke the world record for the longest scarf knit while running a marathon. I don’t know why this is a thing people would want to do or why there is an official record for it, but here we are.

He broke the record at the Kansas City marathon in 2014 with a scarf that was 12 feet, 1.75 inches long (that’s about 3.7 meters) and a run time of five hours, 48 minutes and 27 seconds. 

Over the weekend British knitter Simon Fannon shattered the record at the London Marathon, producing a scarf of 18 feet, three inches, or 5.59 meters in five hours, 48 minutes and 8 seconds. 

The Guinness world record website has already been updated to mark his record. 

Fannon is known online at veteranknitter, and was a Royal Marine and was a contestant on the first series of Game of Wool. He used his run to raise money for the Huntington’s Disease Association and Reorg, a group that works with veterans, members of the military and emergency services workers who face physical and mental health issues as part of their jobs. 

Simon said he cast on as soon as he started running and tried to knit constantly until the last mile or so of the race. Because he was looking down at his knitting so much, he says he missed a lot of the landmarks you run past on the route. He said he aimed to change colors on his bulky garter stitch scarf every meter or so, and he used five colors in the project. 

He kept his yarn in a pocket at his waist and knit with straight needles in continental style.

Congratulations to Simon! Makes me feel like my marathon knitting sessions on the couch (LOL) aren’t nearly as impressive as I thought. 

[Photo via BBC]

Have you read?

Knit a Sweet Blanket with a Pocket for Treasures

When my daughter was in early elementary school we were at Joann together (RIP) and she picked out some variegated pink and white blanket yarn for me to knit a blanket for her bed. Now probably 10 years later, it’s one of her favorite possessions. I note this because the blankets we give to little ones might seem simple on the surface, like something they need to keep warm, but they can turn into so much more. 

Take the Pocketful of Love Blanket from Purl Soho. On the surface this is a pretty but also easy to knit blanket for a little one. It’s worked in garter stitch stripes using sport weight yarn (the sample is a superwash wool, but this would also be nice in cotton or a blend) and available in a crib or small throw size. Though of course because it’s garter stitch, it’s pretty easy to make it any size you want. 

But what makes this blanket extra special is the little details. The slip stitch selvedges and I-cord bind off give it a crisp look that’s perfect with the garter stitch of the body. 

And then there’s the pocket. 

This is a big pocket. At 10 inches wide and 12.25 inches tall (that’s 25.4 by 31 cm) for the crib size and 12.75 by 14.25 inches (32.4 by 36 cm) for the throw, you can easily fit a favorite stuffed animal, toy or book into the pocket. 

I love how even though it uses the same striped garter stitch pattern as the blanket, it’s stitched down so the stripes run the opposite way (horizontal when the blanket stripes are vertical), though of course you can match stripes if you’d rather.

I think this blanket has the potential to be greatly loved by the little one its given to, and by the knitter look for an easy, pretty baby blanket with a little extra useful twist. 

Grab the free pattern from Purl Soho. 

[Photo: Purl Soho]