WATCH: Try some ‘good wool’ – you’ll be hooked

A BALL of wool and a crochet hook can be life-changing – they certainly were for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day founder Carolyn Steyn. She founded the NPO after she was challenged by the late President Nelson Mandela’s assistant, Zelda le Grange, to make 67 blankets for Nelson Mandela Day.

While Steyn quickly agreed to the challenge, it wasn’t until her sister gave her a ball of wool and a crochet hook for Christmas some months later that she really took up the task.

Now, as the festive season approaches, Steyn is calling on the Durban community to take up the challenge with her and start knitting.

Manor Gardens resident Franki Hills Carte took up the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day challenge some eight years ago when she knitted her first blanket for the cause. Now, she is quite literally ‘hooked’ as she continues to crochet along with her fellow KnitWits – as the volunteers call themselves.

Self-taught, Hills Carte said she quickly switched from knitting to crochet.

“My first blanket took me so long, I decided I would not knit again, so I consulted the guru, YouTube. There are so many links – it’s very easy to learn crochet, and it’s faster than knitting. Everyone starts somewhere – if I can do it, anyone can – I’m not the most dexterous person. You start simply, and you get enthusiastic over time because the act of crochet is very meditative and relaxing. It keeps your hands busy and sort of half keeps your brain busy so no stressful thoughts come into your mind,” she explained.

Join the cause

Today, Steyn continues to drive what has become a global movement to keep needy people warm in the cold winter months. 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day has made and donated thousands of blankets to orphans, the homeless, the elderly and other people in need over the years.

The 2023 project has already begun with KnitWits hard at work to reach the May deadline.

“Our newest campaign for next year is ‘anything goes’ – any colour, pattern or stitch,” said Hills Carte.

The NPO, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, is calling on the community to contribute to the initiative. The deadline for squares to be handed in is the end of April 2023, and complete blankets are due by the end of May. Squares must be a minimum of 20cm x 20cm, although a 40cm x 40cm square is preferred.