Because even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carolyn Steyn and her KnitWits have been hard at work making sure the secret scarf mission will happen in 2021!
Johannesburg South Africa (18 August 2021) – Nothing can keep a 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day KnitWit down. Despite months of lockdown, KnitWits around the country have been busy crocheting and knitting blankets and scarves to keep many others warm this winter. Always a highlight, the annual Secret Scarves Mission, now in its 6th year, has thousands of scarves ready to distribute countrywide.
The KnitWits have once again risen to the challenge by hand-making thousands of beautiful scarves that will be draped on trees and poles or distributed to various organisations on the 19th of August. A spectacular sight – a rainbow of colourful scarves freely available to be taken by any passer-by. As always, a love note is attached, reading ‘I am not lost. If you are cold and need me, please take me. Love, 67 Blankets xxx’
Says founder Carolyn Steyn “The KnitWits are incredible. Despite the lockdown and the challenges people are experiencing, thousands of scarves have been made for this eagerly anticipated event countrywide on the 19th of August. Sadly, we could not distribute in July on Mandela Day but for us, every day is a Mandela Day. I cannot wait to see the joy these labours of love will bring to so many.”
Carolyn’s journey with knitting for South Africa started in December 2013, when Zelda la Grange, the late former President Nelson Mandela’s trusted assistant, presented her with a challenge: knit, sew or crochet 67 blankets for Nelson Mandela Day! Carolyn gladly accepted Zelda’s challenge and soon called on her friends for help which quickly developed into a Facebook group called “67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day”. In just days, hundreds of people from around the world had pledged to knit a blanket for Nelson Mandela Day.

Since then, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day has transformed into what some are calling a “movement” – a movement that has captured the attention of many South African and international celebrities as well as corporates and “KnitWits for Madiba” in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Cyprus, London, the US and India. Carolyn and the “KnitWits” have been very busy knitting blankets and handing them out to thousands of South Africans in need over the past years, but somehow the philanthropist still finds time to inspire the nation to do more.
In 2017, Carolyn took to social media to suggest another challenge for all South Africans to take part in; she posted what she called “a secret scarf mission” and asked for South Africans around the country to get together to create as many SCARVES as possible to leave in public places for those less fortunate.

Since then, the annual Secret Scarf Mission has grown in leaps and bounds and warmed many underprivileged South Africans, and took place again today! Participants around the country have spent the last few months knitting and crocheting beautiful scarves to distribute right before our next cold front hits the country.
“The concept is to leave the scarves in parks, around trees, parking metres, tied around lamp posts on the same day. Scarves left for anyone that needs them all around our beautiful country.”
The organisation says the scarves will have a note attached to them with a message that reads “I am not lost; if you’re cold and you need me, please take me”.
“We will be draping scarves, and for those who do not have anything to keep them warm this winter, they can just grab a scarf – so we’re just going to have a burst of colour around South Africa.
What we mainly do is blankets, and since we started in 2013/2014, we’ve distributed hundreds and thousands of blankets. The work never stops; every day is Mandela Day with 67 Blankets. It’s not something you do on one day; you do it every day. There’s always someone who needs warmth – warmth is something we take for granted.”
Check out some of the pics from today’s “Secret Scarf Mission” below or become a “KnitWit by clicking here“.
