A SCARF longer than three double decker buses has been knitted by an elderly care home resident to keep her occupied and relieve anxiety during lockdown.
Joyce Baxtrum, 90, started her mammoth knitting marathon in March 2020 and has not yet stopped – with the scarf now standing at over 150ft.
The resident at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, on Randolph Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, said she will keep adding to the scarf until the nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was over.
She said: “I’ve always enjoyed a challenge and knitting is my favourite hobby. It’s always helped me to relax and relieve anxiety.
“So I decided to start knitting a scarf and not stop until we’re out of this lockdown.
“I call it my lockdown scarf. I love showing it to people. It’s a conversation starter when I’ve had visitors.
“I’ve always knit. I used to knit for my children. Cardigans and jumpers. My grandma taught me. When we had to knit at school, I was the only one in my class who could already do it.
“I think my grandma would be proud of the scarf.”
Joyce has been receiving donations of wool from staff, friends and family, who have bought it for her on special occasions, such as Christmas and birthdays.
When the scarf started getting so big Joyce had to roll it into a beachball sized bundle to store it, staff decided to see just how far it reached.
Tina Temple, home manager at Hazelgrove Court Care Home, said: “Joyce’s scarf now stretches halfway around the outside of the home.
“It’s an incredible achievement. The scarf is getting longer by the day, as she spends hours every week adding to it.
“Having started in March last year, by the following month it was about 6ft long. Then by October it was the length of the corridor. And now its over 150ft.
“She is still a long way from the world record, at almost 15,000ft, but you never know with Joyce. She’ll probably keep going until it doesn’t fit it in the care home anymore.”