The World’s Longest Scarf

Celebrate the U.N. International Year of Natural Fibres by helping raise $250,000 for Heifer International to build the world’s largest fiber flock. 

Join in the fun of knitting the World’s Longest Scarf while helping raise money to fight poverty around the world. As part of the celebration of the International Year of Natural Fibers, Keep the Fleece in partnership with Heifer International is helping to organize teams around the world to knit sections of the World’s Longest Scarf that will all be joined together at the New York Sheep & Wool Festival Oct. 17-18, 2009.

During September and early October, The Woolpack will keep two scarves going, one knit and one crochet.  We will donate all the yarn for the scarf.  When you visit the shop, please consider working a row or two and adding your dollar(s) to our collection. We will be looking for volunteers to serve as our delegation to deliver them to the NY Sheep and Wool Festival for a formal presentation.  Our team, The Woolpack Woolly Wonders is register on the www.keepthefleece.org website.

Keep the Fleece’s goal is to raise $250,000.00 that Heifer International will use to donate fleece-bearing animals of all kinds to needy families all around the world.  Heifer not only donates the animals, but provides the necessary training so that the families can nurture and grow their herds and become self-sufficient.  (For more information about Heifer, please visit their website, www.heifer.org.

Everyone who participates is asked to consider a donation of $1.00 per row knitted/crocheted or  $10.00 per inch woven/felted.  Keep the Fleece will collect the donations from the teams and pass it on to Heifer.  Keep the Fleece is registered as a 501-c-3 charitable organization, and as such, contributions should be tax deductible.

Scarves must be 9 inches wide and each row of the scarf represents a $1 donation to Heifer.  Team members can donate the money themselves or raise money from other. A donation of $120 is enough to buy one sheep at Heifer International, so at $10 per inch, a 5-foot scarf represents 5 sheep.  It’s that easy to help ensure the sustainability of the fiber industry and the lives of those who are in greatest need.