General FAQs

What Is Nelson Mandela Day?

Nelson Mandela International Day is an annual commemoration in honour of Nelson Mandela, celebrated each year on 18 July, Mandela’s birthday. The day was officially declared by the United Nations in November 2009, with the first UN Mandela Day held on 18 July 2010.

Who is my local ambassador?

We have Ambassadors in most of the major South African cities. We also have international Ambassadors. Please visit the Ambassador section on our website for more information. You are encouraged to make contact with your local Ambassador who will be most happy to assist you with any queries.

Find your local Ambassador here: Ambassadors

How do I go about nominating a beneficiary to receive blankets?

Kindly email info@67blankets.co.za for a Beneficiary Request Form.

Please provide ALL the information requested. Mandatory fields are indicated by an asterisk(*). Failure to provide detailed information may result in your application not being considered.

How do I get involved?

The first thing would be to contact your local Ambassador.

There are a number of ways in which you can get involved:

1. By starting to knit or crochet.
We accept completed blankets, scarves and squares. Please refer to the Knitting and Crocheting FAQ’s.

2. By donating wool, hooks and needles.

We have many willing people just waiting to make up blankets, but some of these people cannot afford the materials. 

3. We cannot accept cash donations. – EFT (Electronic Funds Transfers) are acceptable.

Bank nameInvestec
Branch code58 01 05
Branch Name100 Grayston Drive
Account Number10011758149

Please send proof of payment to info@67blankets.co.za.

4. Adopt a knitter.

Partner with someone who has the skills but not the means to buy the necessary materials. Schools and old age homes are really good places to support.

Why are we called 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day?

The late Mr Mandela spent more than 67 years serving his community, his country and the world. The number is symbolic of how people can start to do the same one small step at a time and so become part of a continuous, global movement for good.

How can I stay informed?

To be fully informed as to what we are doing it is recommended that you join our Facebook Group 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day (South Africa). You will find our KnitWits to be very supportive and friendly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This is also where we publish information on the various events being held around the country.

Follow us on:
Is 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day a registered Trademark?

67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day is a registered trademark. No person, organisation or any other entity may use this trademark without the express written permission of the founder, Carolyn Steyn. No items may be reproduced and/or distributed under the 67 Blankets banner without being fully processed through the Exco management team. The 67 Blankets brand is our pride and joy and our reputation is of prime importance.

How do I order merchandise?
Is 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day a registered Non-Profit organization?

Yes – we are a registered NPO. Our NPO number is 151/362.

Knitting and Crocheting FAQ’s

What size should the blankets be?

Large/Adult blankets to measure 140 x 180 cm.
Medium/Child blankets to measure 120 x 160 cm.
Small/Baby blankets to measure 100 x 120 cm.

Can I make squares?

Yes – we are happy to accept squares which are 20 x 20 cm in size. These will then be sewn into blankets by our volunteers. Please measure the squares. It’s just so much easier to join them if they are the correct size.

Knitting Squares
It is difficult to tell you exactly how many stitches you need to cast on to get a 20cm square as the tension of your work will have an impact. However, the following is a guideline as a starting point. This is using double knit wool.

  • 44/45 stitches on 4 mm needles
  • 40/42 stitches on 4.5mm needles
  • 35/36 stitches on 5 mm needles
What materials should I use?

Most of our KnitWits use double knit yarn and work with 4.0 – 5.0 mm hooks or needles. The tension that you work at will determine the size of the hooks/needles.

The following acrylic yarns are well priced and readily available from your local wool stores.

Please bear in mind that the aim is to keep people warm. If you have a whole lot of 4 ply yarn, why not use double strands worked together to give the end product more body? Also bear in mind that if you use chunky yarn, you will need a lot more to complete a blanket. It makes up really quickly, but does cost substantially more. We estimate you will need about 20 to 24 x 100g balls to complete a chunky single bed blanket.

How much yarn will I need?

We can only provide you with an estimate as different patterns use different amounts of yarns. Also the various brands are made up differently.

  • On average, expect to use between 12 and 15 x 100g balls of double knit yarn for a single bed blanket (large). 180 x 140cm.
  • On average, expect to use between 10 and 12 x 100g balls of double knit yarn for a medium blanket. 160 x 120cm.
  • On average, expect to use between 6 and 8 x 100g balls of double knit yarn for a small baby blanket. 120 x 100cm.

The good thing is that leftover yarn is very useful for making up squares. Many stunning blankets have been produced from the bits left over from other projects.

What’s the difference between the UK and USA crochet terms?

This does create some confusion when using a pattern. It is important to establish whether the pattern is written in UK or USA terminology in order for the pattern to work out correctly. An easy way to determine this is to search for the term “single crochet – sc”. If you see this term in your pattern it is a USA pattern. The UK doesn’t use the term “single crochet –sc”. The following table details the more common terms.

USUK
chain (ch)chain (ch)
single crochet (sc)double crochet (dc)
double crochet (dc)treble (tr)
half double crochet (hdc)half treble (htr)
triple crochet (trc)double treble (dtr)
slip stitch (sl st)slip stitch (sl st)

Download Sizes of Blankets and Other Tips..

I don’t know how to crochet or knit. How can I learn?

The internet is your best resource. By far the easiest way to learn is via YouTube. There are some amazing tutorials online.

Where can blankets be dropped off?

Refer to the Ambassadors page.