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Thursday, May 24 2012

Pensioner's knitting reaches 16 miles in length

Video: Pensioner Ted Hannaford

A pensioner looks set to break into the Guinness World Record Books for the longest ever French Knit.

71-year-old Ted Hannaford from Sittingbourne took up the craft over 20 years ago after he watched his wife Rita, 64, doing it.

Ted started the record breaking knit in April 1989 and believes he has beaten his own world record of 13.5 miles which he broke in 2005.

It has now been measured at 16 and a quarter miles (86,369ft).

Ted will officially find out in the next few months if his current record has been beaten.

Ted, who knits 2 or 3 hours a day, said: "I blame my wife Rita for getting me into this. She got hold of some cotton reel and knocked some nails into it and then showed me how to knit. I carried it on from there."

He adds: "I found out there was a record for it in Australia, and I beat that on my first attempt, but the next thing I knew the guy came back and beat me.

"I then had another go and beat him again.

"At the moment I still hold the record. So as far as I know, I am now way in front of him with what I have now added. That's if he's not still going.

"I've got to beat the chap in Australia. I'm not going to stop until I know he has."

Once Ted does stop he says: "I will make something with it or raise money for charity."

Thursday, October 20 2011

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  • Abby w wrote:

    Wow! i was really pleased to see this when i opened my newspaper. Ted is such an Inspiration to me. I started one when i was a rainbow But I lost it (it was 100meters) but i always said to every one i was going to beat the world record. Well done!!
    Bet it takes up a lot of space.
    keep on knitting!!

    26 Oct 2011 9:38 PM

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  • Abby w wrote:

    Wow! i was really pleased to see this when i opened my newspaper. Ted is such an Inspiration to me. I started one when i was a rainbow But I lost it (it was 100meters) but i always said to every one i was going to beat the world record. Well done!!
    Bet it takes up a lot of space.
    keep on knitting!!

    26 Oct 2011 9:38 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Abby w wrote:

    Wow! i was really pleased to see this when i opened my newspaper. Ted is such an Inspiration to me. I started one when i was a rainbow But I lost it (it was 100meters) but i always said to every one i was going to beat the world record. Well done!!
    Bet it takes up a lot of space.
    keep on knitting!!

    26 Oct 2011 9:37 PM

    Report Abuse

  • Anon wrote:

    Would make a very usual carpet or the biggest rug in the world!

    21 Oct 2011 5:50 AM

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  • Mike, Ashford wrote:

    Seems a bit of a waste of his life. I dont think I will be looking forward to something like this when I'm retired that's for sure

    What he needs is a nice long cruise with plenty to eat and some nubile young girls to gawp at by the pool.

    21 Oct 2011 12:48 AM

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  • Rita Hannaford wrote:

    Ted says thank you for the writeup. He loved it, but the length is not quite right- It should read 86,369 feet - not 85,800 feet. Otherwise everything else is great - cheers.....RITA.

    20 Oct 2011 3:37 PM

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