The Largest hand knitted blanket in Ennis, Ireland

More than 1,000 knitters from 32 countries have come together to help create a record-breaking blanket.

Valery Larkin and the Knitters of the World helped create the Largest hand knitted blanket (non crochet) which was assembled in Ennis, Ireland in August 2018.

The final blanket measured 1,994.81 m² (21,471.95 ft²) which was then divided up into smaller blankets and donated to the Irish Red Cross.

Valery said she had the idea to break the record in 2016 and decided to "use social media to contact knitters around the world who would be interested in taking part in the challenge".

After setting up a dedicated Facebook group, Valery then made contact with various knitting groups to ask them if their members would be interested in taking part.

Largest hand knitted blanket contributions

More than 1,000 people answered the call. While many were based in Ireland, contributions came in from UK, Turkey, Germany, Finland, Bulgaria, Sweden, Greece, Hungary, Portugal, Switzerland, Malta, Belgium, USA, South America, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Blankets even came in from the Dóchas Centre in Dublin's Mountjoy Prison.

The indoor arena in the Ennis Showgrounds before the blanket was laid out

Valery received so many donations that the floor space venue chosen to house the final blanket, the indoor arena in the Ennis Showgrounds, was not big enough and it had to be rolled up the walls and attached to batons attached to roof girders.

"Delighted isn't the word for it, I'm over the moon," Valery told The Clare People newspaper shortly before the record was confirmed.

"I've had a fantastic journey over the past two years. I've met so many fantastic people online and in real life and some of these people have told me that this project has changed their lives.

"The whole thing has been very humbling. This mad-cap idea that I had has taken off and touched so many people."

Largest hand knitted blanket complete