Counting Down to The Flower Run with David Babcock, the Knitting Runner!

Lion Brand^® is sponsoring David in not one but TWO marathons this fall! David is running to raise money for Alzheimer’s research and he needs your support – last year, with your help, David raised $10k, will you help David beat that?

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I love running the New York City Marathon. I get to run through all 5 boroughs and be cheered by enthusiastic spectators for the entire 26.2 miles of the race. Last year I ran while double-finger-knitting a scarf with the words, “I’ll Remember For You!”. This year I’ll be making crochet flowers!

Once again, to respect security restrictions, I will be running without tools or bulky bags. Each flower uses about 12 yards of Wool-Ease^® Thick & Quick^® yarn which I will wear on my arm as individual crocheted bracelets. I’ll use my fingers to crochet flowers while I run and once a flower is completed I’ll give it to a spectator and start another. My flower-per-mile pace is a little slow, maybe one every mile and a half. I’m hoping to finish the race in about 5 hours having made 20 flowers.

I created a pattern with simplicity and good definition in mind. It makes a five petaled flower about 5 1/2 inches across. Because my finger is replacing the hook the super-bulky yarn weight is necessary. Hometown USA^® has my favorite flower colors, but I’ll be using Wool-Ease^® Thick & Quick^® because I feel it works better with my sweaty hands. Crochet can be hard, athletic work 😉 . My favorite yarn for this pattern is the cotton Bonbons with a tight 2.75mm hook. It makes intricate, clear and tight flowers that would look great attached to a hat, headband, or scarf.

:: Can’t see the video above? Click here to watch – https://youtu.be/59Cr3EzepzM ::

Why am I doing this? Because it is crazy fun! and I am hoping that it will help bring attention to Alzheimer’s disease and support for caregivers. At “Walk To End Alzheimer’s” events participants hold up flowers for a “Promise Garden” moment of silence and commitment. The color of the flower that they hold represents their connection to Alzheimer’s. A blue flower represents someone who has Alzheimer’s, purple for those who have lost someone to Alzheimer’s, yellow for caregivers, and orange for those who recognize the importance of support and working to end the disease.

I don’t have a specific plan as to how I will choose who to give a flower to. I’ll try to follow inspiration rather than hallucinations from exhaustion. I think that I’ll probably be biased towards people wearing hand-knit items or purple in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s affects far too many people’s lives. I hope that you’ll join me in making some flowers for people that you know who are affected.

—David Babcock, the Knitting Runner and Running Hooker

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donation to David Babcock’s Alzheimer’s Fundraiser today! ::

David Babcock ran the 2014 NYC Marathon in 3:56 (a PR) and raised just under $10k for Alzheimer’s research.