These roadside attractions might cause you to knit your eyebrows in confusion. But let me spin a yarn about the (former) World’s Largest Knitting Needles and Crochet Hook in Casey, Illinois.
Casey is a small town in Illinois known for its big versions of ordinary things. It’s home to the world’s largest mailbox, world’s largest rocking chair, and world’s largest barbershop pole, just to name a few.
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The giant knitting needles were crafted to-scale out of white pine and each measure 13 feet .75 inches long and 3.25 inches in diameter. The crochet hook is 6 foot 1.5 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. They were fabricated by Jim Bolin (the man behind most of the town’s world’s largest things) as a gift for Jeanette Huisinga, owner of a local shop called The Yarn Studio.
In order for a world record to be set, these big things couldn’t just look like the object they were representing, they actually had to function as them. So, on May 20, 2013, when Guinness World Records came to town for a verification ceremony, Huisinga knit and crocheted some giant 10-stitch by 10-row tension squares in front of a crowd of elementary students.
After that impressive display, the giant knitting needles were declared world’s largest, beating out a former 11.5 foot, 3.15 inch diameter record holder from the UK. And the giant crochet hook set a brand new record.
Technically, both of these Illinois roadside attractions’ world records have since been broken. In 2017 a 14 foot 6.33 inch, 3.54 inch diameter set was verified in Chippenham, United Kingdom and a 9 foot 1 inch, 4.3 inch diameter crochet hook was verified in Colchester, United Kingdom.
But don’t let that make you cast off this attraction. Casey’s giant knitting needle and crochet hook are still a purl among the town’s giants.
Spend the night in Casey! Find the best Casey Illinois Hotels and find out where to stay to see big things!
World’s Largest Knitting Needles and Crochet Hook (Former)
Address: 2 East Main Street, Casey, IL 62420
Hours: Thursday – Saturday, 10am-4pm (Check the Yarn Studio’s website for up-to-date-information), Visible through the Windows
Cost: Free to See
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