At first, the idea of knitting a scarf while running the length of the New York City Marathon was merely a joke shared between Meredith Parmalee and her former employer, We Are Knitters.

But as the Northeastern University senior continued to ponder the concept, she realized she could use the attention-grabbing feat to bring awareness to, and raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Parmalee has never participated in a full 26.2-mile marathon before. But she has been training hard since the summer, a ball of yarn wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet, and feels ready for the challenge.