In late May, one of the store\u2019s football-inspired creations \u2014 a 62-inch blue and orange scarf \u2014 made its way to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. The scarf is broken into 3.5-inch segments, each representing a week from the football season with designs that signify whether the team won at home, won an away game or lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat scarf shows wins and losses, but together, it\u2019s just one beautiful pattern,\u201d Champion said. \u201cIt\u2019s one bigger thing. Caleb can know that there were people sitting with him for entire games. He might not have felt that sometimes, like when he was in the middle of a loss, but to know that people are rooting for you in a tangible way, I hope that will be an encouragement to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Bears-Scarf-3-1024x666.png\")
Aaron Champion (left) poses with Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (right) as he wears the scarf knitted by Kamaca Champion at Miss Purl. Credit: Provided\u2018A Scarf Represents A Hug\u2019<\/p>\n
Miss Purl is a gathering space where neighbors can shop for colorful batches of yarn and create together at a knitting bar. Champion said she added football to the mix to inspire visitors to meet consistently for a set number of weeks at a coordinated time at the shop, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Miss Purl, one of the things that was important to me in this store was creating a space where people could see themselves, be themselves and love others,\u201d Champion said. \u201cYou can connect with people when you find a place where you can be who you are and be that freely. Meeting together on Sundays to watch the football game was a perfect way to build community with people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Knitting continued as usual at Miss Purl through the years. Then the Bears drafted Williams as their starting quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Bears-Scarf-1-1024x666.png\")
Fellow knitters joined Kamaca Champion at Miss Purl over the 18-week football season to create a scarf for their favorite team. Credit: Provided<\/p>\n
Williams was only a sophomore at the University of Southern California in 2022 when he won the Heisman Trophy<\/a> \u2014 college football\u2019s most prestigious individual award. That same year, he received other esteemed honors, including the Maxwell Award<\/a> and being named Walter Camp Player of the Year<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen drafting Caleb became a reality, there was the excitement of it being a phenomenal year,\u201d Champion said. \u201cI thought, \u2018Man, we have to do something special. Why don\u2019t we knit a scarf together?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Champion was inspired by the \u201cbig block colors\u201d on European football \u2014 or soccer \u2014 scarves when crafting an idea of how the scarf should look, she said.<\/p>\n Knitters were invited to choose between two designs for their scarves. If they weren\u2019t fans of the Bears, they could follow along with custom colors for their favorite team. Almost everyone made Bears scarves, but there were Ravens, Eagles and even a Green Bay fan scarf in the mix, Champion said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, a scarf represents a hug,\u201d Champion said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that you can wrap around your neck. It\u2019s a source of comfort and a source of pride. Knitting together also allowed us to mindfully think about the game and have conversations with people about the game afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n Champion never thought Williams would receive the scarf, she said. But things have a way of coming together \u201cwhen you\u2019re aligned in purpose and community,\u201d Champion said.\u00a0<\/p>\n That alignment came in late May when Williams wore the scarf as he spoke to Whitney Young High School students after the school\u2019s football team won the 2024 Chicago Public League championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Bears-Scarf-2-1024x666.png\")
The Football Fan Scarf was an 18-week activity that gave knitters a chance to weave together team-themed designs while watching games at the yarn shop. Credit: Provided<\/p>\n