Woolly Hugs. A blanket for lovely wafflenose who has tragically lost her daughter. Can you help us please?

[KnottyAndPistey]

We bring such sad news, lovely wafflenose has lost her younger daughter (L) through tragic circumstances and we are just so desperately sorry, thoughts very much with waffle, her family and all who loved her daughter. Really really devastating. Life has been desperately cruel. You may well recognise waffle from music/education/Extra-curricular threads here on MN. Both her lovely daughters have been involved with Mumsnet.

We are so glad waffle would like to receive a Woolly Hug. For those new on here, this is a long standing tradition on Mumsnet where folk come together to make a blanket for one of our own who has been bereaved. There will be love crafted into every stitch. We want it to be a tribute and full of memories. We hope it may give whatever comfort it can.

People have described L as a quiet light, the gentlest of souls. Let us make something truly beautiful in her honour.

So we come again asking for help and shall need both crafters and donors of funds of wool. Can you help us? We would be truly grateful. Thank you

Important crafting info
Squares to be six inches, using 4mm needles or hook. Please knot off VERY carefully when finishing or changing colour and sew your ends in, thank you! No blocking please, makes it much easier to join squares.

Simple or complex, made by beginner or expert, we genuinely welcome them all. It really is the love and thought that counts.

We have some ideas for themes..
Initials please E, G, L and K

She played the recorder, the clarinet and the cello, but focused mainly on the clarinet latterly and played in the National Children's Orchestra Under 10s for a while. Her NCO hoodie was bright blue - a bit like Yarnsmith dark turquoise.

She loved art and reading and was very creative. Loved Harry Potter and would probably have been in Hufflepuff house had she been at Hogwarts.

She had a quirky mind and used to love lego.

She was quite a fashionista. Loved Vogue magazine and Miss Dior perfume

Favourite colours were pink and white (pink more than white).

English literature was the love of her life. We are hoping someone can recreate a bookshelf square? One of her favourite books was Jane Eyre. She had also been studying Plath and Hughes.

She loved swimming and the great outdoors, particular the Quantock Hills. (Photo) We are hoping this may act as an inspiration.

Work/volunteering: she did Brownies and Guides and volunteered as a Rainbow Guider and also volunteered on a hospital ward for a while. She worked as a waitress and at the village pub.

She was interested in philosophy and was planning to become a psychologist/counsellor.

She liked Fleetwood Mac.

She kept tropical fish, hamsters and gerbils and loved all other animals especially cats.

She also liked art and photography.

She was very passionate about being an organ donor - and several people have now received life-saving operations because of her. A truly wonderful young woman.

Lots of ideas and ways to get to know L better. If you can recreate a theme on a square, wonderful, but we also need simple squares, A square in one of her favourite colours is perfect too.

The MAIN Colours. We will be using her favourites,
Pinks from pale baby pink through to magenta.
Cream, but only please Drops Merino Extra Fine - Off White (01) or Yarnsmiths Merino DK Superwash - Off White (3045)
Lighter silvers
Greens pale to mid. Think nature inspired

Then embellishments and accents ONLY please (not whole squares)
Blues - sky to navy inc turquoise.
Sunset shades - red, orange, yellow, gold, but only if creating a sunset!
Browns taupe to mid
Charcoal grey
Black

The Yarn we will be Using for Consistency ….
Yarnsmiths Merino DK Superwash - a BIG sale at Wool Warehouse. Has the widest range of colours
Debbie Bliss Rialto DK only available on Love Crafts
Drops Merino Extra Fine DK.
Katia Merino 100% DK
King Cole Luxury Merino DK

Just from the brands listed please because we know they combine for wash and wear. If you still have any of our wools that have been discontinued or have become less easy to find- Artesano Superwash Merino DK, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK, Jenny Watson Pure Merino DK, Patons Merino Extrafine DK or James C. Brett Pure Merino DK in your stash, please do use them.

Posting will be Teddington, please message if you need the address. If you'd like to include a card for her family , please send with your squares. And please don't forget to include your name!

If you can upload photos of your squares on here as we go along, that will be a lovely record, especially if you have donated yarn.

Will set the last posting date once we are underway but it will be approx 6 weeks hence

Thoughts and love very much with waffle, we are so so sorry. Remembering L

Definitely very hamstery. Perfect. The more hamsters and gerbils in the blanket the better. And the guiding one is great too. Such neat stitching.

For plain squares with no motif on do they need to be single colour or can I do a mix of colours?

Single, mix, up to you!

Fab squares @HoggyTruffle as always 💐

tea for me please Maud. Plus some of your finest Battenburg.

Loving seeing the yarn arrivals. Thank you so much again lovely donors.

Someone’s yarn has been delivered to their brown bin. Which sounds worrying 😃

Thank you Simple because it's just a basic pattern but I love how the colours came out.

Got another finished at dance. It's a smidge more stretchy than anticipated, still in the 6" range but if it does go a bit wibbly-wobbly during construction then feel free to unravel that last row of pink.

Maud has nipped out to the shop, battenberg cake supplies are running low, you are down to the suspect looking ones from the pound shop. In her absence the neighbour's gerbil has stepped in.

Obviously not all gerbils come with Maud's impeccable kitchen skills!

Thanks for link

The picture won't add so you'll just have to imagine it...

Is there an existing woolly hug techniques place? A good place to ask fairly basic knitting questions, or get ideas for stitches? They all look so beautiful- I’m hoping you have tips for tidiness!

Also, how many squares do people get from a ball?

I’m moderately confident I can do a tidy 6” garter, with a border and a crotchet. I was thinking one in each of my colours. I’d really like to do a intarsia garter stitch heathery hillside- I will have 3 greens and a pink in the correct wool.

Will off brand splashes of pink and purple be ok if 75% of the square is the correct wool? I have a cotton mix and various acrylics in suitable colours.

Wool has just arrived, feels lovely.

I’m imagining something like this, with the purple and blue being in ‘incorrect’ threads. I could sew or crochet on top as well, to add texture. Hmm.
Three shades of green and one pink would be correct. Maybe I’ll do it last with the scraps of wool, and then it’s no loss if it isn’t suitable. Hmm .🤔 thinking cap in place.

I reported my message to MN and told them my pic won't attach and they said nobody else has said the same so do report and let them know.

There are a lot of resources and videos on the web. I learned with Nimble Needles. This link is to the first tutorials he posted, move from page 10 in descending order.

https://nimble-needles.com/category/tutorials/page/10/

@ChristmasStars has had difficulty posting images so I agreed to post this one of a cat square for her.

This is my square inspired by the heather photo, in V-stitch crochet. I'm now attempting a knitted bookshelf.

Thank you @MyrtleLion x

(Co Pilot isn't talking to me I'm having to use Grok)

Maud has called it a day on the knitting needles sorting.

I think she may need her eyes tested she's way too close to the TV

Two balls of lovely pink donated wool have arrived, thank you - they were left on my doorstep earlier. I will start to create some squares this evening.

Oooh, will do

Have also started a thread in Site Stuff in case there are others having the same thing

I am pretty sure the whole thing has to be the stated brands otherwise it can cause problems with washing, these blankets are intended to be kept for life so they need to wash well. Perhaps PM @KnottyAndPistey to confirm.

There is crafting info here

https://www.woollyhugs.org/2017/02/28/4535/

How do I message, I can't see a message/pm function. Thanks

Top right - click on the person. Might be different in the app.

@HalzTangz if you are on the browser, the top right corner is your account- a little head and shoulders. In there, you should see a message function. You have to type in the user name though, which can be tricky!

My first square is ready. It’s too small so I will need to crochet around it I think. Frustrating- I’ve not done it before and don’t want to spoil it! It’s nice- seedy stitch. Can’t see the difference between the front and the back and found it so, so hard to keep track of the rows.