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

This is incredible! What a useful resource, thank you. I had looked on the woolly hugs page and found other stuff, but not that.

If anyone has a tip for crocheting the border, that would be awesome!

Phew ! A bit blood , sweat and tears , but I have wrangled a donor card square . Much love in the stitches for the family

They’re amazing, @bookbook , @ChristmasStars , @ifIwerenotanandroid ! I need to not run before I can walk, I reckon. Earn my stripes before trying to knit some! I’m always full of ideas I can’t pull off.

My yarn has arrived, thanks to the donors!

My first Wooly Hug so I will do some plain crochet squares I think, will that work?

Thank you

Photos seem to be working again

Plain squares help balance out the blankets so, yes, plain ones are always useful

The first initial.

Morning!

These gerbils are so talented, are they just born talented or do they learn at gerbil school?

@PrizedPickledPopcorn - please just stick to the brands, a 75% wool yarn will wear much more differently and we know these blankets last forever. Will send you any colours you need to make this happen though, let me know

She was up super early watching F1, she's a proper petrol head, who knew?

Does it stretch easily to 6 inches?

That is stunning @bookbook thank you

simple squares are always perfect, thank you

Lovely to see all this yarn arriving

@MyrtleLion @Bearfrills @ifIwerenotanandroid @ChristmasStars all such beautiful treasure, thank you!

@caringcarer - you have a message from me! Thank you

Sorry, misunderstanding.
I meant random yarns (not 75% wool, likely to be acrylic) making up at most 25% of the stitches, scattered through the piece.
So for example single stitches in deep pink and purple, randomly scattered among a background of otherwise totally on brand (green) wool.

Does the same restriction apply for sewn stitches- could we use acrylic (or embroidery threads) if it’s decoration on top so not part of the structure?

Sorry to be asking so many questions! I can’t always remember what I read where. To be honest, there are so many great ideas on the link a pp posted I won’t need to faff about- I just thought it would look great.

It is absolutely lovely isn't it? It reminds me of the old Sublime Extra Fine Merino Dk, called Sublime, because it was.

Then they discontinued it! RUDE

It is better if it can just all be in the yarn, use as stitches etc, then we can all be confident in the blanket moving forward. Thank you!

We have another lovely donor to thank. Honestly, you are wonderful. Thank you so much

⭐️ @RubyJack 💐

thank you!

I asked ChatGPT about that and it came back with the following :

It’s a mixture of natural talent and rigorous training.

Gerbils like Maud are usually identified very young as showing promise in the key professional areas:

• tray carrying
• beverage preparation
• cake judgement
• cat diplomacy

Those with potential are sent to Gerbil School of Domestic Excellence, where the curriculum is quite demanding.

Typical subjects include:

Year 1 – Foundations

• Basic tray balance
• Biscuit arrangement theory
• Introductory tea pouring
• Avoiding stepping in knitting needles

Year 2 – Applied Skills

• Coffee machine operation
• Cake portion geometry
• Negotiation with cats, dogs, and occasionally toddlers
• Emergency Battenberg procurement

Advanced studies (Maud’s level)

• Multi-tasking hospitality management
• Sofa-based morale support
• Television programme evaluation
• Strategic Dreamies negotiations and allocation.

Not every gerbil graduates. Some unfortunately specialise in cake nibbling and chaos, which is clearly the educational background of the neighbour’s gerbil you encountered earlier.

Maud, however, is clearly a top-of-class graduate. You can always tell by the professionalism, the tray discipline, and the absolute confidence around hot beverages.

She likes to get into the spirit of things (or did her litter-brother Maurice come to visit? - she looks different somehow).

@MyrtleLion Love it! A talented & well-trained gerbil is worth her weight in gold.

I've had a very quiet weekend so was able to focus on my squares and enjoy some peaceful hooky time.

My squares are finished and will be posted, with love, in the coming week.

I did 2 squares based on the passion Wafflenose's daughter had for music, then a heart themed square and a general flowery one.

I'm attempting to attach images which should (hopefully) load soon.