A Blanket for Expat: Sign up thread for donors, knitters and crocheters.

[KnottyLocks]

It is with deep sadness that I'm starting this thread asking for your support.

Aillidh passed away on Saturday evening, in peace and surrounded by love.
Many of us have followed Aillidh's journey, our hearts touched by this brave and beautiful little girl. She will live long in our memories.

Our hearts and thoughts are with Aillidh, Expat and their family.

As part of this project, we will also be making a blanket for Giraffescantdance. Since Aillidh's diagnosis, Giraffe's has been a constant support and the most remarkable friend to Expat. She has walked this journey beside her and continues to do so, sadly understanding it only too well as she, like Expat, has experienced the devastating loss of a beloved daughter. Our thoughts are with her, as well as our thanks.

We hope that the blankets may give whatever comfort they can to them all.

So, we need knitters, crocheters and donors.
If you would like to donate wool, then we will try match you with a crafter.
We think that there may be wool still in circulation because of the current blanket project. Where possible, we hope to 'recycle' as much as we possibly can.

RatherBeOnThePiste will coordinate and match crafters and donors, and deal with the admin side. I'll try to answer any queries you may have.

If you would like to be involved in any way, please post on this thread and PM Pistey with your offers: crafting, donating, need wool, etc, and she will match you up.
If you are offering to donate, we would be grateful if you would let us know if you'd like to donate 1 or 2 balls of wool. One ball should make at least 2 x 6" squares, in some cases more. We now have a Paypal facility to make this easier for all.
Whatever way you'd like to be involved, please PM Pistey: it really helps us to know how many people are involved. Thanks

If you are a crocheter and/or an experienced knitter needing donor wool, could you let us know when you PM us as we can hopefully send part balls from the 'recycled' wool stash. Thanks.

The wool we are using:

• Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK (NOT the baby cashmerino)

• or Rowan Cashsoft DK.

They are very similar and can be combined.

• 4mm knitting needles or hooks

• knitters cast on 33 stitches (this is a guide for less experienced knitters)

• 6" squares

The two new yarns we introduced recently:

*Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK.
It's another 'silky' wool that fits in nicely alongside the DB and Rowan wools and can be combined with both.

*Artesano Superwash Merino DK.
Although it isn't as silky as our normal wools, it is soft yet hardy and washes in the same way. It has the added appeal of being a good ethical option and is very reasonably priced.

The Colours:

Pinks, blues, greens, warm purples, silvers and cream (preferably Debbie Bliss 013, if possible)

Ideas for squares:

The initials A, L, S , R and E

Motifs:
Aillidh loved all things girly, so any motifs that reflect this would be wonderful.
Plus roses and bears

Please don't feel daunted by any of the ideas as we really love plain squares and simple textures too. They look as stunning as the more complex squares and actually play a vital role in the overall effect.

Previous blankets can be seen here on the Woolly Hugs website. We also have a Facebook page: MNWoollyHugs and are on Twitter @MNWoollyHugs. If you 'like' our Facebook page, you'll be updated on progress via your News Feed.

As always, we thank you so much for your support.

Invisible I'm having shell-stitch envy, lovely squares.

Very nice Invisible - clever stitches!

Thanks wolfcub and DancesWith :)

I always worry that my squares aren't good enough. Compared to other crafters mine are basic, there are some extremely talented ladies here. The finished blankets are going to be beautiful.

A quick delurk to say I am in awe of the beautiful things my crafter has done with the wool I sent! Really pleased to be a part of the blanket-making :).

Morning

Tis teamwork Zhx3 isn't it? Everyone pulls together - am proud to be a part of it.

Please no one ever worry that squares may not be good enough. Squares made with love and thought are very precious indeed, the final blanket is so much more than just the sum of the squares. On the website under 'About' is a lovely quote from a crafter that sums that up so well I think.

Please PM me when you are ready for the address for posting

I need help

pretty taught me how to cable at the Glasgow meet up and I'm almost finished a square. But I have questions!

www.flickr.com/photos/80371666@N07/7655566650

1. Does it look to chunky for the blanket?
2. it's a 10 row repeat but where do I stop? It's nearly 6" at the moment.
3. the bottom row is pretty uneven because of the cable, if it is usuable would that cause problems hooking up?

It's not as wonky at the side edges as it looks though, it's curling and I couldn't get it to lie still. I don't mind if it isn't going to be ideal for the blanket so I won't be offended. It has been a good learning project.

Any advice would be great.

Pistes, did you get my pm?

Sorry, pistey, bloody autocorrect !

here

These are my squares, just simple ones and a little bit wonky but not bad for a first timer!

Instead of chunky, use the words snuggly or textured

And it looks gorgeous!

Don't worry about the edges, because the blanket is hooked together, the edges magically disappear into the double crochet edge. Tis true

So don't worry.

All PMs from last night and this morning replied to including yours Birnamwood!

Well done Birnamwood! Those are luffly

Don't say wonky, say gorgeoise

Thanks Pistey have just realised that I managed to post on sign up thread instead of support thread though

I've just added a pic to my profile of a flower square but unfortunately got a little carried away with myself.

I made the centre of the flower using a very pale yellow rowan that I had left over and then realised that we're not using yellow in these blankets.

Please have a look and let me know if it's usable or not. The flower isn't attached yet so the basic square can be used without it.
X

Haven't managed to get on here as been rather busy but want to say thank you to my doner and I will envisage to get my squares knitted/crochet ASAP I have a few ideas of why I am going to do just hope I do my doner proud :)

to whoever you are

Hairypotter - you can stop wherever you like in the repeat - although probably easier if you don't so so in either the cable row or the one after.

As Pistey says, the raggedy effect at the bottom will be straightened out when the whole blanket is hooked together.

Birnamwood is that knitting or crochet? If it's crochet what's the stitch? (total novice) It's lovely

Invisible, that flower is amazing

At the moment I'm struggling my way through a granny heart square.

Can I just ask, are expat's dd2 and ds getting separate blankets? And should I do something a bit more boyish for her ds's one, if that's the case?

Evening all

Just having a lovely time going through the woolly treasures that have arrived. Will be posting full thanks a bit later X

Chip A group of expat's friends are making her two children a blanket each on the Facebook thread, very similar to the one that was made for Aillidh last Christmas time. But that is separate to the blankets being made here. We are making a blanket for expat and one for Giraffes. I hope that helps, I saw a bit of confusion on the Facebook thread earlier, do PM me if you need any more info X

Thanks for clearing that up, Pistey. I wasn't sure, as I didn't see the original post about the blankets for R and S.

Pistey if you need any more money for wool...just drop me a PM.

Can send a bit more if needed

cheers chip!

Lovely woolly treasures arriving safely, all totally gorgeoise

LadyWellian Pink and blue diagonal knits and hearts, just lovely

HaplessHousewife Pale blue textured knits, love the star

GrapesAnatomy Beautiful pale blue crochet

Gazxc Snuggly pink textured knits, lovely

Bathsheba Lovely Aillidh and butterfly square, pink and blue.

BewitchedBotheredandBewildered Cream and blue snugly knits, am a big fan of stripes

TombilooTrousers Lovely pink knits, a rose, flower and A

GoingGoingGoth Two snuggly pink gorgeoise squares

NeitherShreddedNorSmug Totally gorgeoise blue snuggly knits, love the heart, love them all actually

Very many thanks to all, these are all so beautiful X

And a thank you to a very kind donor, your donation has arrived safely and we are enormously grateful to you..

DontForgetTheLightAlesLawrence

You are a star X

wolfcub it is knitting and called moss stitch I copied another mner up thread and is really easy to do, I'm a novice too and it took me a couple of practice runs to get it right, it's just knit one, purl one to the end of the row and then on the next row you purl one knit one.

Ds1 nearly four, wants me to make him a pink wooly jumper with that stitch. He's settling for a scarf :)

Glad they arrived safely pistey

So pleased they got there ok