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Woolly hugs

Woolly Hugs is a charity established by a group of Mumsnet users. They knit / crochet handmade blankets and other items for families experiencing difficult times.

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

870 replies

KnottyLocks · 10/07/2012 14:25

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.

Thanks Thanks Thanks

OP posts:
PurplePidjin · 09/08/2012 21:27
Thanks
RatherBeOnThePiste · 10/08/2012 12:57

Lovely woolly treasure arriving safely this lunchtime Thanks

Thanks Eskarina Snuggly moss, garter and star I think in green, blue and silver Star

Thanks BambooButton Lovely knits in pale pink, one a heart pattern Star

Thanks Faverolles Super snuggly squares in cream garter [star

Thanks AllMuddledUp Lovely knits in pink stripes, blue moss, pink sort of rib Star

Thanks OpheliaBumps absolutely lovely, an initial A, teddy knit and a snuggly textured one Star

Thanks JulesJules Purplicious squares, a basket weave pattern [super]

Thanks WhoKnowsWheretheTimeGoes Simply lovely, wavy crochet pattern in pink/cream Star

Heartfelt thanks to all, as always thank you for cards for the families, we will look after those until the time comes Thanks

Much starry starriness all around X

LibrariansMakeNovelLovers · 10/08/2012 12:58

Glad they got there safe and sound :)

RatherBeOnThePiste · 10/08/2012 13:01

And a lovely donor to thank too, thank you so much for the woolly wool, we really appreciate it Thanks

Thanks leddeeburdee

You are a star.

LinzerTorte · 10/08/2012 13:21

I hope mine arrives soon; I asked DH to post it on Monday, but forgot to check when I spoke to him last night whether he actually did so. I was going to bring it back to the UK with me, but wasn't sure whether I'd get to the post office in time. I wish I'd done so now.

bamboobutton · 10/08/2012 13:32

posted mine yesterday, curse not living near a PO.

hope they turn up soon. two of them might need pressing to keep them in 6x6in square shape

RatherBeOnThePiste · 10/08/2012 13:39

Bamboo! Yours ARE here!!

Look up the thread, 12.57 today Smile

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 10/08/2012 14:44

Glad they got there safely.

bamboobutton · 10/08/2012 21:31

oh yeah! i didn't think they would get there so fast! dh must've used extra-superduper class stamps.

Somersaults · 10/08/2012 21:47

Maybe they were gold medal stamps Bamboo...

PurplePidjin · 11/08/2012 08:00

Jamaican sprinter stamps

AllMuddledUp · 11/08/2012 16:03

Glad they arrived safe and well!

Nyx · 11/08/2012 18:50

I'm back! Have checked the thread and see that my squares have arrived - good stuff. I have not sent back the leftover (donated!) lovely yarn but will do on Monday, if that isn't too late for it to be any use Blush. Thanks to Calyx for popping on the thread for me to let folk know I'd got their quick messages!

SoupDragon · 11/08/2012 22:37

I made up a square! a star in a square has been bugging me for ages. Past ones have been sewn on top but I've finally got one into a solid square Smile

WhoremoaneeGrainger · 11/08/2012 22:57

Are mine still not there?

droitwichmummy · 11/08/2012 23:25

That is beautiful soupy!

Somersaults · 11/08/2012 23:32

Soupy I love that!! It's absolutely fab! You should write down your pattern and see if it can be added on the Woolly Hugs guide for crocheters. Like the MN Team Heart.

I've not had much alone time with my hook today but have finally been able to sit own and get on and I'm mid flower-in-a-square. I've had to learn to decrease (actually easy peasy) and I'm pleased with how it's looking so far.

Can't believe how hooked on hooking I am in just a week, and how much I've learned (in no small part thanks to you lot!). Hopefully I'll get this one finished tomorrow and I can post pics then. I'm using some blue that I had left over and my green donor wool so hopefully my donor will like what I've done :)

KnottyLocks · 12/08/2012 00:06

Evening all Smile

Lovely square, Soupy. We need that pattern! No pressureGrin

Whore, don't panic! Pistey has connection issues so will be updating on arrivals as soon as she can.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 12/08/2012 08:41

The pattern is: make a star, fill in the gaps between the points, do the opposite so it's kind of a circle, turn it into a square by basically winging it as you go along :o

SoupDragon · 12/08/2012 08:42

Can you tell I don't know how to write a pattern?

WoollyWoolfe · 12/08/2012 09:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 12/08/2012 10:16

The pattern will have to wait until I'm up to days with my Hug squares. I still have one bear for this blanket and then I need to start on the next blanket project :(

Maybe I can work it out when I do the new squares. The star is easy - I used some else's pattern for that and it's a piece of cake :o

WoollyWoolfe · 12/08/2012 15:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 12/08/2012 16:39

LOL. I didn't think that.

Funnily enough though, I've just been trying to write it whilst procrastinating about making the last bear square for Giraffe/expat.

I've done the star (which was stolen from someone else anyway) and the first round of background colour and am no on the second round - I need to get the stitch count up to a multiple of 4 so I think I need to shove 2 extra stitches in somewhere.

I've also had to write it in US terms due to the unwieldy TC that's in there. I think it's a UK extended treble but, TBH, the US terminology is neater!

SoupDragon · 12/08/2012 16:42

As for making it up as I went along - to a certain extent it's just applying things from other stuff I've done. e.g. filling in the gaps between the points of the star is really no different from flattening off the ripple of an Attic24 ripple blanket which I've done many times. It's not really made up as I went along - I don't think I'm that clever!