Blanket for Cupofteaplease: Crafters & donors, your help is needed. x

[KnottyLocks]

I have to admit that it has taken me while to write this. Sometimes it feels that despite all the words at our fingertips, there are never the right ones.

This morning we learnt of the heartbreaking news that Cupofteaplease's beautiful daughter, Beatrice, had been taken from us: another bright star to light the skies above us.

If you have followed Cup's threads, you could not have failed to be touched by Bea's magic and be inspired by her mother and her family (affectionately known as The Teaset ) who ensured that for Bea, 'A life filled with love is a life worth living.'
Their dedication to Bea, their bravery and love reached many hearts and touched many lives. Bea will live long in our hearts and memories.

Our thoughts and love are with them all and we hope that this blanket may give whatever comfort it can to them.

We would be very grateful for your help. Here's how:

We need knitters, crocheters and donors.

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.
Whatever way youd like to be involved, please PM Pistey: it really helps us to know how many people are involved. Thanks

The wool we are using:

• Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK (NOT the baby cashmerino)

• Rowan Cashsoft DK.

*Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK.

*Artesano Superwash Merino 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 Colours:

Pinks, blues, greens, warm purples, silvers and cream (we'd be grateful if you use Debbie Bliss 013, if opting for cream)

If you wish to make flowers and bees and would like to use yellow, please PM Pistey as we have some in our stash and we would like to use the same colour throughout. Thanks

Ideas for squares:

Motifs:
Bees, primroses, violets, daisies and any other flowers.

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.

Love all the crochet squares and butterflies, really need to try and teach myself. I used to do squares as a kid, but not properly, couldn't read a pattern.
Anyway have finished my squares and have made some individual flowers, with more to be made tonight. DD saw them this morning, and or course she wanted them (very girly) so I told her they were for a precious little girl that had gone to be a star, she told me I had to make more pretty things for this little girl so she had lots (sniff)
Should the flowers be blocked, as at the moment they are just all curled up ? might be easier to attatch to the blanket ?

Wow everyones squares are beautiful
My donated wool arrived today and its exactly the same colour as the wool i bought to practice with so whoever sent it has the same great taste as me Thanks to the lovely mumsnetter who sent wool to a postcode starting WS2

Beautiful squares, folks thank you so much

Re. Blocking. No need to do this before sending. We find it's easier to put together the blankets if the squares aren't blocked . More wiggleability If you send flowers , same applies. We can block them at this end if needed. Thanks.

posted my square this morning x

MOS - Blocking is a way of shaping your work when you are finished. You can spray with water or wash it and then pin it to shape, or you can do this with a gentle iron. Either way it makes it harder for hooking together which is why it is best avoided.

So keep water and irons away from your lovely squares MOS and all is well

Beautiful squares have arrived safely for the beautiful Cup this morning, heartfelt thanks

Pastabee Beautiful crochet in purple, green and cream, just lovely

bluesky These are more than OK, thank you Beautiful crocheted grannies and solid squares in purples

Two cards have also arrived safely, one in a pale blue envelope, and the other came in a brown envelope with one for My5 from Chester/North Wales way, thank you so much. We will keep these safely

You are all stars, thank you

I was going to ask re: blocking so handy to know (had a feeling from before that that was the case).
Also, totally OT but Knotty is your NN a hair reference?

Two squares completed now so will work on some more with left over wool.

I also wondered about borders , do you prefer squares with or without?

Gorgeous donor wool has arrived. Lovely plummy purple colour. Thankyou so much x

Ok then.

Still no wool today, so I thought I'd check with Fingers and Thumbs how long they reckon it would be. They had never heard of me - turns out my order never went through due to a 'payment problem'. Spoke to some bloke in India my bank, turns out there had been 'fraudulent activity' on my card which had therefore been cancelled. Good of them to let me know - NOT!

So, sorry. I placed my order just now, paid with PayPal, looks like it has gone through.
Don't you hate it when you join a new quiche and make a right arse of yourself at the very start. Gah!

I am very impressed with all the crocheting and knitting talent here btw.

Thinking of cup every day x.

Ok, need to ask some numpty questions....

I last knitted 20 odd years ago so today I got some cheapo DK to practise with while I await delivery from cucumberpatch. I cast on 33 stiches but I'm not sure that will give me 6 inches.......

Also I am doing just solid garter stitch and the edge where I have done the first row looks a bit loopy - Is there a cunning way of knitting into the back of the cast on stiches to tighten that up or am I mis remembering that?

Felt a bit odd to sit in the car, waiting to pick up my two, knitting!

What kind of squares, outtolunch?

Yikes, Pacific, scary situation! Hope it gets sorted soon, and no you haven't embarrassed yourself

Neverput, received wisdom is that you need 5-6 rows of knitting to see how it'll turn out. Also, 5 3/4" is fine because it'll be stretched into shape by surrounding squares - very helpful and kind, our blankets! Loopy bottoms are fine because they'll be hidden by the crochet joins [hsmile]

Thank you PurplePidj........

Will measure up what I have done to see..
I've just been to the woolly hugs website and seen all the ideas for squares!

Once I'm confident with garter again I may have a go at something more complicated........

neverputasockinatoaster I slip the first stitch on every row (and knit the last stitch in the row when I'm purling). This gives a nice neat edge.

TheWoolly do u do this on any square or just ones that are stocking stitch?

If you have a pattern for example tulip or one of the ones on the website , for example I am knitting a simple lines baby blanket at the moment so I thought I would knit a square in the same pattern . On the blanket it has a five row x four stitch edge. Is that better for you or would you prefer no edge

Sorry not explaining very well

I would do it on any square. In fact I do it on all my knitting. It gives a lovely edge for sewing up using invisible seaming.

If you mean that your square will comprise a garter stitch picture on a stocking stitch background, then yes please to a border (3 or 5 rows/stitches) to stabilise

My picture square for My5 doesn't have a border

As with all blankety matters, it's a preference not a diktat!

Evening

Family invasion today so apologise for ignoring you.

We can indeed work with most squares. As Pidj said If they stretch to 6 inches, that's great. Borders do help but not essential.
The essential bit is the thought gone into them

Um, my MN name really is a reflection of the state of my hair.

Try tangle tamer spray and get one of those tangle teaser brushes!!! I use it on my knotty 5 yr olds hair it's fab if you use the brush correctly just don't let hy dh use it on her cos it hurts and she cries xx and her hair gets knotty as its down past her bum and really thick as well

Blimey, that involves a brush and maintenance!

Meh. Get a wig.