Woolly Hugs : Angel Hug Project. We are looking for crafters and donors to help make this possible. Thank you Xx

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We have been very moved by a request from the Octavia Appeal at the Brompton Hospital. The Brompton Hospital is a specialist heart and lung centre in London complete with the second largest paediatric intensive care unit in the country. This unit takes the sickest babies and children from all over, some transferred immediately after birth, others have become too sick to be cared for at other major hospitals and most are already on life support when they arrive. These babies and children are incredibly sick, and very sadly not all survive. The Octavia Appeal have approached us and asked if we are able to make blankets for these babies who have very sadly passed away.

We are looking for crafters and donors to help make this possible. At an intensely bleak and dark time there is still something very positive that we can do for the baby and their family. Our blankets are always handmade with love and compassion and so are perfect. We can help care for the whole family at this time by making the baby comfortable and snuggled up whilst sending love and a hug to the parents.

We know that we have many crafters and donors who have first hand experience of such devastating loss. We understand that this is a very difficult request, but if you can join with us, and are able to help, then we would love to have you on board. From speaking to some of you, we know how incredibly important blankets like these are to those who receive them.

Like Little Hugs, Angel Hugs will be an ongoing project and the two will run alongside each other.

To our lovely crafters

• Angel Hugs are to be all white and can be knitted or crocheted in any wool suitable for a baby blanket, so 4ply, DK, just as long as it feels soft and cosy. The design is up to you, but it should be kept simple. Angel Hugs can also be sewn using pure cotton and good quality fleece, again white please and in a simple design.

• Minimum size : 24 inches square, going up to a maximum of approx. 30 inches square.

• If making a whole Angel Hug feels too much, but you would still like to support this, we would be pleased to accept simple knitted and crocheted 6 inch squares, which we will hook together. If choosing this option, please use Stylecraft Special DK in white.

• If you would like to take part in this project but feel you can't due to the costs involved, please PM me and we'll try to help you with materials.

To our lovely Donors

We would be very grateful for support from anyone who would like to donate funds to help with this. You can either donate via Paypal admin@ woollyhugs.com but please add a message so we know who to thank and which project it is for. If you don't have Paypal, please PM me as we have other ways that you can donate. We are so grateful to all our donors, without you, these projects could not function.

Knotty is here to help with any questions, and please PM me if you'd like to and are able to join us with this.

It is a very sad request we are making, and yet there is something very positive here too, and we know the Blanketeers have big hearts.

Sometimes thank you doesn't seem enough, but thank you once again Xx

Oh bugger, I've started my angel hug, got halfway through it and then showed it to my mum, who has informed me that it is actually CREAM I can't believe it :( I must have started it in artificial light and not noticed. Grrr.

Would you still be able to use it or shall I finish it off as a present for someone?

with myself for not checking. It's taken me bloody ages

Birnam, panic not. Will be fine

Bless you

hi, I would like to join in but may not start until we move house in a couple of weeks Can someone please explain in real simple language what it is we have to do? whats a mini hug? I think I know what a wooly hug and angel hug are. I'm so confused, but really want to help!

Thank goodness :)

for you all for doing a wonderful job

Addicted, thanks for joining us.

Basically, this is what's what:

Woolly Hugs
Big blankets made for bereaved Mners and their families (also the collective name for the Blanketeers)

Little Hugs
Blankets and quilts made for children who are in hospital because they are very poorly

Mini Hugs
Squares made as part of the Woolly Hugs blankets. These go ahead of the big blankets and are portable hugs.

Angel Hugs
This project. To wrap Angel babies in love and offer comfort to their families. The details are in the OP.

Feel free to ask any more questions here.

ahh, I see! right, I'm off to look around the other thread too! thanks

Evening all

If anyone was hoping for news of safe woolly arrivals today, I am sorry I had to go out and missed the post. I have a red card telling me that there are 4 Woolly Hugs parcels waiting at the sorting office. I shall go first thing on Monday morning. Thank you so much

Oh bless you Joyful . Thank you x
Yes definitely ongoing.

Morning all.

Morning all! Glad I'm not the only one being slightly paranoid about white wool and dirty pets/children. I think I'm taking more care keeping the knitting clean than I am keeping DD clean!

squares for Beatrice - check
refuge knitting dispatched - check
dog alters in post - check
Christmas knitting - neglected
angel hug - next in queue

I'd like to join but in a week or two if that's ok. Am returning to knitting & I am quite slow so something on-going may suit me better. Still trying to knit a scarf for my ds that I started in September! Will go back through the thread for advice & tips. Plain & purl are the heights of my abilities.

Totally understand about wanting to keep the Hugs extra clean.

Thank you DWM

and welcome tootssweet we are very glad to have you on board. Why not start by knitting 6 inch squares in white stylecraft special DK? Plain or purl would both be lovely. We are collecting squares to make a group Angel Hug, as for many to make a whole blanket is too much. And absolutely yes, to joining in when you are ready, no pressure, we really do appreciate how busy folk are, especially at this time of year, and because this is ongoing, whenever you can contribute will be marvellous. Thank you

Thank you everyone

There's one in the post to the woolly hugs address. Annoyingly, I just found the card I'd written to go inside with washing instructions etc. arse.

So, it's Sirdar snugly I think - yes I binned the ball band after writing the card, sigh - which is half and half poly acrylic. Wash at 40, low tumble, low iron. It's been washed due to cats.

it's pretty plain - a trellis stitch - so I put in a white sunflower which could be attached if you think that'll work.

And I think it's about the saddest project I've ever done... Horrible to explain to family that I was making something for a baby that died...

Bless your heart for your kindness and compassion Fanny. That sounds absolutely lovely, thank you Xx

This truly is a very sad project, and I understand about explaining to family. The Angel Hugs already here are heartbreakingly precious and beautiful, I was explaining what we were doing to my daughter who is 15 and we both got quite upset, it is upsetting. But I am trying to focus on the support and comfort we can give to these poor families facing such devastating loss. The lovely MrsKwazii described her feelings about her big Woolly Hug as being 'loved and looked after' and I am hoping that the essence of that will be felt. Further up the thread on 20.11 there is a message from yojojo1 who once received a similar blanket, and messages like that just reinforce what an amazing thing it is that we can do here. But big hugs for you, we really do understand this is not easy.

And you know, when they describe Mumsnet as being a nest of vipers, I look around and think certainly not from where I am standing XX

I am a viper I am

Not from where I'm standing

I've made similar things before, including tiny clothes for babies to be buried in. It is heartbreaking but I feel really honoured to be able to help a bereaved family in some small way.

I've finished my Angel Hug - Pistey should I mail it to you at the normal address for Little Hugs and squares?

Other hugs - will be mailed after Christmas now I think:
Girl Little Hug - waiting for ends to be sewn in
Boy Little Hug - waiting for square to be sewn together

Evening all

BorntoFolk - that's sort of how I feel about the Blanketeers making these Hugs for the Octavia Appeal. Tis heartbreaking though.

Stella You are a star, yes please, do you still have it?

Woolfey Bless you, heartfelt thanks

Osmiornica The three that I have received so far have come from Ruby and she has used the SANDS pattern which is linked to from our website, it is in the guide, under Help and Patterns for Knitters I think she says it uses approx 200g stylecraft DK. Thank you so much

I'm doing a joint effort with MOS, we are doing 8 six inch squares each, she knits and I crochet, then they will be hooked together in the same way as the big hugs are. So far I have made one square

Thank you everyone, as always your support is appreciated enormously Xx