Blanket for lemontruffles : lovely crafters, donors, we are calling for your help.

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Very sad news I'm afraid. Lemontruffles' husband died this week on New Year's Day after living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Such devastating news. Our hearts go out to her. In her own words, he was the love of her life.

We have offered to make a blanket for her, and are so pleased that she has said she would love one. She is clearly so very moved by our offer and has said she is astonished at the kindness of strangers. We will all be holding her hand and hope that she will feel the love and support from us all, and that the blanket will bring whatever comfort it can.

Lemontruffles writes so movingly on her thread about her beloved husband, and has shared many memories, bless her heart. her thread is HERE. You will not fail to be moved by the love and warmth of her posts about him.

So to the Woolly Hug, we would be very grateful for your help.

We will need crocheters, knitters and donors (of funds or wool) I will co ordinate and do admin, and Knotty (KnottyLocks) is here and will help you with any queries you may have.

So if you are able to join with us, please PM me, and also if you are offering to donate, or need a donor, I can help match you up.

Thank you so much.

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.

Just from these yarns please as they are very similar and we know they can be combined for wash and wear.

4mm crochet hook or knitting needles
6 inch squares

The Colours
Lemontruffles has spoken so movingly about her husband's love for the countryside of North Wales, and to reflect that passion how she sees the blanket as a landscape, so :

Greens, darker purples, blues, silvers, cream.

If going for cream please use Debbie Bliss cashmerino DK 013
(Not bright colours for this please, and no pinks or lilacs, thank you)

Just sharing some of her words about him
He was Welsh and loved the countryside of North Wales especially. He loved walking. He loved going to the pub and having the biggest laugh he could. He had a fantastic sense of humour and he loved having fun. He was warm hearted, he had a spirit of pure generosity - though with a 'sticking point' stubborn streak! - he was no angel. He was very adventurous about life. He was a proper hippy in the 60s and 70s. He had an amazing memory for all sorts of things, and a very wide ranging and strange knowledge of very odd things. Such an interesting man. A man with endless and deep humanity towards all the people he met. He was very well loved. He had a deep maturity and wisdom about other people.

Oh, and music! Not male voice choirs! Rock and blues from the 60s and 70s, and the manic street preachers. He had great taste. Also photographs. He was always photographing things, all sorts of random things, all sorts of bits of nature, and landscapes. He loved his camera.

Suggestions for motifs

• Any motifs of the natural world - trees, leaves, flowers, birds (esp crows )
• Can anyone find a Welsh dragon design or a harp? We'd love to find these for her.
• Anything to reflect he was a Welshman.
• Music, photography related
• We have an initial, could you PM me if this is something you'd like to do.

There are many relevant patterns for knitters and crocheters linked to from our website under Crafting

Reading her words gives us lots of motifs to think about for sure, but please don't feel daunted by these suggestions, we 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 on our website. We also have a Facebook page MNWoollyHugs and are on Twitter @MNWoollyHugs. If you 'like' or 'follow' us you'll be updated on progress via your feed.

As always, we thank you so much for your support.
Thinking of lemontruffles Xx

Pistey and Knotty

Oh skoggy that sounds awful :(

Skoggy surely if he doesn't then you need to seek legal help (Citezens Advice?) it can't be good for you living there :( hope it gets sorted.

Morning wool ordered last night. It took ages because I wanted a few different colours but most of the suppliers only had one or two of the ones I fancied trying. Went with Wise Badger in the end (thanks Pistey) I'm hoping it gets here tomorrow so I can get started.

I wouldn't mind giving the crow pattern a go, would it materr if we ended up with lots?

thank you to my lovely Irish donor - you wool has arrived this morning. x

I may have, accidentally, been teleported to my local branch of hobbycraft, where 3 balls of sublime in salty grey, dew and Eskimo flew into my hands and frog marched me to the counter to pay, then I was teleported back home a bit bewildered! Does this happen to anyone else ever??

Wish that happened to me Glaikit, you lucky thing!

A ball of wool has just been squeezed through my letterbox
Thank you Pistey, it's a lovely colour

I'll get on with it, I don't think I can do a sophisticated pattern so will stick with what I know.

My donor wool has just arrived too, foxache (love that nickname, btw) - and it is a beautiful plum colour that I haven't used before, so I shall enjoy getting to work with it.

thanks SDTG, though I found out the other day that'd I'd inadvertently stolen it .

It's nice getting a new colour isn't it? One you wouldn't have chosen yourself.

Donor wool arrived today...cream and green Debbie Bliss that will be perfect for some 'falling leaves' lacework.

Thank you to the lovely donors. I shall try very hard to do it justice.

I am Welsh, I live in the countyside and would love to knit a couple of squares.

Knitters, need help! The Celtic knot pattern I'm doing is 41 stitches across in st st. This is ok for my gauge but its only 39 rows. I can't remember what is wider stitches or rows.

I think in need to add a few rows, is that right?

I think rows are taller than stitches are wide - I usually seem to have fewer rows than stitches in my squares.

So fabulous to hear of wool arrivals, thank yous coming up a bit later.

Very glad to have you on board hellymelly

I shall start with PMs, thank you to everyone for such marvellous support X

Thanks for the PM re colours - that is very helpful.
I am in awe of you, Pistey, your thoughtfulness, time spent sorting it all out, organisational skills and crafting knowledge wow, you are amazing.
Most of my children are back at school now so if I can help more, do let me know x

Thank you Pistey. My envelope turned up this afternoon.

And, further on from my landlord coming round, he is moving us into another of his properties - a 3 bedroom victorian terraced house. So thats nice instead of a pokey 2 bedroom upper floor apartment. The 2nd bedroom is only big enough for DD1's cotbed and a wardrobe... its tiny! And its only going to be £25 more. Excellent!!!!

I have woolly wool from Pistey and have managed 3 1/2 rounds of granny :o

Thank you

Fab news skoggy!

Could I have some crochet help please. I've made a practice square in acrylic as I've never used the pattern before. It has come out at exactly 5". I already added an extra round of half treble crochet as it was too small. Should I just keep adding rounds of htr until it is 6"?

Thanks so much x

Theodora thats what I would do. That or a round of tr.

Skoggy, excellent news

Theodora , that's the idea: keep adding until it's 6 inches. [thumbs up]

Hmm have been practicing and a round of trebles makes the square 6 and 2/8. Will try some half treble, but imagine it'll be too small...

Thanks for the advice. Will get back to you after I've tried the half trebles x

Thanks so much - think htr will do it. But also probably should get on with the real thing as my tension might be different.
Am quite pleased with the finished square as it's the first time I've followed a proper pattern

Such a feeling of satisfaction isn't it Theodora. :) My first pattern was an amigurumi elephant and I was chuffed to pieces when I finished it.