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

Full-on genius is an anagram of sinful lounge

And elf slug union

According to DH, Ian is in the post as well as on my profile Pitsey ...

:)

Picture of not rows of crochet on my profile now if anyone wants to point out its rubbish and that therefore Pistey is not a full-on genius

I'm not of the opinion it's rubbish, personally

"Skoggy I genuinely have no idea how you made the dragon. Tiny, tiny stitches. It reminded me of the Elves and the Shoemaker story, not saying that you are an elf obv. Are you an Elf?"

Haha well, I am short :D
I love thread crochet. I have loads of thread and teeny tiny hooks. Just takes practice I suppose. Love doilys. I've made a bigger dragon doily from the same red.

On a slightly different note, but still on squares. Today I finished sewing together and bordering a blanket I've had squares sent to me for. Its for my little DD2. Each square was sent to me from people on Crochetville in our Friendship afghan CAL. I have a bigger one for DD1 to put together but thats 30 8" squares. :)

Izzy and her blanket

Just the blanket

This is why I keep promoting Crochetville on MN and Ravelry. Its so much fun and full of some great people.

Looks fab to me!

Thanks BIWI. See, if I can do it, ANYONE can :D

Don't you start!

I have a couple of squares to contribute for lemontruffles' blanket. Am I too late? If not, I need address. Ta.

Wow Skoggy that is a lovely blanket (and gorgeous DD as well)! Do you send squares to your crochetville people in return?

Yes. Its a lovely CAL. We all exchange squares in friendship. You decide on the colour theme and what size squares you want and people send you them and you do it in return. :)

Lovely Trazzle.

Come on Biwi

Skoggy how do I find out about Crochetville sounds like an addiction I need to investigate...

Crochetville
They have a blog, a free pattern directory, run classes... and the forum.
My username is the same over there as here. :)

Yes, come on BIWI

elf slug union

We have lots of lovely crafty folk to thank tonight, for beautiful woolly treasure has arrived safely today, huge thanks to all

ditavonteesed Just beautiful, three denim blue granny squares, absolutely lovely

LandofOoo Beautiful crochet, grannies and snuggly textures in green and a sort of burgundy

Primrose123 Absolutely lovely squares, super snuggly textures in a lovely purple, and a separate crochet heart embellishment

Mikachu This is more than OK my lovely, tis smashing, a very lovely silvery grey granny, super

BarbaraWoodlouse Two beautiful crocheted squares, one in a khaki green the other a 3D flower in blue, lovely

OpheliaBumps Two beautiful knits, one in teal, one in purple, a gorgeous texture, and a lovely rib pattern.

And we have a lovely donor to thank tonight too, thank you so much for your kindness and generosity

sleepingsatellite18

All cards will be looked after until the time comes for the to travel with the blanket, you have our word on that.

You are all stars, huge and heartfelt thanks

Thanks Skoggy! Will have a look when RL stops getting in the way!!

I'm spamming the wooly threads with this crochet pattern

This has to be included in a woolly hug somewhere!

I've made that jammy dodger before.

Skoggy that blanket is beautiful, but I think your DD is more beautiful
Must check out Chrochetville, sounds like fun.

How are we doing now with squares arriving Pistey? How long does it usually take to hook them all together?

Ian went first class yesterday ...

Umm umm, Miss, I haven't got round to posting mine yet.

That's because I had to frog it several times because it was too big, and ended up knitting it on the flight over. Then I realised I didn't have a darning needle, and haven't got round to buying one yet. So I can either post the square and the nork with peskies, or wait until the weekend, sort my life out, and send it later.

What would you rather?