Support thread for Woolly Hugs - summer (sort of) 2013

[tribpot]

Our sympathies and thoughts are with daisydotandgertie, who lost her husband this month.

Woolly Hugs is now in action and this is the support and chat thread at which all are welcome - knitters, crocheters and donors. If you are a first time crafter please do have a go. There is bags of support and plain squares are just as important to our endeavour as fancy ones.

As flowers was one of the requested motifs, I'll just note there's a flowers section in the crafting guide. I might try the posies pattern on this sock pattern. For Welsh (or at least Celtic) patterns, I did this for a previous blanket.

Thanks everyone. It's really not very square at all, that's what was worrying me!

I would share the pattern, but it's one that you pay for on ravelry, so I think might be illegal! It's here.

Primrose - that is absolutely beautiful!

Primrose, it is so pretty. Worry not, we'll make it fit. {smile]

Blinking []

knotts - : then ) is easier for smile

:)

sorted [thumbs up]

Hello woolly folk I'm trying the Catherine wheel pattern on the hugs website I've done my first cluster have 8 loops on my hook. Now what do I do? Yo and pull through the lot then ch 3 or ch 3 the first one pulling through the 8 loops?

cheese, hopefully one of the crocheteers will be along shortly, I have no idea!

My second square.

Trib, that's lovely! Well done.

Cheese - ill find you a hooker, Dame Fanny's pattern I think? Tis worth sticking with it, the square is gorgeous

cheese yo pull through and then ch 3. It looks like a lovely square to do.

Goodness gracious

Have I lost my skills in a week of not crocheting, or is anyone else finding the James C. Brett yarn extraordinarily difficult to work with?

I've just started with the pale blue, and the crocheted work feels gorgeous, but the yarn is a right PITA! It doesn't stay twisted very well as I'm catching it with my hook, I can actually see it untwist and separate into individual strands, and at least twice per row I have to undo a stitch and re-do it, as my hook has become caught in the untwisted yarn. I wonder if I got a defective ball of yarn? If the apple green is like this to work with, that'll be the last time I order this kind. It's a shame, my first square is half-finished and feels gorgeous but I can't be arsed to work with yarn that does this, it's too frustrating.

Why, oh why, have they discontinued Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK????? :(

I meant to add, I wanted to try the granny square for this blanket, but I'm going to stick with double crochet, I can't imagine trying something new with this yarn.

I've done 2 squares and a load of flowers for Daisy's blanket this pattern and this one, obviously resized to be 6 inches more or less. And I've done a load of flowers.

And 2 squares for Survival, this pattern and this one. None of them are exactly 6 inches, but they're all close to it. You can cope with that though can't you? I'm doing some leaves too, and hopefully they'll be ready to post next weekend.

Jacks - I found the JB wool rather splitty too, just been using it to hook a blanket, and I wondered if it was something I was doing

Huge thanks Didi those are just perfect, you really are so clever! I shall link those patterns to the crafting guide, they really are gorgeous, and the size will be fine, if they can stretch to 6 inches tis all good.

Lovely square Tribpot!

I've found a lovely pattern for a blanket, and a going to try my next square as a 6 inch version of this.

Trib, just done the next few rounds carrying the yarn. I think that's the way to go. Whenever I've done fairisle before there never been the need to carry as its usually only a few stitches between colours. I'll make this bird for ds as a practice and see how it goes! Thank you for your patience :o

Good good, Glaikit - a bit of a waste of yarn given you've only got two patches of white but at least you can practice your floats, as you say. As the other side of the fabric isn't going to be visible it won't matter that some of it is double thickness and other bits not.

Thanks Pistey - I'm glad I'm not the only one! I also find it doesn't go as far as the Cashmerino - I got four squares per ball of yarn out of that, and the JCB is only going to make three squares per ball.

Oh well, good to know for the future!

Spent today on the hunt for the required wool in the only two shops locally I thougt might stock it. Nothing other than Sirdar, Rico or Stylecraft in either of them :(

So I am resorting to online and hoping it turns up sharpish. Does anyone know of any discount codes which are still going? I've seen a couple at the start of this thread but nothing in the last weeks post or so.

I'm gathing the consensus seems to be to avoid the James Brett where possible as its rather splitty?

Ooh just found the Cashmerino on Aileens Wools Store linked to upthread. I loved the Cashmerino I was kindly donated last time so think I may go with that one.

I'm not fully up to speed with the colours, would a darker blue - i.e. Navy 18 be best? Peacock Blue 19 and Pool 48 both look nice?

Peacock Blue ordered, I'm too impatient

Aileens is good and fast. I have used her shop before.

Yes - I ordered my DB Cashmerino from Aileen's last week. You can't just order one ball though - you have to order a number to take advantage of the free postage with subsequent balls!

I did my order before finding out about Survival's blanket, so don't have many suitable colours for that.

So far I have finished a silver labrador and a 3D rose square for Daisy in navy, apple green and pink. I have done a navy square for Survival with 2 applique green leaves on it, and am trying to decide what else to do with the colour selection I have.