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Woolly hugs

Woolly Hugs is a charity established by a group of Mumsnet users. They knit / crochet handmade blankets and other items for families experiencing difficult times.

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Woolly Hugs: The Babettes, Billie's Blankets and Little Hugs.

897 replies

KnottyLocks · 18/06/2013 16:06

This is a continuation of our Little Hug and Billie's Blanket projects.

Little Hugs will continue to go to babies and children who are seriously ill in Yorkhill hospital and Billie's blankets will be sent in Billie's name, via the wonderful charity World Child Cancer, to children undergoing treatment for cancer in low and middle income countries.

Our aim with the Babettes is to make some bigger blankets for older children, both for Little Hugs and Billie's Blankets.
We will still make blankets of other sizes too.

THE BABETTES

The idea is to make a 12 x 12 inch panel, either crochet or knit, that can be added to others to create bigger blankets.
The panel can be made as one piece, or as a combination of squares, stripes or patterned. For example, a large granny square, or 4 six inch squares together, or a panel of stripes.
The design is up to you as long as it isn't too holey and will be fine stitched or hooked to others.
If you choose to use separate squares as part of your design, can we ask that they be either stitched together, hooked as you go, or hooked together with the seam on the back.

Yarn for Babettes: Stylecraft Special DK only, so we know that the blankets will wash and wear well and, unless your tension is very tight, use 4mm hooks or needles.

Colours: your choice although for practical reasons, we advise avoiding white and cream.
Some colour combinations that would work: blues/greens, purples/pinks, spring colours, primary brights, rainbow shades.

If you Google 'Babette blankets', you'll get an idea of what we have in mind once the panels are combined.

***

FOR WHOLE BLANKETS - Little Hugs and Billie's Blankets:

Minimum size: 18 x 18 inches for Little Hugs; 24 inches by 24 inches for Billie's Blankets.
If you would like to make a blanket that is bigger, that would be lovely.
The children we send Billie's Blankets to are aged 0 to 14 and Yorkhill treat children of a similar age so we will need bigger blankets too hence our Babettes.

Colours: Your choice.
Although again for practical reasons, we advise avoiding white and cream.

Things to avoid:
Any embellishments that could scratch delicate skin or could be swallowed.

Materials:
Suggested yarn for Billies Blankets: Stylecraft Special DK, a soft, non-scratchy acrylic yarn.
If you would like to make a whole blanket, you could use a different weight and make of acrylic yarn. The essential thing is that it needs to be soft against sensitive and delicate skin and that it can be washed and dried quickly and easily.
For Little Hugs: As above, plus any of our usual Woolly Hugs woolly wool or yarn that is soft and can be machine washed.

We would also love fleece backed quilts, or edged fleece blankets if you prefer sewing.

As always, we also welcome any 6 inch squares made using the Stylecraft Special DK or any of the usual Woolly Hugs blanket wools.

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

As ever, thanks for your support. Thanks Thanks

Knotty and Pistey

Website- www.woollyhugs.com
Facebook ? MNWoollyHugs
Twitter - @MNWoollyHugs

OP posts:
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RatherBeOnThePiste · 10/09/2013 14:02

Lunchtime :)

Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks

Thanks Mhw02 Woolly treasure indeed arriving safely this morning, photos already on FB. Two beautiful Babette panels and the most lovely Little Hug which is a granny stripe, and will be perfect for an older child or teen as it measures in at a glorious 50 by 78 inches! Huge thanks to her X

Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks

Mhw02 · 10/09/2013 16:42

Oh, is that how big it is? I measured it several times and never got the same result twice! Mind you, I was using a six inch ruler rather than a measuring tape, which might go some way to explaining how inconsistent my results were!

GlaikitFizzog · 10/09/2013 17:36

Hey! Who told you my vital statistics?? :o

Saw the pics on FB, it is lovely!

AnyaKnowIt · 10/09/2013 18:35

Mhw02 how fast do you crochet, I can picture you sitting there with smoke coming from your hook Grin

Am trying to get my backside in gear to get some Wine from the shop then I'll get on with my woolly hug

MrsDeVere · 10/09/2013 18:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mhw02 · 10/09/2013 19:04

Not that fast, honest! I only learnt to crochet in March, and I'm slowly getting more efficient. I started off crocheting One. Stitch. At. A. Time. (ie using my fingers to lift the loops over rather than pulling them through, and taking my hand off the yarn every time I did a yarn over or finished a stitch.) But I can now pull through properly and keep hold of the yarn for several stitches at a time and everything!

I started that blanket at the beginning of June, and finished it on Saturday morning, and I've been unemployed so have had LOADS of time on my hands to crochet. (Just started a university course and very soon I'm going to have no time on my hands whatsoever!) When I started that blanket I was averaging about an hour a row/two hours a stripe, but by the time I got near the end I'd progressed to half an hour a row.

I like the idea of me with manic eyes and smoke coming from my hook through Grin!

Mhw02 · 10/09/2013 19:07

Thanks, Mrs DeVere, that means a lot coming from you. [Hugs]

The granny stripe - the foundation chain and first row are a bit of a nightmare, but after that it's really easy, and no harder at all than a square.

JollyHappyGiant · 10/09/2013 19:18

MrsD if you look up the Attic24 instructions for a granny stripe they are easy to follow :)

MrsDeVere · 10/09/2013 19:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AnyaKnowIt · 10/09/2013 19:42

Oh I remember the one stitch at a time, and picking the loops off the hook and the swearing I started learning in January

RiaOverTheRainbow · 10/09/2013 21:56

I got about ten times faster when I figured out how to use the hook properly. It was a revelation!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 10/09/2013 22:46

Evening :)

Beautiful, beautiful Hug Mhw02. Just gaspworthy glorious. Thanks And good luck with the course! X

MrsDV - I'll link you the granny stripe tomorrow. Tis the same stitches just in rows. Fiddly to start but easy once you get going. And so perfect for multi shades of pink :)

Night all. X

JollyHappyGiant · 11/09/2013 17:27

What size of blanket would 400g of acrylic DK make? I make blankets a lot but I never keep track of how much I've used.

GlaikitFizzog · 11/09/2013 17:37

A 6" square in style craft weighs 15g (plain knitting in my gauge)

You would get 26 6" squares from 400g with a bit left over

A blanket made of square 5x5 would measure 30" square or 2'6" or 75cm in new money!

Phew, that was like a maths question!!

GlaikitFizzog · 11/09/2013 18:01

Someone check my workings though, it's been a long day Wine

TheWoollybacksWife · 11/09/2013 18:57

Spot on Fizzy

Glad it was you doing the weighing - my kitchen scales aren't sensitive enough for delicate little jobs like that.

JollyHappyGiant · 11/09/2013 19:30

You lot are too clever. I didn't think to weigh a square! Thanks Fizz :)

AnathemaDevice · 11/09/2013 19:39

I've posted a picture of my slightly crooked babette on my profile (hope it worked).
I'm using this tutorial to join, but it looks like the squares are being pulled too tightly and going wobbly.

I'm so disheartened by this that I've started C25K, just so I'm not sitting around the house feeling guilty about not crocheting...

JollyHappyGiant · 11/09/2013 19:52

Have you tried going up a hook size to see if that helps?
Just weighed a stylecraft sspecial blanket I've nearly completed for DD. It's 405g and measures 112cm x 77cm. It's a solid one though with no holes so presumably a granny type blanket would work out bigger for the same weight.

I bought 800g of King Cole acrylic today. Got it for £1.99 a ball. It's variegated and when I took it home I checked online and half of it is £3.89 a ball and half is £3.29 a ball. So it was definitely a good buy! I think I'll make this into a hug :) maybe a star shaped one. I prefer working in the round than in rows.

KnottyLocks · 12/09/2013 07:25

Anathema, don't get disheartened, my lovely. Some of the panels I'm working with here have a slight wonky character too but they seem to be pulling flat once hooked to others .

The slip stitch style join might be too tight for yours- there's less give in it than a dc join. I'm using a dc join to hook the panels together which allows the panels a bit of give.

If you want to, try the dc join. If you'd rather just send it to me, I'll have a bash at it.

It looks lovely btw Smile

OP posts:
KnottyLocks · 12/09/2013 07:27

Well done, Jolly! A bargain!

OP posts:
GlaikitFizzog · 12/09/2013 07:31

Um, yes yes kitchen scales Wink

MNPlovesthesunshine · 12/09/2013 21:39

The corner to corner mentioned earlier is very easy and hooks quickly, also great for stash yarn as you hook thru half the stash increasing then the remainder decreasing so no complicated math needed.

RatherBeOnThePiste · 12/09/2013 22:25

Evening Wine

I've managed two more Babette panels (yaaay) and am working on a third which will have 9 circles. Think I will try DC join, did SC on my last one and it made for a ridge. Maybe DC be better.

Night all :)

HoggyTruffle · 13/09/2013 14:21

Surely you were too busy with your virtual scrap over Idris last night to do any crochet Pistey Wink. I had to back off, the competition was too strong.