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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 · 06/10/2013 20:18

Yes to the DB cashmerino DK cream (013) , will have to get all the woolly wool out tomorrow, not sure about mauve though, certainly have odds and ends of it. Got a ball of Rowan cashsoft vamp I think, but don;t hold me to it, will check.

TheWoollybacksWife · 06/10/2013 20:53

Mhw02 i am working with Aster at the moment and am likely to have some left. Happy to send it to you when I'm done. Smile

Mhw02 · 06/10/2013 22:26

Ah, thank you both so much! Just let me know what's going spare and what of mine you can make use of!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 07/10/2013 08:39

Well I can offer you one or two DB cashmerino DK cream 013, and one Rowan cashsoft vamp. Have got some DB cashmerino DK mauve but it is only bits. I also have some stylecraft turquoise left.

Happy to exchange for denim, duck egg or airforce, if you want to PM me?

Morning :) Brew

AnyaKnowIt · 07/10/2013 11:17

I have some style craft cream if you need it.
I'm trying to make a granny square hug but my some of my squares are ending up a little bit bigger and some are ending up a little bit smaller ( playing with hook sizes) they all have the same number of stitches, will it bite me in the bum when I try and hook them together. was planing on joint them with a dc ?

Mhw02 · 07/10/2013 16:46

If it's only a little bit of a difference in size I don't think it should matter, the smaller ones should stretch out! My squares are never all the same size. The one I'm doing at the moment the squares are different patterns too, so not only are they slightly different sizes, they have different numbers of stitches too! I've figured they'll look all right once joined!

PS. If the cream is a full ball or near enough I definitely need it! Please send me a PM. Thanks a lot!

AnyaKnowIt · 07/10/2013 16:52

thank you Grin

its a whole ball you can have

TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission · 08/10/2013 09:47

probably too late pistey but deramores have 20% of all dk yarn at the moment so colour pack is £23.99, of course you have to order extra to get free delivery Grin

AnyaKnowIt · 09/10/2013 22:46

right having problems with mumsnet today, can't pm but posted that ball of cream today Grin

RatherBeOnThePiste · 10/10/2013 17:28

Evening Brew

Thanks Ninja, have used their code :)

And Mhw - thank you, parcel at mine. X

Have got everything ready to start sewing Billie's Blanket tags on tonight. Then am very much hoping to be able to take an outdoor photo of the batch for Ghana, see the colours better, but forecast is a bit rubbish. Fingers crossed though. They are going to World Child Cancer next Wednesday all being well.

Mhw02 · 10/10/2013 18:41

Yours arrived yesterday, too Pistey. Thanks!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 11/10/2013 08:17

Morning Brew :)

JollyScaryGiant · 11/10/2013 08:18

Morning :)

KnottyLocks · 11/10/2013 10:12

Morning Smile

OP posts:
AnyaKnowIt · 11/10/2013 17:14

evening Wine

KnottyLocks · 11/10/2013 18:05

Yep Wine

OP posts:
JollyScaryGiant · 11/10/2013 19:09

[cider]

RatherBeOnThePiste · 11/10/2013 19:40
Wine
RatherBeOnThePiste · 12/10/2013 08:44

Morning Brew

TimrousBeastie · 12/10/2013 10:03

Been directed here through your Facebook page. Where's the best place to get the wool from? I'm in glasgow so if anyone knows any shops here that would be great but can also order online.

Mhw02 · 12/10/2013 10:21

TimrousBeastie, I'm in Glasgow too. There's a shop on Dumbarton Road just by Partick train station, which has loads of the Stylecraft Special, they also have a small stock of the James C Brett Pure Merino. John Lewis sells the Debbie Bliss Rialto, and they also have a good stock of Rowan and Sirdar. The Yarn Cake on Queen Margaret Drive specialises in Drops wool, Drops merino is lovely and very reasonably priced. And Fankled Threads on Glasgow Road have a good stock of the James C Brett pure merino.

Online, I've used Deramores and Wool Warehouse. Both have free postage over £25, and Wool Warehouse sell the Stylecraft Special for £1.69 a ball.

TimrousBeastie · 12/10/2013 10:31

Perfect thank you.I've only crochet things for my kids and various amigurumi things so have been using wool I get from watt brothers, never needed softer wool before. I like the look of the colour pack from deramores, will go check bank balance before I go crazy with wool.

TheNinjaGooseIsOnAMission · 12/10/2013 12:17

did I miss the gin? Grin

another vote for deramores and wool warehouse Smile do sign up for deramores emails or like them on fb if you're going to use them as they always have discount codes, I think it's all dk at the moment.

RatherBeOnThePiste · 12/10/2013 12:27

Deramores are so quick, ordered some stylecraft for a new project we will soon be launching, say no more, Knotty kill me, and it came the next day. Fab.

MrsDeVere · 12/10/2013 12:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.