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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.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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

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JollyScaryGiant · 23/10/2013 18:21

Sconch textiles are also cheaper than Deramores if there's no offers.

RatherBeOnThePiste · 23/10/2013 18:42

Evening Gin :)

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Gorgeous blankets arriving today from the lovely Valerie, two lovely knits for Yorkhill, and one knitted squares joined together for WCC. They are absolutely lovely and already on Facebook. Huge thanks to her Thanks

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RatherBeOnThePiste · 23/10/2013 18:45

I was buying stylecraft for the Winston's Wish fundraiser, and was staggered by the difference.

Deramores are now charging £2.09 a ball and £2.95 postage Shock Meanwhile, Masons are £1.60 and £1.50 postage big difference int it?

Deramores are very good at getting wool out quickly, Mason's take about a day longer, but even so!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 23/10/2013 18:47

That would be our Christmas Craft Fundraiser for Winston's Wish, if anyone's not seen :)

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 23/10/2013 20:08

Knotty, did my babettes get to you? I posted them rather cheekily as a 'large letter' but had trouble fitting them in the post box. Blush

KnottyLocks · 23/10/2013 20:32

Aha! That's you, is it? Grin

I wasn't in so will collect them Friday.

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EllenJanesthickerknickers · 23/10/2013 20:54

Knotty, if the post office got fussy and charged for insufficient postage, please let me know!

KnottyLocks · 23/10/2013 21:24

Let's say a tenner and I'll never mention it again Wink

Grin
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EllenJaneFucker · 23/10/2013 21:55

Argh! Blush

KnottyLocks · 23/10/2013 22:28

Ah no worries. A tenner? I'm pulling your leg Grin

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EllenJaneFucker · 23/10/2013 22:39

Phew! Though, please do let me know if you are charged. I thought I was so clever squeezing it flat into a large letter, then I had to fold it in half to get it through the post box slot, so all the air I'd squeezed out puffed back in! Grin

RatherBeOnThePiste · 24/10/2013 08:30

Inflatable Babettes. Intriguing.

Grin

Morning Brew

watchingout · 24/10/2013 19:11

Done it - first ever order placed with Deramores Grin All geared up now for a wet and windy weekend. Assuming the postie gets through tomorrow or Saturday. I also found a crochet hook last night so cleared out 30 years of brain cobwebs and impressed DD with "one handed knitting" Wink

KnottyLocks · 25/10/2013 16:49

Five beautiful Babettes arriving today from DancingShoes. [Woolly Star]

Gorgeous range of colours and stitches. Many thanks Thanks

Dodgy pic (because of me and the weather, rather than her Grin ) now on our FB page.

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GetOnYourDancingShoes · 25/10/2013 17:11

Glad they arrived ok.

I've got room for my new Stylecraft order now Grin

RatherBeOnThePiste · 25/10/2013 19:17

:) I too had a delivery of woolly treasure from our very lovely DancingShoes, sorry for the delay, have just finished uploading photos to Facebook, and it is all truly marvellous, Billie's Blankets and Little Hugs, with an Angel Hug too. Thanks

Honestly DancingShoes, you are a bloomin star. THANK YOU X

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RatherBeOnThePiste · 26/10/2013 11:04

Morning Brew :)

Two adorable Little Hugs for Yorkhill Children's Hospital arrived just now from the very lovely Woolfey, and made in cotton and fleece, one is a transport print, the other some very cute owls!

Huge thanks to her, they are absolutely lovely, and the pics are already up on Facebook. X

Had to rush the photos, wanted to take them outside as colours better, but was worried they might blow away, tis beginning to get feisty the weather here Confused

Mhw02 · 27/10/2013 13:43

I love that blanket by DancingShoes with the jaggedy border. So lovely!

Yesterday I went to the HobbyCraft fair at the SECC and got a pack of 10 balls of Cashsoft in Admiral for £19.99! Bargain!

I also found a tiny scrap of just the right colour of Stylecraft at the bottom of my wool bag which allowed me to finish a blanket which had been in limbo for want of such a tiny scrap. Just need to sew in ends and border it now.

I have also just finished two squares with an owl pattern on them for another blanket - one a pink background with a purple owl and one a purple background with a pink owl. The former looks really cute, but the latter looks slightly evil - how? why? I'm afraid it's going in the blanket regardless as it took me four hours to do that one square. (I can now do a plain crochet square in 35 minutes, but my knitting just will not speed up at all...)

RatherBeOnThePiste · 28/10/2013 07:00

Morning Brew

Hope no one has been blown away, and that everyone is OK. Has been bonkers windy and bucketing down here, was worried about my trees but they are still here! Think it is beginning to ease, huzzah.

Arf at evil Owls Mhw02, I'm sure it doesn't! Can't wait to see it now Grin

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RatherBeOnThePiste · 29/10/2013 07:37

Morning :) Brew

If anyone has a Babette to post for this coming collection, please PM me for the address, and if possible wait until the deadline (1st Nov) to post as our Knotty is away for a few days. Thank you so much X

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watchingout · 29/10/2013 13:30

Back online today (smile) after 24hrs+ with no power. Discovered that trying out a new pattern is NOT a good plan in candlelight so stuck to a good old plain square. Haven't been brave enough to look into the knitting bag yet to discover what kind of a mess I made in the dark... Blush

RatherBeOnThePiste · 30/10/2013 07:02

Morning, dread to think what kinda mess I'd make!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 30/10/2013 19:09

Evening Wine

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A beautiful Billie's Blanket for a child in Bangladesh coming from Team Peru, a group who trekked the Inca Trail together - MOS, Carine, Katie and Jennifer Thanks

Huge thanks to each of them, it really is very lovely. THANK YOU!!

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RatherBeOnThePiste · 31/10/2013 15:21

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Two beautiful knitted Billie's Blankets for children in Bangladesh from the very lovely Mrs Baker. Multi coloured stripes, so zingy, just lovely.

Huge thanks to her, just gorgeous Thanks

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RatherBeOnThePiste · 01/11/2013 14:54

World Child Cancer Operations Manager Liz Burns flew to Ghana this week to visit their project at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. She took our collection of Billie's Blankets for the children, we have just shared a photo on our Facebook ( MNWoollyHugs )

From WCC

Thank you to the wonderful ladies at Woolly Hugs for making these Billie's Blankets for the children in Ghana suffering from cancer. The patients and parents were very happy to receive these beautiful blankets.

Thanks Thanks Thanks Huge thanks to all crafters and donors for what they do. Thinking of all the children who receive the blankets and their families. Thinking of beautiful Billie too Xx

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