Woolly Hugs. Supporting the Chernobyl Children's Project. Can anyone help us?

[KnottyAndPistey]

There will need to be a quick turnaround on this but we know hope we can do it!

We have been approached and asked if we can make Little Hugs for a group of teenagers coming over to Leeds for a recuperative holiday in the summer with the fabulous charity the Chernobyl Children's Project.

Each year these marvellous folk bring children over from Belarus who live in the most contaminated area near the Chernobyl reactor. It is in the summer, when the dust causes radiation levels to rise, that it becomes even more important for as many children as possible to leave their contaminated homeland for a few weeks of fresh air and clean food. The rates of childhood cancer are at 75%, the most common cancers being thyroid and leukaemia. Coming to the UK for a four week break increases their immunity against the awful disease by up to 3 years when they return home.

This year the group in Leeds (organised by an amazing Mumsnetter) are bringing twelve children who have had cancer and are now in remission. Sadly though there is a high chance of these children falling ill again. This summer there are four boys and eight girls coming, aged between 11 and 14. They all suffer living in such difficult conditions and with very little. How perfect it would be to make them each a Little Hug.

Here's how to help with this project.....

• We would like 12” squares in bright and cheery Stylecraft Special DK colours, but please AVOID bright green, bright pink, browns, greys, citron, fiesta and jaffa. This will help squares fit together more easily. Make for a boy, girl or in a non specific colour theme. We will be happy to accept 6” squares if making a 12” one feels too much.

• Crochet or knitted, 4mm hook or needles. No blocking and please sew in pesky ends.

• We can supply all yarn for this. Let us know if we can send to you.

• Our last posting is Saturday 14th June, so we have a fighting chance of getting the blankets ready to go to the children on their arrival in the UK.

• If anyone would like to donated funds to support this, we would be so grateful. Our paypal is [email protected], cheques and cash are very welcome too, just PM for the address to send.

We know together we can do this in time! On behalf of these children, a huge THANK YOU.

Pistey and Knotty X

Tits, I honestly do not know how to reply to that

Mrsdevere, wool warehouse have it as cheap as anywhere else I've looked, and code SC18 or MM40 will get you 10% off :)

Not that I've indulged in any new stylecraft recently or anything like that in case you're reading this over my shoulder DH.

Soz, am in the curry house. Normal crap service will resume shortly.

I can do done squares, very basic stitches though. Can you add me to list of folks who needs wool??

*some

What an amazing project.can't knit but have sent a small donation x

knotty I will wear my badge with pride, however, I think I best wear a long skirt and cardi, stop people getting other ideas about the reason I'm often found with a boob exposed!! ;)

ilove that made me rather emotional. Sounds like you do an amazing job, I wish there was more I could do.

Smashing, Tarlia

We have a lovely donor to thank:

MegBusset

Your donation will go along way towards making a Little Hug for these children. Huge thanks.

Evening

I overwhelmed the trainee in the Post Office with woolly wool parcels this morning. :)

She looked like this --->

Good practice I would say, Pistey.

I've done 1/3 square. This is very good for me. I'm a bottom of the hooker class slow coach.

I have to go to bed now as my 2 year old and newborn will be playing paper, rock, scissor to see who is going to wake me up first.

Pssst, Pistey, it's me, Nell. I'm on my third and very satisfying it is too. Added bonus of keeping my hand out of the tin too.

So, whilst rooting through my stylecraft stash, I found two 6" traditional style granny squares, which are not ideal together, or at least to my eye as random colour is not me...so I cannot make a 4 block. However, I see that Anya is sending some 6" that they will fit perfectly against, so I'll pop them in my package.

(red and blue 12" already complete!)

I need a new crochet project - happy to be sent some wool if you need more hands....

I could do a 12" square in an evening or two, so won't take long at all to get through

do you still need people?

yy Oma she's going to have to get used to it!

Fab all round there Nelly! And thank you

Hello there lovely Lewis, welcome on board. Can you just remind me of your address, and will get some in the post tomorrow.

Tiny Thank you for joining us too - will need your address

Marvellous.

I've made this 12" stripe using turquoise, bluebell, aster, saffron, shrimp and pomegranate. Do I need to edge it or will it be ok like this? Thanks! Also I found these 2 abandoned 6" squares. Too lacy? If not I will chuck them in.

Ooo that's fabulous!

No edging needed, thanks.

We can use the single squares too.

Would love to get hooking for this project. Would bobbles be alright?

ILove you total ?!

Bobbles would be bobblicious - yes please!

Fab sqs Seymore, wow!

Had a look through my stash. We have stocked up on dark and dull Stylecraft, mainly. I've pulled out the brightest, any of these good? (Apologies, am still getting up so curtains drawn and my colour description might be off a bit!)

... of these:

Plum
Green
Royal
Candy floss (lighter pink but still bright)
Raspberry
Lipstick (red) or it could possibly be matador
Aster (or similar blue, not bright)
Sunshine (eggy yellow, hint of mustard)
Spice (dull orangy brown)

Have RTFT a bit bettwr now and spotted that Candyfloss is on Knotty's list, and that was the one I was most concerned about. No more procrastinating. Now for a bit of bobblicious indulgence.

If you think they are dark, Put the Spice and plum together - - they really start to sing.