Woolly Hugs. For our own Beccajo. Lovely donors and crafters, please, your help is needed.

[KnottyAndPistey]

Desperately sad news we’re afraid. In the run up to Christmas, the folk on the current Tamoxigang thread received a message from the DH (on MN as firethornuk) of the very lovely beccajo.

Not long after her last post on this thread she went into hospital, she was very unwell, but she was improving under the care of the drs and nurses. She received her next 2 doses of chemo in hospital which didn't really agree with her. So she was due to have a brand new drug tomorrow. She was doing really well and we had some hope that her new chemo would work for her.

Sadly, last Friday she developed a terrible headache and a scan revealed 2 brain tumours, one of which had bled heavily. She deteriorated very quickly. But she was comfortable, and passed away peacefully with her family with her.

There aren’t really any words are there? We are just so very sorry life has been so cruel. Our thoughts are with beccajo's DH, their little children, family and friends at this time. We are so pleased to say that her DH has accepted our offer of a Woolly Hug, and we hope that he and their children will feel our love and support and that the blanket may give whatever comfort it can to them. Beccajo was a very busy MN poster, and the site will miss her kindness and support for others.

Please, can you help us in any way?

We shall need crocheters, knitters and donors. If you would like to donate wool or funds, I can match you up. If you would like to join in but need donated wool, I can help there too.
Please PM me with your offers of help ( RatherBeOnThePiste) THANK YOU SO MUCH. If you need yarn and are a hooker, do let us know, as we have part balls that will be perfect for crochet.

The Yarn we are Using….

• Artesano Superwash Merino DK
• Debbie Bliss Rialto DK
• Drops Merino Extra Fine DK
• Jenny Watson Pure Merino DK
• Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK Just from the brands listed please because we know they combine for wash and wear. If you still have any of our wools that have been discontinued - Rowan cashsoft DK, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK or James C. Brett Pure Merino DK in your stash, please do use them.

The colours…

• Warm purples
• Pinks
• Blues
• Greens

Her DH has thought of some ideas to reflect Becca’s loves

• Snowboarding, snowflakes
• Sailing and the sea.
• Roses and gardens, they had planned a rose border for their garden, which her DH is hoping to make this summer.
• Her favourite colour was purple, she loved pinks too.
• We do have the family initials if this is something someone would like to do, please PM.

All crafting abilities genuinely welcome, squares made by beginner or expert are equally welcomed. It really is the love and thought that counts.

Lots of ideas for sure, but please don't feel daunted, we LOVE plain squares and simple textures too. They look as stunning as the more complex squares and play a vital role in the overall effect.

Help with Crafting
Knotty (KnottyLocks* ) will help with any crafting/colour queries, do PM her or post on the thread.

• Squares to be 6 inches, using 4mm hook or needles.
• We recommend double knotting yarn to ensure the square is extra sturdy, and make sure you get a needle to sew the pesky ends in, rather than cutting to the knot which makes the square fragile.
• Please avoid blocking your squares, makes then harder to use and anyway the other squares WILL pull them into shape!!
• Our website has lots of practical info, including recommended online retailers of our yarn.
• If you are new to us, maybe have a look at our website, where there are albums of previous blankets.

We are on Facebook and Twitter at MNWoollyHugs/@MNWoollyHugs which are both good ways to keep in touch.Do join us there.

This means such a lot to Becca's DH, and will be so lovely for him and their children to have. Together we will make something very special for them.

Thinking of beccajo and all those who love and miss her.

Heartfelt thanks

Pistey

thanks, I had bought it anyway.

Spiral
that is efficient, yay! you can have now

Zing
Thank you - it is!

(I am usually very disorganised, so I'm pretty myself...)

Yes Pistey - it was one of my PURPLE squares that you described as pink!

I must admit to having a slight wobble each time only pink or purple is on the list of colours, not both!

Hi pistey - have done a stripey blue square and my wavy sea-scape pattern square in crochet. Only issue - the wavy one has a scalloped edge at the top so might be a pain to add in. Would you like me to tinker to see if I can find a way to unwavy the edge or do you just want to have a look as the master woolly hugger....?

knotty thanks that is what I had suspected.

Puggle, you have 2 options!

Either send it as it is
Or
Look at the Attic 24 blog where she has a tutorial for straightening up the edge of a ripple blanket.

Whichever you are happiest doing

So far from being a master woolly hugger!

Evening

ARF at PurpleFrog it WAS PINK :)

Off to PM mountain, and back with some thank yous I am sure

Hi knotty and pistey

I put something in the post to you on Saturday afternoon. It was probably too late for the post that day and will have gone on Monday morning, hopefully with you tomorrow if not already arrived.

This thread is very busy! Lovely to see

And it has safely arrived today

We have another lovely donor to thanks, just marvellous, we truly heart the donors, such a generous, loving thing to do.

Marshy

Got home too late today to pay it in, but will aim to do so tomorrow. Thank you again

More wool is on the way, hopefully with crafters in the next day or so, posted second class, make our funds go further.

Lovely crafters - if you receive wool in an orange plastic envelope from us, it has been paid for by these lovelies, please do come and announce its safe arrival, otherwise we worry!

If at any point you find you cannot use the donor wool, please send it back, just message us and we will redistribute it for you, we understand things change.

Thank you

Ah glad it got there ok

Yy, and thank you for the card. We'll make sure it gets to them. X

Morning

morning.
sent you a PM Pistey

woolly treasures have just arrived, thank you Pistey!
I'm working on Little Hugs atm but have very itchy fingers to start on becca's squares. I need more hands or something

Glad the donation arrived. I wasn't sure if I'd done it right!

I'm thinking of putting a card in with my square....Or is it just people who know the family who do this? Sorry if that is a crass question. I could do with a few pointers! I'd imagine I'd like cards from people who helped make the blanket who I didn't know.. ... but I've got stuck on the 'dear .....' bit!

Peace Becca's DH posts on our antenatal thread now and I think he would appreciate cards. He seems so lovely.

Felix, could you send/post a link to the thread please. I've tried looking on the ante-natal sections and tried a search can't seem to find it.

Hello there, am just popping in as am on phone.

Peace Thank you for thinking of cards, you are lovely, yes when you message us re posting squares, we do invite you to send a card for the family, all donors have already been invited to do this. We send them on in a few weeks time, it is entirely up to each individual if they would like to.

Re knowing what to write, Knotty and I always say that despite there being millions of words in the world, when you are trying to find the right ones, it is never easy.

It's this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/postnatal_clubs/2238992-January-2014-the-birthdays-are-coming

Come join us, we're lovely (and modest) :)

Sorry only just seen this! Thanks million

Thank you my lovelies!

(Where does all the time go, Felix! bloody mount ironing, that's where )

So sorry not to have posted this yesterday, the day ran away with me

The first squares for Becca are here, and such beautiful woolly treasure they are too. Huge thanks lovely Crafters for all you do, stars, each and every one. Bless you

SpiralArchitect In a soft mid blue, two super snuggly knits, love the textures, absolutely gorgeous.

Thank you so much