Woolly Hugs: Blankets for the Children of Chernobyl. Squares needed!

[KnottyAndPistey]

As we did last year, we would love to 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. In summer, when the dust causes radiation levels to rise, 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 MNer) 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.
PLEASE AVOID bright green, bright pink, browns, greys, citron, sunshine, 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.

*If needed, we can supply yarn. Let us know if we can send to you.

• Our last posting is Saturday 23rd May, so we have a chance of getting the blankets ready to go to the children on their arrival in the UK.

• If anyone would like to donate 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.

We know together we can do this – last year was an astonishing team effort.
On behalf of these children, a huge THANK YOU.

Pistey and Knotty X

Thank you so much to everyone

Thank you so much to everyone

Thank you so much to everyone

Thank you so much to everyone

Thank you so much to everyone

Thank you so much to everyone

We have been blessed with so many beautiful squares this year, all blankets will be 4 by 5 squares, and we are delighted that one of our collection will become a Woolly Hug for the children's interpreter who travels with the children too.

Thank you to EVERYONE

They're going to be gorgeous!

Fabulous isn't it, so excited!

They're here :) I have hoovered the living room in preparation for laying it out. Damn hooking causing housework...

Now, where is my pesky-end needle...?

:)

Such dedicaaaaaaaaaaaaaation Soupy. Love you for it

These look amazing! Can't wait for my squares and yarn to arrive so I can get cracking on joining them together. I find it utterly incredible that so many different people can make so many squares completely independently, and yet they all come together so beautifully and coherently.

Have the other completed blanket finished and will send it tomorrow. Only took three full days to sew in all the blasted peskies! Every time I make a blanket I tell myself I'll sew the ends in as I go along, but do I ever actually do it? Noooooooooooooooo.

Don't expect all the ends to be sewn in on all the squares you receive...

I went to JLs - bought 10.

That should last

for a few weeks

I usually find that looking under the sofa seat cushions is a veritable mine of crocheting equipment! :o

Pin cushions of a different kind Soupy

:)

Squares arrived today. Just waiting for the yarn to arrive and then I'll get to work! Do they have to be sewn together or can I hook them? Would normally hook, but all the joint blankets from last year seem to be sewn?

And Wendy P, is there any chance I could have the pattern for those gorgeous daisy squares?! Pretty please with a cherry on top?!

Not at all Mhw - they were mostly hooked, using a double crochet join, some did it underneath, some did it on top, but there is no right or wrong way, however you'd like to do, tis up to you.Thank you so much, hopefully wool in the next day or two, let us know if not there by Wed

Ah, now i think Wendy is only on our FB page not here, can you link a photo on here, or say which date they were from and we can ask her?

Ahh...hooked on the back... that explains why I can't see many ridges. Will tech me not to make assumptions! Excellent, I can hook after all!

Square I'm talking about is this one.

teach. "tech", honestly!

Morning

I've finished I'll post a picture later once I've cleared DS' Match Attax cards off the floor