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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. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.

994 replies

KnottyAndPistey · 05/09/2015 14:24

As for so many others, we have been moved to tears by the heartbreaking plight of refugees, both in Europe and further afield, and the inhumanity which seems to surround them too often. We have donated, signed petitions on change.org and written to our MPs, and understand the feeling of shouting in the wind, we desperately want to do more.

There is something practical we can do together, and it really will help, but fabulous Mumsnetters, we are going to need your support.

We can get woolly warmth to families in refugee camps in Kurdistan, thanks to the amazing charity Knit for Peace. There are 1.8 million refugees trapped there, most have fled civil wars and ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Winter is coming, it will be even more desperate and absolutely freezing. We are also developing links to get resources to children and families elsewhere, and on their arrival in the UK. We just want to help keep folk warm. We know we can’t help everyone, but we can some.

We really need your help, here’s how…

  • We need 12 inch, or six inch squares. Knit or crochet both equally welcome.
  • Yarn to be used - any good quality acrylic DK, for example Stylecraft special DK
  • Any colour, any style, it is all good.
  • Squares equally welcome if made by beginner or expert. Truly.
  • No one think their's wouldn’t be good enough. They will be.
  • We'd love to receive whole blankets, but absolutely understand time constraints.
  • We’d also love to receive hats and gloves/mittens for any age, baby sized through to adult, the same for jumpers. But appreciate that is a very big ask.
  • If you’d like to donate yarn or funds, let us know - we’d absolutely LOVE to hear from you, we need you too. This will be a real team effort
  • If anyone would like to join in crafting but can’t afford to, please PM us, we can help.

One square, one blanket, a pair of gloves, one warm hat, one step at a time, really every little thing will help. Together we can make a difference.

Thanks

Sadly we cannot accept items other than home made woolly ones at the moment, if this changes we will come back.

If anyone arrives in this thread and holds similar views to Cameron, no need to post, just move along. This is a positive, humanitarian thread taking positive, humanitarian action.

Do join us on our Facebook page Woolly Hugs and Twitter @Woolly_Hugs - both good ways to keep in touch.

If you'd rather email us than PM we are [email protected]

Thank you doesn’t come close, bless you. Thanks

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KnottyAndPistey · 25/10/2015 18:56

Treasure for sure. Beautifully warm and cosy for our Refugee Project all from the very lovely CN. The most enormous thanks! Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 25/10/2015 18:56

Beautiful warm and woolly treasure for our Refugee project, from lovely LS, thank you so much. Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 25/10/2015 18:57

A joint effort here between Sandra and Wendy - fantastic Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 25/10/2015 18:57

Lovely LJ, thank you so much for this treasure for our Refugee Project. You star. Bless you. X

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 25/10/2015 18:58

Thanks for L :)

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KnottyAndPistey · 25/10/2015 18:58

Ouch to home acupuncture!

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KnottyAndPistey · 25/10/2015 18:59

Bertha hello lovely, have replied to your PM Thanks

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PeaceOfWildThings · 26/10/2015 08:44

I've just had a thought... KnottyandPistey... Do blankets for refugees have to be completely knitted/crocheted throughout, or could they be made of a sheet of felt/fleece with a crocheted edge?

KnottyAndPistey · 26/10/2015 09:26

Morning! Brew

In short, we don't know for Kurdistan, but sadly suspect not. Think for their transport purposes it has to be all one thing - as in hand knit/crochet items. I know they can't take shop bought donated items.

We are though looking to develop this project for refugees arriving in this country through the Red Cross/ Refugee Action, and we have more flexibility there and would love to receive home made fabric items, for which your suggestion will be perfect, thank you Thanks

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PeaceOfWildThings · 26/10/2015 11:46

Marvellous!

BlackeyedSusan · 26/10/2015 16:06

so far: 30 squares finished (including the square of doooooommm) a couple more to complete.
18 squares blocked and dried. 7 squares pinned and drying.
all peskies on completed squares sewn in. (yay)
3 squares sewn together and fourth half sewn. (needed to wait for the square of doom.)

I experimented with the border yesterday and now have a plan.

I keep posting to keep motivated...

poor squares were scattered to the four winds along with the box of balls of wool during a asd meltdown. there had to be a gathering of squares, a bit of head scratching to work out where they were supposed to be placed and lots of winding up wool and hunting for the scissors... eek. thankfully the pins were not out. did not fancy pulling pins out my rear...

TopazRocks · 26/10/2015 21:46

I need help! As you will see in a mo, I am a knitter more than a crocheter but I thought I'd cover the distance more quickly by doing some crochet. Not true due to several false starts but I keep going!

The current square has a ripple pattern but of course that means the top and bottom edges are not square. To even up and fill the dips a bit I wondered about doing a border. Can somebody with better crochet skills than me please give me guidance on what stitch/es to use on this border/edging? Thanks.

SeveredHeadsDragOnTheFloor · 26/10/2015 21:52

To fill in the dips on a ripple, you put DCs in the "mountains" and TC in the "valleys" and HTCs in between! I favour a trial and error method :)

KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 07:29

Morning Brew

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KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 07:31

Beautiful super cosy hats arriving for our Refugee Project from the very lovely SP. Huge thanks, they are just fabulous. Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 07:32

Thank you J for these cosy hats for our Refugee Project, beautifully made, bless you.Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 07:32

Just beautiful, this beauty is a blanket for our Refugee Project made using separate squares folk have sent it. Tis stunning, thank you to the very lovely SP for joining this and to all the lovelies who sent us the squares. Really fabulous, thank you doesn't even come close! Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 07:33

Thank you B for two super snuggly cardigans for our Refugee Project, beautifully made, bless you Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 07:34

Beautiful woolly warmth for our Refugee Project, all from the very lovely EDB, the most enormous thanks. Just fabulous Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 18:55

Beautiful super snuggly scarves for our Refugee project all from the very lovely PeaceInWildThings - just fabulous, and thank you so much for the donation too, you star Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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SeveredHeadsDragOnTheFloor · 27/10/2015 19:28

I am currently sewing in a multitude of pesky ends...

KnottyAndPistey · 27/10/2015 19:39
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SeveredHeadsDragOnTheFloor · 27/10/2015 19:50

... Or I could pretend I don't see them...

BlackeyedSusan · 27/10/2015 19:51

fuckers.

the pesky ends that is, not the knitters/crocheters and organisers..

good luck with the pesky ends severed heads.

todays update:
all squares finished.

all pesky ends of squares sewn in
half the blanket sewn together.
last seven squares pinned and drying out.

SeveredHeadsDragOnTheFloor · 27/10/2015 20:07

I think they have been breeding when I've not been paying attention.