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

[KnottyAndPistey]

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.

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.

I think it was the way you do those peskies, she KNEW

Thank you so much for the offer, I need to do another big sort of squares into kits, think we have 9 still out with crafters, we are so grateful to everyone for putting together, just marvellous xx

Lovely Soupy, the other beautiful items in your parcel, where would you like them to go?

Sorry, I thought I'd said... The shawl and hat were for Christmas and the bootees for wherever you see fit!

I think I may have missed out a comma... after fuck.

anyway..struck me as funny that you had to wait 14 yrs..

(sorry for the confusion)

dp peskies grow overnight... sure I had them all..

Peskies are good at hide and seek, that's for sure!

Here are my squares and hats - all done

Photos on my phone look like everything is cut in half, very weird, but I promise they are all finished!!

(Pistey have you got my PM?)

dp peskies grow overnight

Assuming your DP is male, I wouldn't recommend darning that pesky in and cutting the end off...

So glad you clarified that, Susan, I thought the peskies had got to you!

nearly finished a blanket. Should I start another one?

Those peskies have made you a glutton for punishment!

Yes, start a new one

But first go on Pinterest and search "join yarn Russian method"
It is just genius and eliminates peskies.
I've actually realised I can change colours at a specific place which means starting a new row accurately is not a problem.

I finish the stitches to the point I'd need the new colour. wrap a tiny piece of masking tape exactly where I want the loops to meet (as it is the same place needle has to be inserted) then undo the last 2 stitches, join the threads and carry on. The new colour starts exactly where I want it and No More Peskies!!!!!!

Try it. You'll never look back
[ I accept Ferrero Rocher or cheap jaffa cakes as thank you presents )

That trick with the masking tape is for crochet btw. I don't knit but I presume you can do the "joint placement trick" in some similar way.

and eliminates peskies

Except for the ones at the beginning and end. Which was my problem

I find doing the peskies as you go along helps. they do not seem so arduous than doing them in one go. (poor soupy) it is annoying when you think you have done them and then find more.

TBH, it wasn't too bad. They were mostly dealt with one by one at the joining together stage with just some tidying up at the end. I just like to whinge :)

Hola!

Thank you everyone

Seven stunning 12 inch squares for joint projects, all beautifully made by the very lovely RiaOverTheRainbow, what a star she is, thank you SO MUCH!! xxxx

or our Refugee Project and beautifully made by the very lovely TJgorgeous! Thank you xxxx

Seven fabulously cosy jumpers and cardis, some have hoods too, all for our Refugee Project, squares as well, all beautifully made by the very lovely JetStar. Bless you. THANK YOU. XXXX

Lovely X, this is perfect, thank you so much. You it was her first ever knit, she's the DD of one of our crew. It's for our Refugee Project. Fantastic. X

Such a beautiful blanket for our Refugee Project from lovely Nelly and her equally lovely DD3, you are both stars, bless your hearts, THANK YOU xxxx

These are lovely!