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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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MrsHathaway · 27/11/2015 15:14

Oh I am glad. Looking at the list of contributions I'm Blush that I'm so slow and plain but I've been recruiting hookers and stocking up on bright acrylic so here's to the future!

theDudesmummy · 27/11/2015 15:35

So glad you have so much, it's a drop in a huge ocean but every item is hopefully going to make just a little difference to someone. I will just keep knitting scarves and sending them to you in batches...

BlackeyedSusan · 27/11/2015 15:50

any news about the stuff sent to lesvos? poor, poor children.

KnottyAndPistey · 27/11/2015 16:31

No word Susan, but actually not expecting to hear. The folk at DHL are giving them freight, we know they will go to children in incredible need on Lesvos, Refugee Child have people on Lesvos supporting, but I can imagine how chaotic it must all feel.

We are aiming to send more as soon as we have more little stuff, will find the link though, because it may be useful for folk

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KnottyAndPistey · 27/11/2015 16:35

Have a look here

ONLY accepting:
Children's sleeping bags
Children's warm winter padded coats up to age 14
Children's rain ponchos up to age 14
Children's warm walking shoes up to size 5 (no wellies or boots)
Children's socks up to size 5
Children's hats, gloves scarves.

Please send to the Sheffield address, which you will find in post, or message us.

If anyone has anything, thank you Thanks

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KnottyAndPistey · 28/11/2015 11:50

Beautiful in teal, from lovely MrsHathaway for our Refugee project, these separate squares will go beautifully into joint blankets. Thank you so much xxx

Thanks
Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 28/11/2015 11:53

Such a beautiful joint blanket for our Refugee Project.

Thank you for all these squares and to lovely AT for putting them together. Tis gorgeous. X

Thanks
Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
OP posts:
KnottyAndPistey · 29/11/2015 09:26

Morning Brew

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BlackeyedSusan · 29/11/2015 16:46

evening Wine

KnottyAndPistey · 29/11/2015 22:52

Evening Wine

Big glass cab sauv here

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MrsHathaway · 30/11/2015 00:20

Well deserved!

BlackeyedSusan · 30/11/2015 15:53

32 squares some of which need peskying.

BlackeyedSusan · 02/12/2015 12:53

just picked up some sparkle wool in aldi. Smile

PeaceOfWildThings · 02/12/2015 14:43

Ooh, sounds promising!

BlackeyedSusan · 03/12/2015 12:48

35 squares. new ones not yet peskied and looking rather shaggy. three new squares have sparkly wool. they will be scattered through the blanket.

BlackeyedSusan · 03/12/2015 20:32
  1. ds had a very long tedious book so I got one more finished (apart from peskies)
PeaceOfWildThings · 04/12/2015 07:18

I'm working on family advent and Christmas projects, but I have wool and ideas of beanies and slippers lined up for our refugee project when I have time. I'll probably work on those at weekends, when I'm around the family.

KnottyAndPistey · 04/12/2015 10:34

Morning!

Have got to finish DS's blanket, three more to go then joining and edging, but that will be relatively easy.

Then I'll be onto squares for blankets here, not got quite enough for another blanket, but maybe if I add to them, currently got 19 kits out with the fabulous volunteer hookers. 19!!!

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KnottyAndPistey · 04/12/2015 10:34

Thats such a lot of squares, wow, thank you everyone!!!!

Thanks
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BlackeyedSusan · 04/12/2015 10:41

wondering whether pisty is impaled on her own knitting needles after too much wine? Wink

or possibly buried in blankets and hats and on her way to kurdistan in the back of a lorry.

BlackeyedSusan · 04/12/2015 10:42

ha how is that for a cross post.

excellent timing!

BlackeyedSusan · 04/12/2015 10:43

well done on finishing ds's blanket. glad you are safe and sound and not in the back of a lorry.

MrsHathaway · 05/12/2015 10:39

I have a mixture of hand knitted and commercial warm woollies from our clearout here: you've said you can only accept hand knitted which is fine but I am struggling to work out which groups and organisations are accepting hat/scarf etc donations. Has anyone any suggestions?

KnottyAndPistey · 05/12/2015 12:55

Hello there MrsH

Are they child sized or adult sized?

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MrsHathaway · 05/12/2015 13:30

Some of each.