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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 · 05/12/2015 15:05

We are very happy to take them and pass them on for you?

Child sizes will go to Lesvos through Refugee Child and adult ones to the red cross for refugees arriving here if that is ok?

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KnottyAndPistey · 05/12/2015 15:06

We will be sending a collection to Refugee Child as soon as we have enough, doesn't have to be home made. So yours can just go in with that

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KnottyAndPistey · 05/12/2015 15:07

Such a beautiful joint blanket for our Refugee Project. Thank you for all squares and to lovely DutchOma for joining and edging. Marvellous. Xxxxx

Next deadline to aim for is January 8th. Thank you Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 05/12/2015 15:08

Many thanks all who contributed squares to this blanket for our Refugee project, thanks too to lovely HoggyTruffle for joining and edging it for us. It is gorgeous. Stars all round. Brilliant Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 05/12/2015 15:10

For our Refugee project and from lovely MOS two pairs of child mittens, perfect. Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 05/12/2015 15:10

Beautiful squares for our Refugee Project all from the very lovely CM. Gorgeous. You star, thank you!! Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 05/12/2015 15:24

Hands up if I was right to buy these delicious yarns and show them off to you...

I look at them and I see little eggs out of which some pretty things will hatch early next year for this great cause. Better put them somewhere safe and warm till then
Smile

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 05/12/2015 15:25

Here they are!Smile

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
PeaceOfWildThings · 05/12/2015 17:40

[hand]

Yes, lovely! I've bought some chunky yarn to make some quick slippers/beanies/scarves with when I can. :-)

MrsHathaway · 05/12/2015 23:59

Thanks, will do.

I'm awed by your speed, so many of you so prolific! I've cast on twelve inches and it's taken me three days to knit the first inch Blush

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 06/12/2015 00:08

MrsHathaway

The way to speed it up is to switch to crochet...WinkGrin

MrsHathaway · 06/12/2015 00:20

Ah so you're all cheating ...

Wink
ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 06/12/2015 00:56

Cheating? Never! Just because we are hookers? tsk tsk

WinkGrin

I've just seen a tutorial on how to knit socks. Mind is blown. I can not knit but really appreciate people who can!

Ps - another way to speed up knitting is to free up your wine glass holding hand....

BlackeyedSusan · 06/12/2015 01:27
PeaceOfWildThings · 06/12/2015 01:31

Chunky wool helps, too!

BlackeyedSusan · 06/12/2015 01:37

late night hooking... not an excuse to bandy about for being ,ate in teh morning... Grin

knitting is so neat, Envy

PeaceOfWildThings · 06/12/2015 09:18

Have successfully made one slipper! My challenge now is to make the other one (I made it up as I went along, no pattern here!)

BlackeyedSusan · 06/12/2015 19:11

ha, ha, ha.. that is the sort of thing I do then wonder why the heck I attempted it and how the heck to retrieve the situation. I do hope you are much more sucessful than me and do less pulling back.

when it is all over we can congratulate you on your cleverness.

BlackeyedSusan · 06/12/2015 19:33

sorry did not mean to sound rude... I am dealing with a wtf square currently.

PeaceOfWildThings · 06/12/2015 23:49

That made me laugh! Not rude at all. DH was aski g me what I was making.

'a slipper'

Who for? He asked.

'For a one legged refugee child with a mishapen foot. '

' Poor child. '

BlackeyedSusan · 07/12/2015 00:21

oh I needed that laugh.

the thing is time you have fiddled about and got it right, everyone will be in awe of the creation... just you and dp and the rest of woolly hugs and the neighbours who heard the swearing will know that the process was not as simple as it seemed.

PeaceOfWildThings · 07/12/2015 08:50

I'm ot sure about the first pair (on the right) but am happy enough about the second, smaller pair. They'll do.

KnottyAndPistey · 07/12/2015 16:01

Afternoon Brew [mince pie]

Twenty seven!!

Twenty seven hats for our Refugee project all from the very lovely WP, honestly such enormous thanks to you, how fabulous you are! Thanks

Next last posting is Saturday 8th January 2016, all welcome to join us.

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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KnottyAndPistey · 07/12/2015 16:02

Apologies for ropey indoor pics, was worried they might blow away today outside! Thank you lovely MM for these gorgeous squares for our Refugee Project. Brilliant. You star. Thanks

Woolly Hugs. Supporting refugees, lovely crafters and donors, fabulous Mumsnetters we need your help.
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theDudesmummy · 08/12/2015 15:00

I will have quite a few more scarves done by the next posting day!