Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, we need your help.

[KnottyAndPistey]

Our lovely Zombie (who has said she doesn’t mind being outed as Candy) has long been a supporter of Woolly Hugs, bless her for it! Recently she made a very kind donation to us, and we would love to start an Ongoing project to honour this remarkable woman, who we have both had the privilege of meeting, dancing and drinking with. She is utterly fab-u-lous. :)

After a chat with Zombie we have made a plan which she loves. We would like to make comforting cosy blankets with love in every stitch for women going through treatment for breast and other cancers, and at times these may form part of palliative care. They will be called Candy’s Hugs.

Zombie is a bright and beautiful woman so we have chosen a palette to reflect this which we call Vibrant Riot; it is inspired too by a blanket that was made for her to give big hugs as she goes through treatments.

Will you join with us? If you would like to be involved in any way, we’d love to have you on board. Please post on this thread and PM with your offers: crafting, donating, need wool, etc, we can help you with all of it.

The yarn is Stylecraft Special DK. Just this please for consistency, and in these colours...

Vibrant Riot Palette
Boysenberry
Claret
Empire
Fuchsia
Grass
Kelly green
Lavender
Lime
Lipstick
Magenta
Meadow
Petrol
Plum
Pomegranate
Saffron
Sherbet
Shrimp
Spice
Turquoise
Tomato
Violet

Squares to be 12 inch or 6 inch, crochet or knitted equally welcome, please use 4mm hook or needles. No blocking necessary and please sew in ends, and make sure any colour changes are firmly knotted.

All crafting abilities genuinely welcome, squares made by beginner or expert will be equally cherished. Simple, complex, single colour, mixed colour. It really is the love and thought that counts.

If you would like to learn how to knit or crochet in 2017, crack on! We have help for the complete beginner here…. And are on hand to help talk you through as well. YouTube has lots of tutorials, you WILL find one that suits! :)

If you feel ambitious and would like to make a whole blanket, then that is wonderful, we are aiming for blankets approx 48 inches by 60 inches, certainly no smaller.

Candy’s Hugs will be an ongoing project, our first posting date is to be January 28th. Do message for posting info when ready.

We are on Facebook - Woolly Hugs and Twitter too @Woolly_Hugs both are good ways to keep in touch.

Thank you so much xx

More gorgeous squares.
I have done most of my tax return. Couldn't quite finish it as I left a vital p60 piece of information at work. Most jobs done, so time for crochet.
I think I'll have to go with Pops suggestion of orange with my saffron. Must admit, not sure about the turquoise, I think I'll have a play later. Might post for opinions.

book I used to years ago, just for family now

Anyway...this afternoon I have found heaven. Heaven!! The hair salon I go to is on the edge of a nearby small town and I don't usually venture into the centre. A 'suggestion' popped up on Facebook during the week for a wool shop and being a nosy bugger I clicked on it and it's in this town.

It's amazing! A proper wool shop - all we've had up until now are a couple of market stalls in another town. Not sure how long it's been there or why no one's told me about it before but I came out with a bag of various shades of Stylecraft for when I've finished the ones from my donor. Lots of customers in there and a really lovely lady owner.

This is going to be dangerous for my bank balance isn't it...?

Madison we have an Abakhan (sp?) in our cut centre. They have a WHOLE SHELF just for orange! I want to live there amongst the yarn and the buttons!

Starting on the peroni 😁😁

My little wool shop has a few wool shelves and the rest of it is a wine shop and a bit of a deli. It is dangerous in there, I think DH is relieved when I only come out with nice cheap wool.

I am jealous .We used to have a lovely wool shop here , (a rather small market town). It closed down about 4 years ago. I now have to tramp to the big town to look at wool , otherwise its t'internet , and it's not the same. But - we are going into town on Monday for other reasons, so I am going to get the chance to browse. ( note to self to keep focused :) )

Book agreed it's not the same! We have a Singer store in the nearest town to me, and the guy who runs it is FAB with me! He lets me feel anything (yarn-wise!!!) so I can judge the texture, etc. Oh, and I get a lollipop every time I go in!

- thats me too, fingering everything! and colours look different , its the light obviously!

I do that with material

We have a new wool shop in our local town, I have studiously avoided it so far but might pop in and see if they do crochet classes

I've always found myself going into Birmingham for wool and even then it's just House of Fraser or John Lewis so finding this place has made my day. There's a Hobbycraft in Stafford but I've never found anything I need in there.

Anyway, I think I'm fated not to knit today. Bear in mind I was with my parents for two hours this afternoon, my Dad's just phoned in a panic because they had a letter this morning saying that they've not paid their council tax and he doesn't know how to do it online and he wants to do it asap before he gets sent to jail...so off out I go again

Oh No Madison what a shame....
If I go one way, to DD1's house - about 25 miles, there is a proper wool shop sort of nearby, but I am usually dashing in to babysit . Or I can go to the big town , which is 15 miles the other way. But we don't go often to just pop in, which would be nice....

One 12 inch granny square today, did start something a bit more adventurous yesterday but got stuck & haven't had a chance to watch/concentrate on a tutorial to help.

Anyone else promise themselves that they'll sew the ends in as they go then not do it....

Madison I'm so glad my yarn obsession didn't begin until after I moved from Stafford...the 101 bus to Hanley and I just DO NOT get on!

Vitty where di you get that pattern?Its gorgeous 😍

Keller - it's just traditional granny square - very plain really! Thank you though x

that is good Vitty. Just giving my fingers a rest, and having some sneaky chocolate.
I promised myself I would sort out ends as I finished each one. So fra, so good - not sure how long for though!

I hate it when other people are right and I'm wrong! I've posted a photo of saffron/ violet/ spice and another of saffron/ turquoise/ spice. I think Pop was right, the turquoise does go better. What does everyone think?
Also shown a dahlia square I did last night.

Excuse the lighting, it's a bit pants.

My lounge is yellow and turquoise, with terracotta curtains! 😁

its very dark Captain ? .... err, no pic

Vitty that's lovely.
We have a great knitting shop in the village 5 minutes away - it's where I learnt to crochet- and another great shop in the city centre, 20 minutes away. There is a knit/ crochet group that meets in the tea shop next door to the wool shop once a week. So, very lucky. Only problem is, I never seem to have time to go and browse, so I end up getting most of it on line anyway.
Pop why am I not surprised?

book can't you see it? I posted on the app, I wonder if that's the problem. Hang on, I'll get my laptop out.

no photo so far Captain

Here's today's progress...the pic doesn't show the colors very well, but there you go!

Pop, wow, just wow!

No pic here Captain. The turquoise is lovely though, I expect it works with saffron (my fave yellow)

I did a square in Spice, Lime and Fuchsia. I'm surprised how well it turned out.

Here it is. We're very lucky with a fab wool shop where I live.