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

GOSH - so many of you have been busy. We'll be churning out Candy's blankets at a rate of knots if this productivity continues.

I set myself a target of 2 x 6" squares today and ended up with a 12" and a 6".

The 12" was meant to be a 6" but it came out at around 9" so I kept treble crocheting until I had a 12" square.
TBH for every 20 minutes I was crocheting I spent 10 minutes frogging due to missed stitches, wonky lines and general untidyness.

I can't believe that Candy's Hugs only came into my life 8 days ago - it seems to have taken over!!!

Zombie, if you're reading this please take some comfort from the regard that all us crafters hold you in - I only became part of this team because of the respect I have developed for you over the past couple of years.

@KnottyAnd Pistey - this thread is rapidly filling up.

Can you start a new one please

Five - if you can't find a class that suits you, see if your library has a Knit & natter session, people are always keen to help a newbie. But to be honest, I think the online tutorials are great, you can rewind as many times as you need to! Sone are FAR better than others though. Your knitted squares are fab 😊

POP. You were lucky, thankfully 😘 I have shop envy, it sounds great! Your lounge sounds...um...vibrant & perfect for you! You'd hate my house 😬 I love your blanket, it's coming along fabulously!!

Bookbook. I'm in the SE, wouldn't it be great if we did actually live near each other! Stay focussed when you go shopping! on buying loads of beautiful yarn

Fairy. Crochet is good like that, so flexible. It's so much harder to do that with knitting, it's such a faff that it's easier to start over!

Captain. Well done 🍷🍫. Tax is dull (says the accountant - lol)

Madison. I feel your pain re your Dad! Do they live far away? My Mum lives overseas or she'd have me there every 5 minutes. Your wool shop sounds lovely! Bank balance - meh, it's only money! Beautiful yarn is a good exchange for it...

Ydd. OMG. Do they do coffee? (to drink there). If they do, I'd never be out of the place.

Waves to everyone else - lots of fab squares!

Chipping

I was being a muppet😂
It's a wonder I can ever concentrate on anything, what with all the noise the ZingKids generate!
Although not their fault I have hyperacusis (over sensitive hearing) due to damage to eardrums from when I was little.
Still, there's no need to scream because you are given a custard donut instead of a jam one!
Then she cried coz the custard was coming out of the donut. Well maybe don't squeeze the damn thing....urgh.

Anyhoo, Pop I call it 'Elmer' square because it reminds me Elmer the patchwork elephant in the book.
No pattern, each square is 3 rounds, they are attached to each other with the Join As You Go (JAYG) method.
I did 3 rounds of moss stitch to get the right size.
Both JAYG and moss stitch (also called linen) stitch can be found on da Internet - I recommend Pinterest & YouTube.

Spin

Your square is going to be the most awesomest!

Five
Congrats on mastering colour changes! 🍸

Beautiful squares gang, can't wait to see first assembled blanket!

Zing. Still, there's no need to scream because you are given a custard donut instead of a jam one!

Err...says who?

I'm with Zinglette on that one!

LOL at her squeezing it & crying because the custard is coming out though. Little poppet.

I'm surprised you had any kids when you have hyperacusis, let alone the ZingTribe! 🙉 Mind you, you make awfully cute kids between you, so I can see why you simply had to keep having them ☺️

How does it get to be 3am so quickly?

The concern is that it's going to be too different (in weight / thickness / stretchiness etc) to combine with the knitting & crochet. The obvious solution is to keep going until I have a whole blanket's worth of lace squares .

Morning

Such beautiful squares! And so proud to bursting of folk learning crochet and knitting to take part, how fantastic is that? 2017 the Year of Woolly Wool.

Please do keep posting photos on here, makes it so vibrant and riotous! We are posting pics on arrival on our Facebook page, Woolly Hugs, do join us over there, we have almost 4000 followers, who are they all??!! Heart them though

More squares have been arriving, just glorious! Thank you so very much

JF
JE
CS
CW
GE
CH
HR
LC
UW
SW
SS
JR
AR
XR

Majority there on MN but sent using their real names, thank you lovely folk, they are all just fabulous. xx

A new thread is coming, stand by, thank you for the heads up. Will start in Chat again, then move it over

Though I'm 13 wks pg, so I should have quite a lot of sitting still in my near future.

Pop - a 60 inch square would be windfall, thank you

Congrats Spindelina a new baby, how exciting!

Beautiful crafting btw, thats amazing, looks so complicated!

can you link to new thread? x

Sorry, got side tracked by caffeine

Just setting it up now!

now, do I post on here, or the new one?
I am obviously a lightweight, going to bed far too early!
proud Mum with DD's squares on here - I am going to have to up my game!
Chipping - SE you say? I am oop North , but if you ever travel to North Yorkshire, let me know :)
Zing - children have a decibel scream all of there own, don't they!.
Spindelina - maybe it could be backed , and sorted that way, and you will also see all the beautiful pattern you are working.
well, it's supposed to be raining all day ( it actually isnt raining at the moment ) so I can quite happily ditch the garden/allotment and keep knitting :)

Hi All. Sorry, I gave up on posting a photo in the end and just went with the turquoise. I don't know why it wouldn't post on the app. I could see it, but obviously no one else could!
Might have another go when I've completed this one.
I love seeing everyone's squares, I am in awe.
Spindelina you have 27 weeks to complete a full blanket, plenty of time. It looks totally awesome, very complicated and pretty baby unfriendly to me. and congrats .

DD(4) loves to help me spangle* my bobbins.

*Yes, that is the correct technical term.

Right, no one get left behind, follow us. :)

Pick up your squares, needles and hooks, and trail your yarn this way -->

Bobbins too obvs!

Last one out please switch off the light.

My wool still hasn't arrived but as FidGirl has heaps I've nicked some because I found a crochet hook in a basket of doom.

Thought I hadn't used one since I was about 12. Then realised the reason I have that one is because FidBoy1 had a horrid primary school teacher who insisted the class learn how to knit and crochet. Fine in itself, v laudable.

But she just stood at the front showing the class (think he was 8) how to do it which meant it was all mirrored and hardly any of them got it. Lots of input then from mums at home. Poor FidBoy1 has a visual perception impairment (no SENCO here) and found it terrifyingly difficult.

I went and had a word, made no difference but I was so cross that he was in tears at the "will be marked on your report" assignment. I did the bloody thing for him in the end. She did Art as well and was equally demanding, loads of children who'd happily paint/draw/daub/make stuff at home hating her lessons.

Luckily the head managed to get her transferred and only warmed to me after I became head of govs when I thanked her for it. So all turned out well.

Ooooh a shiney new thread to start off a miserable Sunday with - see you all over there.

I know Chipping
I was only diagnosed after I had ZingBoy 5. Until then I just thought I was a miserable control freak with no patience. Well, I guess I still am, but at least I know why!😂

I think I'm going to make a Firenze Square next using this order of colours

Zing - we have all moved onto a comfy new thread, just saw your post :)

HERE

i have never crocheted and am a basic knitter and in my minds eye when i started this i thought i would learn new stitches and do patterns and allsorts!! However finding basic stripes are occupying me enough so will plough on with them, love the colours and am tempted to buy more,

Thanks book

I'd love to make some squares for this project as I think it is a wonderful cause. Could anyone either send me some of the wool (if you have any going spare of course) or tell me the best and cheapest place to buy it please. I'm itching to get started ASAP xx

Crafty - we have a new thread, but in the meantime , send a message to KnottyAndPistey, and they will either send wool, or pair you up with a donor :)

new thread HERE Crafty :)