Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Our second thread! Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, all very welcome.

[KnottyAndPistey]

Welcome to our second thread, may it be as vibrantly riotous as the first!

Anyone reading this thinking Shall I? Can I? Yes you can! :) We would love to have you on board, from someone who is keen to learn crochet or knitting to the more experienced, ALL are welcome here. And a lack of funds is no barrier, we have wonderful donors who want to take part and need a crafter, so we can send you yarn, needles and hooks if necessary. It is all about being inclusive and team work.

So let's crack on!

This then a C&P of the crafting info from thread one.

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. wine wine 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, let's do it! 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! smile

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

Thank you Woollysback and Chipping, it's coming along! Any form of address is fine by me (well, within reason!)
So I've had quite the adventure this evening, jumped in the shower after my last post with the idea of popping out for wine to toast Zombie. The knob came off in my hand and I could not for love nor money turn the stopcock. One emergency plumber and £198 later, I have a glass of wine and the water is under control. Trash TV and a hook for me, wine and candle for Zombie.

Pop I'm very sorry to hear you've been a clumsy bugger about your accident it's such a nuisance when a limb is out of order. Your DH is very nifty with the darning needle!

Purpledaisies sorry for the late reply. This is the book I bought. I have done two of the squares so far and, even as a complete beginner, have found the instructions easy to follow.

www.bookdepository.com/200-Crochet-Blocks-for-Blankets-Throws-Afghans-Jan-Eaton/9780715321416

I've had that out of the library-its really good! I'm sure you'll like it.

Salad and Purple - does that book give instructions for 6" squares?

I have a couple of crochet books but some of the patterns result in 4" or 5" squares and I end up having to run a couple of extra treble crochet rounds around them to get the 6" I need.

POP. I think you're just going to have to learn to crochet with your toes to finish your blanket! 😂 DH is doing brilliantly with the 'Hooking'. I love seeing the different ways the various construction crew do it.

I hope you're hope you're not in too much pain with your arm xx

MrsH 😂😂😂

FrenchDucks. We had that happen a while ago, it turned into an expensive nightmare. We put a new stop cock in, all good, except now it needs moving again. FFS. 😖😂

Ooh I just bought that book too, tried my first one and ended up at 7.5 inches. Hmmm.
I frogged and took out some stiches and it is now more or less the right size.
Some lovely squares in there

fairy I can't remember to be honest but you can usually fudge then by adding (or removing) a pattern repeat or using a different hook.

I think I'll give the book a try.

I'm loving making 6" squares as it gives me plenty of opportunity to try new styles and designs.

I started a 6" solid granny square last night but got so engrossed in chatting to DH when I looked down I realised that it was already 8" - needless to say I need to continue it until it becomes a 12" solid granny square!!!

DS2 9 - getting the bug too!

Bugger. I've been lurgyfying with flu & am obv still fuzzy of brain & uncoordinated of hands. Trying to keep knitting but made a right hash of it & have to start again.

Found a crotchet hook & remembered how to start but then got stuck. Shall put it to side & concentrate on doing the plainest of all squares ever.

So I have been inspired by this thread and Zombie's.
Ordering wool now and will get hooking.
Hope there is still a need for squares by the looks of some of these stashes!!

For those hookers whose squares are coming up small when following a pattern, remember that most patterns are written for aran/worsted, which means thicker wool and a bigger hook...

I always have to hook at least two more rounds for 6" and three for 12" squares when working with DK. I try to stick to the pattern if possible, but frequently end up just whizzing through with rounds of trebles!

Nooooooooo!!!!! having sent off all my stash yesterday, i bought myself a set of different size hooks. I now realise my hook was 3.5 and not 4mm - will my squares still be used?

FID. Sorry to hear you've been unwell, there's so much if it going around here, there too I guess! Hope you're back to normal soon! 💐🥃

Vitty. Excellent, well done DS2!! It's lovely to be able to include the kids squares too not the scraggy rectangles from my God daughter though, they're barely fit for teddy scarves

Ahobbaweek. It's an ongoing project so yes, lots & lots & lots of lovely Woolly Hugs will (sadly) always be needed. Perfection not required, just knit/crochet with love and some swearing

LEM. They'll be fine!! 💐

Dear Lord PolterGoose - if you start selling bits of it off, do let me know, I could do with some additional memory!

Polter you are a little bit scary and stalkerish indeed

I didn't think the difference would be so marked though
which is what i should have said.

Blimey Polter

LEM I ve had several days of codeine and hardly know what day it is.

LEM I recommend the knitpro hooks. I know I should be using the orange one on squares and the purple one on toys.

Wow - how's this for excellent service.

I placed an order yesterday afternoon with Love Knitting - and 24 hours later here it is!!!!

Lovely colours for Candy's hugs.

I paid the usual P+P (nothing extra for express/24 hour delivery). How amazing is that!!

Thank you Hermes for delivering on a Sunday.

Fairy that's amazing service.

I tried a heart granny square.

Bother it, that message posted itself.
Right, try again.
I tried a heart granny square and the front is okay but the back shows the carried colour. See bottom right of square.
Please does anyone know a way around this?

The back is the back - it's ok to have a right and wrong side.

If you can't catch the ends as you go, could you darn over them or something after the fact?