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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.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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

977 replies

KnottyAndPistey · 15/01/2017 09:33

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

Thanks
Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Our second thread! Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, all very welcome.
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Thread gallery
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MrsHathaway · 03/02/2017 22:35

I'm impressed with this new pattern even if it is ridiculously complicated - look at the 3d on that!

Keep on, keep on. I'm so impressed with everyone's dedication. What a legacy!

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Our second thread! Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, all very welcome.
SaladDressing · 03/02/2017 22:44

That is very lovely MrsH. Smile

TheoriginalLEM · 03/02/2017 22:45

Mrs H i am very impressed. I managed to learn bobble stitch but going to have to frog it because its too big.

FrenchDucksSayCoinCoin · 03/02/2017 22:59

RedGrape have you been in my house?! That looks suspiciously like something I did a few days ago! Can't help I'm afraid, I haven't braved c2c yet, but one of my early attempts looked like that, even down to wool colour.

Well, I skipped merrily into the thread yesterday to say I was off to try a new pattern. If anyone wants to stop me next time, feel free to remind me not to run before I can walk. I nearly have a 6in square of basket weave, but it has been two full evenings, and not done yet.

Hopefully tomorrow?! I haven't got to the end of the video yet, keep having to rewind the middle!

MadisonAvenue · 03/02/2017 23:38

Zing I've frogged them all, they're not even squares - I've created a whole new 273 sided shape!

PicardsCombOver · 03/02/2017 23:39

My dad supplied wool, my DH supplied tools and needles and now DMIL has come up trumps with these little beauties ... Candy Hugs is a real family effort here Grin (I hope nobody minds my dithering, as mentioned previously I am a billy-no-mates in RL)
Ty to the PPs who posted links to C2C tutorials, I finally got there. Don't give up!

PicardsCombOver · 03/02/2017 23:40

Oops

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Our second thread! Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, all very welcome.
MadisonAvenue · 03/02/2017 23:57

Picards I'm another Billy-no-mates Grin

PicardsCombOver · 04/02/2017 00:34

Wahey Grin Madison

ChippingInLovesWoollyHugs · 04/02/2017 07:35

It's World Cancer Day today.

I feel sad/angry about it. I know most things have 'A Day' these days and the point is to raise awareness etc. but it feels like cancer has every bloody day already. 'General Awareness' is already there.

They could at least call it 'World "FUCK OFF" cancer Day'

My knitting needles are clicking away in a defiant manner.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 04/02/2017 07:41

A big FUCK OFF CANCER from here as well, it's all a it personal here

ChippingInLovesWoollyHugs · 04/02/2017 08:01

FiveGMID 💕💐 Bastard thing.
I haven't caught up on the thread properly yet, but as I was scrolling down I saw our ZombieLamb hasn't made it, I'm so sorry.

KnottyAndPistey · 04/02/2017 08:19

Only one message for World Cancer Day I think, and it is this. Bought this in a WH sale a long time ago, says it all really.

Morning all lovely people, just catching up. Brew

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Our second thread! Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, all very welcome.
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ChippingInLovesWoollyHugs · 04/02/2017 08:44

K&P. Loving the contrast in that!

You'll see we need a new thread now, chatty things we are! 😁

MalcolmTuckersOmniShambles · 04/02/2017 08:49

Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh! Bugger.

It was going so well and then I realised I had fewer stitches than I started out with...Blush. My square is slowly turning into some kind of triangle thing!

I'm going to unravel/unwind (not sure of the correct term) back to where I think I started to go wrong but was hoping that if I posted a photo, someone could tell me what I did!

Do you think I forgot a turning chain or have I made a stitch in the third crochet instead of the second at random points?

Grrrrrrrrr.

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Our second thread! Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, all very welcome.
KnottyAndPistey · 04/02/2017 09:00

Loving all the colour on this thread, so beautiful, thank you everyone. Had an invitation, but sadly can't make Candy's funeral as we are away, but the dress code is as wild and flamboyant as you like at her request. Will have to stick to wild and flamboyant wool for her, and toast her from afar. :)

This is a Candy's Hug in construction, doesn't it just look WONDERFUL?! If anyone is ever in the Portsmouth or Southsea area and wants the most lovely yarn shop, look up Seeded. This is being put together by the fabulous owner there Star

Pop Re the auction - we are just having a think, appreciate your thoughts too Chipping & Zing Don't want to take squares away from folk, we've never done that, they have always been extra, but then money to a charity of Candy's choice, I've seen where the funeral donations are going to and it is her hospice. Thinking on. Thanks

Picards Love the birdy!

MalcolmTuckersOmniShambles FWIW - I have that crochet hook too!

steppemum - have a look here on our website, there are knitting pattern suggestions there..

SaladDressing Go mum!

OP posts:
KnottyAndPistey · 04/02/2017 09:01

Deep breath Malcolm I suspect you have just jumped too many stitches on turning, and it actually really doesn't look that bad from here.x

OP posts:
KnottyAndPistey · 04/02/2017 09:02

Pic fell off, this is the blanket under construction

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Our second thread! Come and find out about Candy's Hugs, all very welcome.
OP posts:
ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 04/02/2017 09:12

Morning all.
New thread?

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 04/02/2017 09:18

Malcolm
The correct term for undoing yarn is frogging.
Coz you rip them out. Rip it, rip it, ribbit, ribbit, ribbit! See? Frogging!🐸🐸🐸

I suggest you use a stitch mark on the LAST stitch of your row (1 on each side) so as you work your way towards the end of the row you will see where the very last stitch goes before turning your work.
You'll never miss a stitch again by accident!

PurpleDaisies · 04/02/2017 09:21

knotty that blanket is going to be stunning.

I'm waiting for wool but when it arrives I'm going to try a bit of cross stitch on top. There's a CAL about to start with beautiful patterns embroidered on top of what looks like an easy doubles base that I reckon can be adapted for small squares.

TheoriginalLEM · 04/02/2017 09:23

Must be a chain K&P as there is no hotel called the ship. It is in Canterbury.

Am probably going to do a giant granny square for dd as the whole blocking and joining process looks like witchcraft to me! I like the idea of the multi coloured yarns buti often think they look better in the balls than when they are knitted up.

Still have a fair bit of Candy's wool left so am working through this. Ive made three 12" granny squares for the chernobyl project. I also have some random wool (that i picked up from outside someone's house in a "please take me" bag) Be nice to think that would go to good use so might yse for refugee project. Do we send all the squares to the same address?

Is anyone else becoming ever so slightly obsessed with wooly hugs? My Dp is thrilled because it means he gets to watch crap on tv in the evenings and i don't nag. I often daydream at work about new stitches!

At least it kerps me on track on my diet!

TheWoollybacksWife · 04/02/2017 09:31

LEM Sirdar do a variegated yarn called Crofter and I know the baby version - unsurprisingly called Baby Crofter - has shades that have yellow in them. There's one that is pastel shades that just reminds me of Easter and at least one more with brighter colours in.

Purple can you link to the CAL? I made a 12 days of Christmas tree skirt in DC and cross stitch for the Woolly Hugs sale and it was far less complicated than I feared it was going to be Grin

MalcolmTuckersOmniShambles · 04/02/2017 09:34

Thank you, Zing. I'll remember that!

Will go off and look up a marking stitch and will make a mental note to periodically check the number of stitches!

LEM mine too! He's just come in talking about football/rugby/something wasn't really paying attention that's on the telly later and all I could think was oh good, more time for me to crochet!

PurpleDaisies · 04/02/2017 09:37

www.scheepjes.com/en/cals/scheepjes-cals/scheepjes-cal-2017/information/

It's this one to make a shawl. I love the detail so I'm just going to use that bit. I'm not really a shawl person but I'd love it as a bigger blanket.

I did the schjeepes 2016 cal (nearly finished) which was great. I learned all sorts of new stitches.