Zombie and Woolly Hugs. ALL very welcome to join us, come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs.

[KnottyAndPistey]

We knew her time left with us was short, but the news of Zombie’s death on January 30th was still a sad shock, we send so much love to her family and her many, many friends who love and will miss her greatly, we hold our happy memories of her very dear. Bless her.

Just before Christmas, Zombie donated funds to Woolly Hugs and together we hatched a plan to develop an ongoing project with her, which she loved, 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.

So glad we could establish Candy's Hugs with her and thanks to you wonderful people achieve her ambition of seeing it all well underway before her death. Her legacy of Candy's Hugs will be one of love and strength, of friendship, learning and developing crafting skills, of creativity, of coming together to show compassion, support and give and receive comfort, Such a beautiful inspirational woman. How lucky we were to know her. X

Raising a glass or two to the fabulous Zombie, we go on together

Anyone seeing this project for the first time, wondering about joining in, make this the day you do! This project is ongoing, and a friendlier more supportive bunch of folk you couldn’t wish to meet. 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.

Our previous threads are the first one here and the second one here..

[[https://www.facebook.com/pg/Woolly-Hugs-349028448480855/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1339798112737212
We are keeping a photo album on our Facebook page.]] All welcome to join us over there too.

Zombie was a bright and beautiful woman so we chose a palette to reflect this which we call Vibrant Riot; it is inspired too by a blanket that was made for her as she went through treatment. She had it with her at the end, we were so glad to know it still gave her love, big woolly hugs and comfort.

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 all on this thread 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 next collection date is March 11th, then April 22nd. 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. All welcome over there.

Thank you so much xx

Minisoks can I ask how old you are? I only ask cause everytime I get my crochet hooks and wool out my OH gives me a similar look x

Crafty and mini I'm 47 and I get the same look.

Sorry I haven't been on here much ... lots going on at home but I'm knitting a bit in the evening, nearly completed a square ... quite an achievement for me after all this time Will carry on with more. When do I send them off?

Madison good to know I'm not the only one x

ChippingIn it is indeed meadow and fuchsia

I got my new clover amour hook today. I'm just going to try it out. I've just caught the cat chewing it though. He'll make himself a homeless orphan if he carries on with that behaviour!

Lucys Knotty and Pistey have asked that we don't send any this week and next week while it's half term.

I'm on to my next square, I'm trying a moss stitch this time but I keep getting mixed up with which stitch I'm on and all the moving the yarn forwards and backwards I'm determined to crack it though.

Also eagerly awaiting more yarn!

OrangeIsTheNewPop I struggled so much with the first c25k but now i can comfortably run 20 mins. It's amazing how it builds you up in such a short time and it really is doable. (I admit to not finishing the programme, I got up to 20 mins and decided I was happy!) I actually like running now and I could never do it even at school.

I'm 36, nearly 37. A perfectly acceptable age to knit and learn to crochet/use my sewing machine!

I think it's the difference between me growing up with grandmothers certainly who could sew and knit really well, and my mum who can knit beautiful things and sew basics like alterations and dh who grew up with full time working parents and a mum whose own mum didn't pass those skills on. His grandparents never featured in his life as they died before he was born.

The pouffee has become my giant sewing box/place where I have now stashed wool.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone, now home with the new addition

I'm hoping she will sleep at some point soon and I can do some more squares.

I've not long turned 26 and I grew up with one grandmother knitting nonstop up until her stroke and my mum who can knit, crochet, sew and basically turn her hand to most crafts. She passed the skills onto me when I was young and now I'm not me if I'm not crocheting one project or another x

Pop I did c25k nearly two years ago. I made it to 30 mins (not 5k!) and then kept running 2x weekly. After less than a year, I managed 10k in 60 mins. That was Dec 2015, and I've spent most of the time since then being pg, so running has been a bit more sporadic. But looking forward to getting back to it after July.

My BAaaaaaadddd just bought another 12 balls of yarn I might actually use some of this to make some cushion covers from home ....that's what i'll tell DP anyway

Thanks Normans

I've finished my first square and half way through my second but have to stop .. my hands are aching!

Spindelina you most certainly can blame me! I am setting a bad example. I may definitely have ordered lots of yarn in some new colours which is arriving tomorrow and I'm sooooo excited!!!

Here is today's square. Plum, Saffron, Lavender and Violet.

Chippingin, thanks, I'll have a proper look in the morning. I'll just send the lot when it comes to it, as they're all about 6in no matter hook size. There's tons of wool, as I ordered a few different colours! How squares to one ball?

Monday night knitting binge.
I'm quite pleased with how this is coming out and I'm loving my new needles

Diamantegal sorry I've been distracted with other things for a couple of days, but yes I would definitely be up for a crochet /knitting wine drinking session after half term. My wool has just arrived so I need to get back into it.

KNITPRO KLAXON

I've done two squares so far but planning to keep going until I've used up all of the two balls of wool I was sent thanks to a lovely donor

I was just wondering whether anyone had any tips for a good source of patterns for more interesting squares? I crochet and would say I'm an experienced beginner if that makes any sense, I.e. Can do all the ordinary stitches and some more unusual ones like puff stitch, crocodile stitch, shell stitch. But nothing massively complicated.

Preferably free but I can check the library for any recommended books.

I've finished my second square Will keep on until I've used up my wool.

Well I can chain stitch easily enough. I just need to get the whole tension thing right. I'm finding it really difficult as I either end up with it too tight or too loose. It's definitely how I'm holding the wool.

glorious there are several sites which have free patterns. Try ravelry and lookwhatimade blog.

glorious - I am an experienced knitter, and have been adapting stitches into squares for texture - there are a few websites. I have used these so far
One
Two
Three
and ravelry has loads of free patterns too :)

pah - just realised you said crotchet! ah well, may come in useful for others :)

Glorious I can thoroughly recommend the 200 squares books by Jan Eaton. I would have thought that your library should have a copy. Lots of patterns from complete beginners to more advanced and they're really pretty!

Also the Bella Coco tutorials on You Tube are excellent as she takes you through how to make some really pretty squares step by step.

Hope that helps!

So... em...hi. I had a load of wool and some new needles and hooks arrive this morning. All according to specifications. The colours are gorgeous. I'm going to give it a go - starting basic, but that's ok, right?