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

I'm tight Madison - I have ordered it from the library. Mind you, my DD has it on her wish list - so win -win for me. If its good , it can go towards a birthday present.......
I have DGS so no squares being done at the moment ,, but I am going to attempt a chevron stripe in crotchet next. Wish me luck !

obviously I will buy a new one - don't think the library would like me to keep it! :)

book I had £8 of Amazon vouchers from having some Quidco research software on my laptop so it's only cost me £1.09 or I'd have been off to the library too!

My yarn came today and it made me so happy!

My 2 year old pulled my square off my needle yesterday. I was quite upset. I have slipped the loops onto a stitch holder, I just have to figure out which way the needle goes back in and I might be able to save it. I think I prefer it when the cats join in! I'll start a new one for now though. I'm fancying stripes.

Spiral 🤣

Madison. Which colours did you get today? You did well not to arrive home with the dog too!

There's really only one wool shop near me. It's ok. No dog & no wool suitable for the other blankets (merino/cashmere etc) but they do have lots of this wool - well, they did, they have considerably less now 😬. A couple of others have closed down now, sadly.

Amethyst. I hope you can rescue it. It's another thing I'm loving about crochet, it's so much easier to fix problems & work out what's what.

No wool shop here now - it closed about 3 years ago. I have to go up to big town to look and feel wool now .
Chipping - I am now totally re acclimatised thank you. Home on Monday, had DGS on Tuesday and yesterday + overnight. DD has been and picked him up about 2 hours ago. Had an hour of coffee and damp flannel on forehead, plus some knitting to finish off a 12" for Chernobyl. Then I am back to Candys squares. The crotchet is starting to be more interesting and quicker than I bargained for - and thats from a knitter!
Amethyst - if for whatever reason, I have to slip stitches back onto the needle that have been pulled off, I sort it out when I come to knit/purl ( unless it is a fiendish cable or the like) . It's usually reasonably easy to knit instead of purl, or purl instead of knit, so the stitch isn't twisted - does that make sense? Hard to explain....easier to do :)

Chipping I got Pomegranate, Turquoise and Meadow. My dog wouldn't have been happy if I'd brought another home, he's far too spoiled and loves being an only dog

That's what I find with crochet, mistakes are easier to correct and if you end up having to frog a section then it doesn't take too long to crochet it back.

Book, I get what you mean but it is hard to explain. It's easy to rectify though when the stitches are back on the needle.

I finished joining my squares into a blanket last night and it looks super! The colours I was sent meant I could create a really neat rainbow effect through it
I thought I better send some squares back with it so just started a couple.

I'm quite getting into this now after a slow start, five 6 inchers done and started on a 12 incher. I keep noticing Chernobyl being mentioned. Are squares needed for that urgently?

LEM I'm having the same problem with some beautiful alpaca wool. Have you seen in films where someone has a skein of wool looped between two hands, and the granny is winding it in to a ball while giving some sage advice? I think that's what you're supposed to do with it. Get someone to hold it and tell them stuff while you pretend to be the granny. I have no-one handy to help wind mine so I hang it between drawer knobs....

However, the alpaca wool (2 skeins!) was given to me by my lovely friend for watering her plants while she was on holiday Anybody jealous?

Vintage, yes! The idea is to make 70+ blankets with the last posting date being April 8th as the first Chernobyl children arrive in May!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2827081-Welcome-to-our-Chernobyl-project-for-2017?

Vintage The cut off date for Chernobyl is 8th April I think and they're aiming to make 70 blankets! So there is a time limit. Have you seen the thread?

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2827081-Welcome-to-our-Chernobyl-project-for-2017?pg=1

Oops cross post!

Great minds and all that Norman!

Exactly!

I love alpaca wool Normans - I made a shrug a couple of years ago for my DD, and it was lovely . ( I have an expensive addiction for cashmerino too - )
you maybe need one of these WOOL WINDER :)

LEM and Norman - when I have to wind a skein into a ball and don't have anyone handy to do the holding, I use the back of a chair. Needs must, and all that...

K&P have posted on FB that it was Candy's funeral today.
Here's to the wonderful Zombie and much love to her family and friends

I think this might apply to a few huggers

Arrrgggggghhhjh - thanks for the advice guys. I have to say it is not what i wanted to hear As Dp said to me mid detangle "i think you are supposed to rewind it" "don't be ridiculous "was my reply

Sorry I posted that before I saw Spiral's post about the funeral

for Zombie and love to all.

Wow bookbook that is a crazy looking thing! Looks like those rotary washing lines. I think I'd probably make things worse if I tried to use one of those thanks though.

I never spoke to Zombie but have read some of her threads. Such a brave and inspirational person. Love to her family and friends in real life and on here

Ahhh LEM the inevitable 'I told you so!'

Madison & Norman Thank you, I'll hop over there and offer my services. The more the merrier eh! As long as plain and stripy are acceptable.

Raising a glass to Zombie May she rest in peace riotous uproar

I am raising a glass to Zombie and lighting a candle too.

Thank you for the kind thoughts and to all wearing the depression t shirt.

I am attempting a wave square, so far it is "interesting" but the colours are all sunshine and flame. Vibrant riot indeed.