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

Marcipex, that truly magnificent! I bow to you in awe . Seriously, it's amazing. I think I might have another go as your pictures have clarified what the pattern instructs a bit. Well done! It's really pretty in the pale blue.

Oh, btw! Has anyone done Bullion stitch? I was having a go at it and had 17 yon which had to pull the loop through. It did not end well

Marci That fisherman cable square is stunning. I've saved the pattern and might give it a go later this week.

Pop What a lovely c2c. I'm sure the Construction Crew will be able to use it - it's too good not to!!!

I'm currently trying my hand at some baby beanie hats and a cardigan for the Chernoble Project. Time will tell if they're going to be acceptable

Jux I LOVE the bullion stitch. The trick is not to wind the yarn too tight.

Buggar- I keep forgetting about the PLL name changes! Sorry ..

Morning

Can see that catching up is going to take a while

I'll make another and crack on!

I've been saving my squares to post - 14 squares, all approx 6", going in the post tomorrow. I've got quite whizzy now, and can do square a night.

I'm particularly pleased with my hearts. One on Valentine's Day, and one on the day of Zombie's funeral. Think I'm going to knit those on special days only.

Morning Boss.

Beautiful squares on here, such fitting tribute to our Candy Please do keep posting pics

Redcorn - did you get yarn in the end, our last request list was monumental, and I know Knots was working flat out on it, she is now away on HT, they had a different week to us here.

is anyone waiting on yarn?

LEM Bob is adorable! Go Team Wooffy Hugs! Norks - what do your gorgeous doggies make of the wool?! I have two cats, Knots has a kitten, they are all verrrrrry helpful, and all get very excited by boxes and parcels!

HatofDoom How did you get on? Once you have worked it out, you will know for evermore, so don't give up, 33 is just an average.

Polter A whole blanket would be wonderful thank you, bless your heart

Vitty Those blankets came through our wonderful MP friend from a group in NE Scotland and we never knew the actual crafter, but they are stunning, crochet, and a DC stitch, we were and can only assume all the same crafter, such an immense amount of work. I can dig one out and post a closer pic if that helps?

A baby! Congratulations Bear How wonderful! xxxx

Anyone lurking, please join us! It's an ongoing project so squares are always needed.

This is my fave hook.. also like these both from Clover.

Hope all the poorly huggers are feeling better

The feedback we are getting from our recipients is truly, so glad LEM and Five your friends love their blankets. just wonderful, so glad we can do this, wish there was no need, but glad we can, and the requests are coming.

Candy will always be with us as we hook, knit, swear over lost stitches, too many stitches, beam with pride at something we accomplish for the first time, celebrate new friendships made. She will give us the energy we need.

Thank you so much everyone, and if anyone would like to have a look at our Chernobyl project, it is over here... Rate of childhood cancer are so high, al the teens I met in Leeds last year had had cancer of one type or another, bless them. We need lots of squares here too!

Yes! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote in the Stylecraft charity prize comp! if we win, prize yarn goes to Candy's Hugs! You can see we need it, it is just a click, no need to sign up to anything, and make all friends and family do the same! We did a separate thread last time, maybe should do that again they announce the winner on March 1st so time is ticking on! The link is here hopefully!

Jux there's something in my Pinterest timeline about using a drinking straw with your hook when you're doing bullion - I think you slip the straw over the hook to make it broader while you're yo, then slip it back down as you pull back through. I haven't tried it myself but when you have 17 yo it might be a godsend!

I have squares to post but have been back in hospital with a postnatal infection and a poorly baby. DH has bought me the 200 crochet squares book and is going to visit the wool shop tomorrow while I recuperate I'm going to get more done, it'll keep me on the sofa where I belong, and then will post next week once the DC are back at school.

Bear

Bear

Oh Bear you poor thing! Hope you and Baby Bear are feeling much better soon.

Bear, hope you and babybear feel much better very soon.

Can I ask you all what the most cost effective way of sending squares in is? I sent 8 six inch squares second class and it cost nearly £3. While I don't mind paying the postage, any money saved could be spent on wool! Just wondering if I've missed a trick.

This is my first twelve inch square.

Bear hope you and baby bear get better very soon

Axolotyl that is stunning! I'm also wondering about the best postage strategy, like you say, less money paid on postage is more for yarn

HappyAxthingy, your square is wonderful.

Bear more , but what a nice dh you have!

MrsH a straw!! What a brill idea!

Uber, I'm impressed, it's fiendish. I had found a really nice square pattern which had lots of bullion stitch, and other stitches of similar difficulty, but I've lost it, can't find it in my History, but I'll keep looking.

Axolotl, that's fab.

bear {flowers] - take care of you and baby -and rest !
Happy - I round up squares from DD ( and now sis in law) - small packet at £2.85 takes a kilo ( check size of packet) - thats quite a lot of squares , so I just wait until I have enough, and send off , hopefully well before the cut off date - btw - that square is beautiful!

Happy I try to do the same as book and post a larger amount altogether if I can. That square is absolutely gorgeous!

Oh no, poorly s hope both soon feeling better xxxx

My DD wanted an Axolotyl fwiw! Beautiful square!

Right posting

A basic large letter costs 75p second class (think A4 envelope) and this will be up to 100g so really only one 12 inch square, have just weighed one of mine which was 52g

A large letter weighing up to 250g cost £1.20 second class (still think A4 envelope) this will be four 12 inchers, folded flat they will be fine on the dimensions.

Dimensions for a large letter are...
35.3cm long
25cm wide
2.5cm thick

Dimensions and weight wise for us after this you really are looking at a small parcel, which is second class £2.85, but that is up to 2kg, dimensions...
45cm long
35cm wide
16cm thick

Hopefully this helps?

Marci that ring is a lovely design, looks beautiful in the single colour

Axolotyl that's gorgeous too, very striking

Bear more and wishing you both a speedy recovery

Looking at the Royal Mail website, if you've got 8 6" squares then it looks like the cheapest way is to send them as a large letter (£1.20 for up to 250g or 75p for up to 100g) which can be A4 size and up to 2.5cm thick and 750g. It's the thickness that's the crucial bit here - I've put my ruler down somewhere but I reckon 4 squares on top of each other in an envelope would be 2.5cm.

More than that and you're into a small parcel at £2.85 but you'd be able to send loads for that!

I've managed 6 squares now, not bad considering I only started a week ago! I've finally got the hang of the solid granny squares but my tension has got tighter the more of them I've done so they're shrinking. I've ordered a Clover hook and the Jan Eaton book so I can try some new things next week.

I'm itching to buy some more colours but I've nowhere to store them so will restrain myself until payday when I may go a little crazy and try to use up some of the balls I've got on the go instead. Do we reckon 6 x 6" squares from each 100g ball?