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

Yiayoula, yes I'm just looking at the pattern now - thanks Pterobore! I haven't done much today - little electric shocks running through my fingers, so am giving them a rest - but I've spent some time sewing in ends

my first attempt at c2c! it is really quick to do. I think I like it.

. It's all been a bit mad here, so it was either crochet for Tunnocks blanket OR keep up with the thread. Tunnock's won 😊 Way too many hugs here for her not to put them in squares.

bookbook. I'm enjoying crocheting, it's the first time in a long time I've learnt something new, so it's been good. I love that it's just so easy to frog and try again if you're not totally happy with a bit & I'm loving the colours & seeing it grow so quickly. On the other hand, I do love my knitting & how much softer the squares feel.

Madison. Pomegranate, Turquoise & Meadow - I love all of those! 🤣 At your dog!

Pterobore. Thank you for being one of the Construction Crew for us 💐 I'm looking forward to seeing the photos of your rainbow 😊

LEM 😕🤣 at you 'don't be ridiculous'ing your DP, oops. (RE winding yarn into a ball).

Norman. My tiny violin is playing for you, having to wind your wool by yourself. It's a tragedy. Still, alpaca wool for watering plants 😳 My friends & family OWE ME!! 😂

Diamantegal. I think it's lovely that DS likes to choose your colours. It is addictive isn't it. The list of 'jobs' is growing badly here😫 I think Wool Warehouses profits must be going through the roof 😁

POP. 12.5". I hope you sent it. I'm sure the Construction Magicians Crew can make that work. It's a fab square. I'm surprised you don't like the Clover Hook. I wish the name change thing would revert to the name you used previously on the thread.

SpagettiMoon. One of these days K&P will just give in and say 'Send any size square, telling you otherwise is pointless we love the challenge 😂

Bearfrills. Sorry to hear that you & BB have been back to the hospital. I hope you're both a lot better now 💐 DH sounds like a keeper.

HappyAxolotyl. LOVE your square.

Malcolm. Fab collection of squares! Have you tried the Madison?

MrsH Home crochet. . Strictly forbidden. Sorry & all that. DC just have to freeze.

Flutterworc you both sound lovely. I hope to meet you both one day.

On one of the original blanket threads we talked about a weekend away somewhere, but it all got a bit complicated so it just didn't happen. I'd love to book a Gite in France one summer & just have people come & go as they can. If I win the lottery I'll do that & send you all flight tickets. We will have a chef & a housekeeper so we can just swim, knit/crochet, play silly games, sleep & chat. BLISS.

Seventillfour. There's no such thing as too garish on these Hugs I don't think! If it's (as it looks on my screen) Tomato/Saffron/Petrol then it's definitely not too garish! I'm not sure my screen settings are the best for this though as Sherbert looks like a bloody awful grey or bright white.

💐 For everyone with depression & everyone who just gets something out of being here, it's a wonderful little corner of MN with very little drama - just lovely 💐

DropZoneOne. Fab square.

I love Fusia on my screen, but I was disappointed that it's not that pink IRL.

I found all kinds of tutorials by just googling exactly what I wanted an adding a question mark. It's amazing the difference in quality of them though. I'll link a couple inreally liked afterwards.

Yiayoula I love your Zombie Cat square x. i onkynstarted cricheting couple of weeks ago. The tutorials online make it so easy. I'll link a couple afterwards.

Raptorina. I'm the same. I make far fewer mistakes on a complicated pattern!

TheHatOfDoom. By the time you've knitted 7 squares you'll know what your ideal cast on is for thIs yarn 😂

I'm sorry if this is hideously long, and I've tried to be restrained!, but the iPad is playing up & I can't scroll back. ANYWAY, I figure those who want to can simply scroll past my wittering! 😂

Vitty. I'm sorry I can't add anything useful. Hope you can work out where it went wrong. I didn't really think it could once you'd done the first wave, but equally I thought if there was a way to mess it up I'd find it!

Beginner Crochet Granny Square.

I found this really easy to follow GRANNY SQUARE

Evening!
I was just about to post, but I had to read Chippings first . - I know what you mean about crotchet, but I love my knitting more ! Any holiday with a chef and a housekeeper has a thumbs up from me
I have just finished a 12" for Chernobyl, ( pattern courtesy of Witch ) so am going to do Candy's hugs tomorrow < tries to fit 28 hours into tomorrow>
lovely squares today
Vitty - the waffle square is lovely and squishy.
LEM - thats my favourite square to crotchet so far ( not done many tbh) it grows so quickly.
My one resolution when I started was to sew in the ends before I began another square . So far, I have managed it

Another Good Beginner Crochet Tutorial

GRANNY SQUARE

RedGrape posted thus link and it was the first thing I did. It's a good tutorial and she has lots of others too.

CROCHET FLOWER

bookbook that's definitely 😇 I have a knitted stripey 12" square about 3/4 finished, I need to stop crocheting & get it finished. I'm meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow so I might take that with me as it takes no concentration at all and she won't mind.

Hmm, LEM, you're making me think I need to brave crochet in rows not rounds. I failed miserably first time (too much concentration required) and so decided to work through all the round squares in my book before attempting rows. But some of the rounds are a bit too delicate for my taste (did one tonight but it's downstairs and I'm in bed so no photo!) - should probably mix it up a bit.

Although given I only picked up a hook for the first time less than two weeks ago, I should probably be more patient. To echo what others have said - I love that this bit of Woolly Hugs has inspired so many of us to try something new, and in a great cause. It seems exactly in the spirit of what Candy's Hugs was meant to do.

Oh and count me in for the all expenses paid holiday. I assume there will be and wool - what more do we need?!

This nearly drove me spare at the beginning & it's not exactly square, but I'm pleased with it!

That's really effective Twerp

Lem I've been thinking of trying the c2c, was it straightforward? It looks great.

Twerp that's great - where did you get the pattern?

As a complete aside, I haven't heard the word Twerp in years - you're not my Dad, are you? Although I'm pretty sure he can't crochet...

Boo to insomnia. Yay to crochet.

Diamente, same here. I want to do EVERY pattern NOW. And my job is getting in the way. Good thing my body appears to have decided that sleep is unnecessary .

diamante girl the c2c isn't rows i find rows too much concentration too (especially the first row) and i can never get them to come in at the right size.

Hat - i followed the bella coco tutorial as i foundctge written instructions a bit difficult and it was surprisingly easy once you have done the first few blocks. I do like that it is really quick, that square only took me an hour to do.

I love that spiral square , id like to try tgat but that really does look like witchcraft

My dad used to say twerp too i think morcomb and wise used to say it as well although i could be making that up

diamantegal thanks! I don't think I'm your Dad, but you never know... "Furry Litle Twerp" is one of the insults I throw at the cats!

The pattern is on Ravelry & called "Squaring The Spiral".

I couldn't get the stitch count right even after half a dozen false starts so just ploughed on & fudged it a bit. I'll have another go & see if I can sort it out. It started to go wrong in round &, but I couldn't work out why!

pattern

I meant to say, I added a couple of extra rounds as it came up quite small.

Aargh - round 7 not round & - if anyone can suss out what I was doing wrong, I'd be grateful - somehow I lost a couple of stitches & ended up too far round. No idea how.

Diamantegal
Oh and count me in for the all expenses paid holiday. I assume there will be wine and wool - what more do we need?!

LOL - I do forget you don't all know me IRL. Yes 🥃🍷🥂🍻🍺🍹🍸 & a Wool Room - anything & everything you'd need for Woolly Hugs - help yourself.

Fingers crossed for the Lottery Win. 😁

I'm getting worried now. I say Twerp when Twat isn't acceptable I hope I'm not old enough to be your parents 😳🤣

FuryLittleTwerp you're leadin me astray, I was going to do the Marigold next, now I feel a spiral coming on 😬

Morning all, bashing on with the knitting but getting very excited about my crochet lesson tomorrow mainly because the teacher is just so lovely and I can spend some birthday money, not that I am getting addicted at all, oh no not me

I just love the idea of a Woolly Retreat.

I'm picturing a yarn room with different units on the wall all helpfully labelled eg "Candy's Vibrant Riot" "Kinship Vintage" and stuffed full of all the colours.

And a pattern library which uploads to e-readers.

Oooh, a pattern library on Kindle good idea, MrsH

Is there a current discount code for Wool Warehouse? I need can't resist buying more wool

Try SC38 (10% off)