Zombie and Woolly Hugs. Please join us, newcomers very welcome. Come and find out about Candy's Hugs.

[KnottyAndPistey]

Her legacy of Candy's Hugs will be one of love and strength, of coming together to show compassion, support and give and receive comfort.

Seven blankets already with women on the rocky road of cancer treatment in Candy's name. Love in every stitch we say and it really is true. Together we go on, Candy is with us every step.

For anyone joining us, and please do, this is an ongoing project, just jump right in, this explains what we are doing and all crafting info. Thank you EVERYONE! x

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.

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.. and third 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 to give hugs and comfort 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

I guess it's about time I joined, having lurked and procrastinated forever

I rarely knit despite being taught by my GM as a child, and have only tried crochet once.
So in the last 30 years, I've managed to ensure my DCs got a cardi each as did DGS, and apart from that it's been the occasional pair of booties.

I've bought a couple of balls from Candy's palette and have knitted two basic squares so far. Planning to get a bit more adventurous and perhaps try to crochet- so many fab creations on here

I met the lovely lady once and her attitude to life always seems to be 'just bloody do it' so I will

Welcome to woolly hugs married. I think it is only fair that I warn you that it is as addictive as crack cocaine! I love looking at everyone's creations and have learnt how to do lots of new crochet stitches, it was all I could do to chain stitch when I started.

Haven't been very productive this weekend, days out and faffing about trying to sort out weight watchers subscription but can't be doing with it, so have cancelled.

Thanks Lem, you've given me some optimism

Don't give up on WW if it's just a subscription issue, I know these clubs are not for everyone but I'm watching them really work for people close to me. My dsis has been doing brilliantly on WW and good friend who has yoyo'd for her entire adult life has lost enough weight on SW to reverse her diabetes diagnosis and sort her arthritis.

Marriednotdead, hello there.
Woolly Hugs is also on Facebook, there's lots of lovely blankets to look at :)

I am not on FB but managed to have a look at some

thanks, not giving up on the diet, have been doing my fitness pal and just fancied a change but with WW I can't actually get a handle on how many calories I'm eating so going to stick with MFP and up the exercise - does crocheting quickly count?

Hello everyone - been a bit quiet recently with life getting in the way of crocheting but I've still been reading and admiring everyone's creations!

Managed these two today. The tomato one was a nightmare - really had to concentrate on the pattern and ended up starting again at about round 5 after I realised I had too many spokes in my first round. Good sense of satisfaction in having finally managed it though, even if I've still got to sew in the peskies.

Love those squares, diamantegirl.

Haven't done much crochet over the last few days, too much socialising! We have a signed copy of a friend's latest book, a bottle of champagne from a just-announced-pg friend, went to see a stand-up last night, and I can still hardly move I'm so stuffed from lunch at a relative's (she's the best cook I've ever met, and I've known a few). So I am sitting here very fatly and counting my blessings.

Crochet shall be picked up again tomorrow, after work.

If I can't get back on again for another 4 or 5 days, adieu!

Jux it's really annoying when you can't get on. It has been very slow & glitchy, but so far (this time around) I've managed to be able to get on. Posting has been like wading through treacle though. Your RL sounds like fun - stand up comics & fab lunches...

Married Hi, nice to see you over here 😊 Yep, just bloody well do it 😁 I can bore you into next year with crochet tutorial links when you want them. I love them because you can rewind them a million times, and trust me, I've needed to!, without getting 🤣 So much better than books. I'm 'a knitter' but have just started crocheting, I'm loving it!

Marcipex it looks really aqua here, stupid screens.

Vintage have you got an iPad? The magnetic cases are brilliant for finding needles, collecting loose change & looking after my tiny sewing scissors 🤣

diamantegal. That much orange should send out signals to POP 😂 It's a nice pattern.

Furry there are loads of tutorials on CTC on YouTube. I think it's good to watch different ones as sometime just the angle or something they say makes it click. I was getting in a mess until I realised that what was happening was my piece was turning around while I was making my first block on each row & as I didn't really know what I was looking at/for I hadn't realised. Once I had that sorted I was off. It's actually really, really easy once you get the pattern.

LEM. It's not easy, I hope you find something that works 💐

bookbook. I'm like a piggy in a mud puddle, I have so many interesting things started. Half of my Candy Yarns are attached to a project & several other bits are started too. I'm keeping up my Pesky halo, simply because I'm not getting any finished! 😂 I'm going to have to behave & settle down to finishing them instead of starting something else that looks interesting!

Hello all! I'm still working on Chernobyl but wanted to pop on and admire all of the squares!

Chipping, I'm the same! I've got about 3 or 4 CALs that I have either started or want to start, but I'm concentrating on squares for now!

Malcolm. They are squares 😂 I have two spiral (started using different methods to try them out), two 6" CTC, 3 completed 6" CTC needing one more then I'll crochet them into a 12", one 'baby blanket' sort of sampler (6" crochet) , Rainbow 12" knitting, 4x 5" squares I've crochet together & now need a border, about 4 Granny squares and magic circles in most colours. Oh & a pair of crochet baby booties. Ok. That should shame me into finishing them all before starting anything else! 😖

...but it won't 🤣

Good morning all
Anyone needing a hug?

That's brilliant Severn, I love it!

Well I tried crotchet yesterday. All day yesterday. At one point I had to knit a square to sooth my frustration, and then tried again. I sort of did a granny square but something very peculiar happened with a couple of the corners so it didn't quite make it to 6inches. I may loose another day or two

Morning!
Seven - thats lovely!
I am doing squares for Chernobyl at the moment, and a Candy one in between today , but am also setting off a Little Hug, and will be doing a couple of squares for Zlad and Zlass, ... mmm - hours/day ratio all wrong!
Witch - I found Bella Coco the easiest to follow - you can rewind and have another look. It was the corners that got me too!

Chipping - I don't normally do that, they would never get finished! -
I usually have to finish one , before I can start another- ( looking at Little Hug cast on , and pattern for Candy crotchet square up on computer screen )

Seven!!! Wow! Nothing else I can say, just - WOW!!!

Chipping those are some mammoth projects to get done! I'm amazed at how many things you've managed to keep on the go. Hmmmm, maybe I'll intersperse squares with one of the blankets I'm doing for DD3 - however, I want to get at least 6 Chernobyl squares done first!

This square making business is seriously addictive. I am making a family blanket with all my practice squares but realised it would take me forever. I decided to do one 12" c2c in each colour so I started last weekend doing one each weekend. So 2 x 12" done plus about a pile of 6", just enough for a guinea pig blanket at the moment. I am also doing CandyHugs and a couple of squares for the Zombie Lad / Lass blanket.

Just wanted to say thank you for sending me the wool. I think I have put it to good use.

DD, age 11 really wanted to join in when I explained about Candy's hugs. I have kept it in the pile for now, but will re do it on the day of posting without her knowing. It was done with love though. Have a look at the concentration on that face!

Thanks Book I'll have a look.

These are a couple of my efforts from
the weekend. I am going to have a go at bobbles for the first time now, it doesn't look too scary so will see how it goes. Severn I am loving those colours together- that's a lovely square.

Hello everyone : amazing photos here, looks like we have all had a busy and productive weekend!
Have spent all the morning sewing in peskies, so took a pic to cheer myself up : hope I can attach it as have resorted to using the MN app which am in two minds about.

Ah well it did work ( surprised face) ...
Hope the site issues are sorted soon.

Seven : what a marvellous square , is it a 6 or 12 inch one ? Very impressive!
NerrSnerr : love love love the fair isle hearts one : in fact would love a cardi like that ( heavy hint ! )

Thank you all for your nice comments. I'm getting all
Yiayoula it's a 12". I'm rubbish at combining colours, so I'm loving your stripy ones! Are they knit one, slip one? I love doing that as it grows so quick!
I'm going to have a bash at a fairisle-type one next, but wondering if I'll just end up in a huge tangle.

Yes, I think the "botanical" name for it us Honeycomb Slip Stitch but it is basically k1, s1 : have to keep resisting passing the slip stitch over, it follows almost automatically....
One advantage is that these squares are coming out as exactly 6 inches.
I'm afraid my previous batch will have needed a little adjusting, shall we say, by Knotty, Pistey and the Fettling Functioneers, to fit into anything resembling a blanket!