Zombie and Woolly Hugs. OVER HERE!! Come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs, newcomers and old hands, all very welcome

[KnottyAndPistey]

Welcome to the most beautiful corner of Mumsnet, here the love and support is boundless, these are the folk you need to be around, come and join us, you'll not regret it :) Our inspiration comes from the wonderful Zombie, a true legend who continues to inspire us.

We knew her time left with us was short, but the news of Zombie’s death on January 30th was still a 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

So many blankets with beautiful women going through treatment now because of your love and support. Thank you doesn't even come close. xx

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, maybe a bit unsure, 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 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 xx

its lovely Hep - if you hadn't said, I wouldn't have noticed!
Madison - wow - thats a lot. I have been too busy this week - extra DGS duty and such. So I have done 3 squares for Juan, a couple of Candys ( got a nice size pile of those now). I had expected to start on a Little Hug, the wool is sat there, waiting patiently, but I have done a couple of 12" Kinship ones instead.

Genuinely can't see an error

and if I could would only be CHARACTER :)

Thank you everyone for your comments re the MA questions up thread, am going to collate the replies for her, but very interesting.

Hello everyone, I've been lurking! I have 7 Candy squares to send you and wonder whether you'd like the things in this photo too? I still find knitting makes me swear difficult ...but I'm get along nicely with the crochet so will stick with that. I used up all the wool so the last square is "unique" but I learned a new stitch doing it

Have you tried rather than adjusting a right-handed pattern?

I think it's worth a try. When you're more confident you'll be able to fudge patterns but when you're learning you need step by step instructions.

Cheep you could always slip stitch into the next gap before you do the chain 3 (so, join to make the round and then 2 slip stitches into the trebles to come out at the gap - does that make sense?) I do that sometimes as mine can go a bit loose at the join.

Hep that's a great first square! Nice and even tension and neat stitches. And yo make your first square really, really special - it's going to be in blanket which will comfortomeone who really needs it. Who else can say their first piece was put to such good use?

Today I made a square, the first since I was ill - I have been so trembley and shakey I couldn't do it before. So I made this, using up what I've got, so probably a Refugee square?

That's really pretty Jux. Hopefully the first of many

Morning
Just a quick dip in to say hi, I am still here!
Have done some squares for Juan's blanket, and then saw the call for kinship squares. So I am just using up some spare wool, and will be back here doing squares.
Jux - that is lovely - and glad to hear you are hooking again - I know you were missing it- take care

Just an update for all. Op went well just waiting game now til I'm able to go home, just wish the stinging would stop. Driving me insane xx

That's good news Crafty - fingers crossed that you'll soon be home

Brilliant news Crafty, I'm pleased the op went well. Fingers crossed for an early escape 🤞

Good new, Crafty, when do you think you'll be home?

Thanks everyone. Jux me, personally I think it'll be next week before I'm discharged but the physios might have a different idea x

Nice to hear the op has gone well Crafty :)

Seen physios this morning and the Drs have signed off for me to go home it's just them now. The physios think once they've ordered some equipment for me for at home then I should be home in the next couple of days xx

I bet it will be a relief to get your own bed back Crafty! Fingers crossed again

It most certainly will Witch, it most certainly will xx

Crafty - nothing quite like being at home to feel better - you can hopefully potter around doing the things you want to do ,when you want to do them !

Great news Crafty fingers crossed they get everything sorted for you to get home quickly

New 12" square finished today (came up at at 8" so I had to put some extra rows on), involved a magic circle and standing triples so I'm rather pleased with it

Sherbert, Turquoise and Empire