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

Cheep that's a lovely square! Nothing wrong with it at all.

Buy some more dk and go for it!

Cheep, when you're sorting your pesky ends don't forget to weave in about an inch of the end after your knot - you won't get little ends flapping around then

I think neatness comes with time Cheep. The only thing I do is just make sure that all the loops on the hook are fairly tight so you don't get a bigger loop, which can happen occasionally

It's like a handwritten card rather than an email. Or a characterful home made cake which tastes of actual vanilla and lemon rather than a completely symmetrical supermarket offering. Nothing wrong with the email or the madeira, but something very special about the card and the wonky cake.

That's such a lovely way of putting it MrsH

They are lovely squares Cheep nothing wrong with them at all It took me ages to do a granny square that actually looked like a granny square

There will be something WH can do with them I'm sure Cheep, they look fine to me.

The "one big loop" thing might be caused by technique for holding the yarn, it's really hard to describe, but keeping the tension consistent with your non-hook hand while you work makes a big difference www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk/blogs/how-to/162155143-learn-crochet-from-the-start-how-to-hold-your-hook-and-yarn.

Also pesky ends. Knots don't always hold, even with the ends woven in, so it's important to stitch them in tightly, it only takes a moment. I join blankets for WH and although most squares are fine I have had a few start unravelling on me as I join (or once on a finished blanket when I washed it) with only an inch of yarn for me to try and re-secure.

Cheep joining squares together is pretty easy. I've recently decided to work on some Little Hugs so did a load of squares and then realised I'd have to join them to make the blanket. Honestly, it was so easy and looks so neat, even my first attempt worked out well.

This is my little collection ready to go. I've enjoyed doing all of them.

Ooh they're lovely spin I like the hexagon one at the top, very effective

here's my latest (from the same youtube channel as last time), I can safely say I don't enjoy bobble stitch It doesn't lie flat very well (I had to pin it down for the photo) but I think once it's surrounded by other squares it will behave

Ooo that's pretty too, Raptor! Did you have lots of peskies in the corners?

It wasn't too bad (although I haven't actually sewn them all in yet) as there aren't loads of colour changes and I did manage to crochet some of them in as I went

I lost you!! I have been a little busy recently and kind if dropped off the thread.

I've got quite the stash here ready to post

I'm building up a bit of a stash too, MrsD. I'm actually making a cardi for dd and nearly finished, but every so often I get my 4mm hook out and find another dk ball that needs to be finished....

Morning!

Another blanket off today and another request, so glad we can do this for lovely folk. Thank you everyone, off to catch up xxxx

Evening!
Glad that we have blankets to send, but so sad they are needed .
Raptor - love that .
Been a tweak busy with babysitting and what not, but have been plugging away at another 12" square.
Jux - hope the colour change on the cardi is working out well :)
I will hopefully get my stash off at the end of the week - I have a decent size parcel with all sorts in it .
So here is Lipstick/Lime

They look good together book

I'm going to sort out a parcel in the next few days, I'll get it off in the next week. Most are from the wool very generously donated by the lady from Facebook but there're others from a previous donor and I'm half way through my fourth Little Hug so I'll get those in there too.

Evening!
well, started another set of 6" squares . First one just finished
Empire/Meadow

Book thats a really different and lovely one and the colours work so well.

My mum is the latest request and she's asked me to pass on to all of you how thankful she is for the kindness of strangers, how what you do is so very special and has made a tough time a wee bit easier. You're all bloody amazing!

Utterly beautiful! xxx

Got some wonderful folk coming over today to sort out more kits of squares for the Construction crew, those and Refugee project squares, then I'm going to LOCK THEM IN MWAHAHA UNTIL THEY HAVE DONE ALL THE JOBS!!