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

We'd love to expand our wonderful Construction Crew if anyone feels like they can and would like to support us in this way, come and have a look maybe?

www.facebook.com/WoollyHugsConstructionCrew

Thank you so so much xxxx

Hello all, just checking in. Sent some Manchester squares in this week and am back working on refugee squares. I have a ball of wool for candy squares too so will sneak a few of those in. Thank goodness the toddler is actually going to sleep at a sensible time so I'm able to get some knitting done in the evenings.

Morning

Mine went in the post today, a mix of Manchester and Candy's and one lonely looking kinship square.

More Candy's and kinship squares next month

Kinship squares? Anyone have the address to send squares to? I did have it but can't seem to find it x

Same as Candys Crafty do you want me to pm it? - hows the ankle?

I meant is kinship a new project and what are the details. Please. Much better thanks Book. Don't really have any pain at all in it now, just like an odd tingle feeling on top of my foot and a bit of an ache in the mornings. Can't wait to get the cast of though, starting to go stir crazy stuck in all the time xx

Kinship is new ish - datestamp suggests February 2017 but I think last summer?

Candy's are a subset really.

Poorly sick.

Cons:

1. The obvious.
2. Missing DCs' Sports Day.

Pros:

1. Finished my outstanding Candy's.
2. Finished friend's bump blanket.
3. Large pile of yarn for Candy's/Manchester squares ...

Sorry your not well MrsH, I feel your pain. That is the plus on not being well, more time to finish outstanding projects. Is that pile of yarn still large or is it slowly shrinking? Xx

Also if the pile is too large for just you MrsH I'm happy yo take some of your hands 😉 xx

Hope you feel better soon MrsH, but good news that you get more knitting/ crochet time?

I started a very difficult 12" I pinned ages ago. It's sprinkled with "bphdc" here and "fptrc in skipped st of R5" there so it's still disappointingly small. Hoping the rows will get easier the further out I go! Also regretting my colour choices but it will look fine in the context of a full blanket God willing.

DH has brought the DC home from school and gone on a work call so I'm having to be a vaguely competent adult for half an hour

Evening!
MrsH - get better soon , sad that you had to miss the Sports Day
Signing back in after the rush of Manchester squares.
I was working yesterday as a presiding officer , so a lot of time on my hands - so I have nearly finished another Little Hug.
Some of the 'treat' money from it has morphed into a wool warehouse order - I have bought some more wool for Manchester squares, as I see its going to be ongoing, and the colours overlap with Candy's , and also some of the soft colours in the kinship range

I didn't quite miss it ... DH went and Skyped me in

Oh also

don't forget to vote for Woolly Hugs in the Let's Knit Awards 2017

Better laid out this year so you don't have to vote in every category.

Hope you feel better soon Mrs H!

Hoping that my Manchester squares have arrived! I posted them first class on Tuesday.

I've got quite a few Candy squares made this week. I've been stuck in with a dog with a sore paw! Husband's just back from the vet with him, £80 lighter and no idea what's causing it because he couldn't understand what the vet was saying

Big excitement in our household this week! Me and the 17 year old went to a Manchester Utd match on Sunday and had our photos taken with one of our favourite ever players and it appears that a press photographer was around at the time as we've been popping up on media sites and even in the national papers through the week

Get well soon, MrsH! Though I'm sure you'll need a reasonable time of recuperation once the actual illness has passed...

Madison I'm hoping a load of squares (for Candy's / kinship / Manchester / Juan) arrived at whhq on Monday ish. Haven't seen them on Facebook, but guessing k&p are a bit busy!

Madison - I readita syoyr dog didn't understand the vet.... , but ouch on the bill - do i go and google you now?
Same with my squares Spin - sent them 1st class on Monday, but not seen anything today, so hoping they were just deluged.
Thanks for that link MrsH - voted!

Afternoon everyone.

MrsH I hope you're feeling better

Madison I hope your dog is feeling better too! Maybe if you ring the vets the receptionist can look at your dogs notes and let you know what's on them.

I've seen my squares trickling through on Facebook now. Hope they're useful!

Evening!
I haven't seen any of mine yet, but hopefully they got there safely.
Back on the Candy's , and finally got the fourth square of a set of Empire and Meadow - it seems a long time since I stopped at number 3 !

I love that combination book, I'm still waiting to see my squares on Facebook too. They should be there by now as they were sent first class last Tuesday and were in a big parcel with other things.

Norman I might do that if I can time it so that I don't get 'the' receptionist. She makes the stereotypical doctors receptionist seem like a pussycat! He's fine though, and it hasn't at anytime seemed to have given him any discomfort - he's been bouncing and running around like a nutter, as usual, with no sign of a limp. I can see what looks like a small scratch that's healing though.

phew - Manchester squares on fb this morning

I recognised two of my squares are in the newest Candy's hug too :)
Madison - good to hear your dog is okay - back to early walks?

book I love your squares! Where did you get the patterns from?

Madison glad to hear your dog is on the mend. Maybe he had a little thorn or something. The receptionist sounds scary! The ones at my vets love my cat so they're really nice

Thank Norm- mostly trawl Ravelry

Here they are
www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/carousel-square
www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/victorian-lattice-square
www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/green-thumb-3

I think the meadow one is a variation on the willow pattern ( Bella Coco) - very similar anyway!

I tend to have to add or subtract rows to get to 6" mind - I'm getting very 'free form'