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Woolly hugs

Woolly Hugs is a charity established by a group of Mumsnet users. They knit / crochet handmade blankets and other items for families experiencing difficult times.

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

988 replies

KnottyAndPistey · 20/04/2017 09:13

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 Wine Gin

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. Thanks

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

Star Gin ThanksStar Gin ThanksStar Gin ThanksStar Gin ThanksStar Gin Thanks

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. OVER HERE!! Come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs, newcomers and old hands, all very welcome
OP posts:
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WitchDancer · 21/04/2017 21:04

I always think of Candy when I use the lipstick colour, which is such a vibrant colour

Jux · 21/04/2017 21:06

book, it's gone surprisingly well [hrin] Some dodgy moments when I simply didn't understand the pattern at all, rectified by reading all the online comment and q&as and using pen and paper to calculate how many stitches between increases etc, but the body's done, and I'm now onto the sleeves.

DD chose the Drops wool in forest berry (or something), but Ive enjoyed it, so will make another in the Caron Cakes. Photos when peskies dealt with.

NormansNipple · 21/04/2017 21:20

Ahh Vitty I love that wool. I bought it to make my little hugs! I’m going to do a cosy stripe in my own colours too, so I’ll use that link thanks! Smile

Madison lovely squares! I have yet to try ripples/zig zags. I’ll have to work up the courage and patience one day soon.

Welcome back Witch Smile

Hi Hep I can recommend the Jan Eaton book too, but check your tension as you go because the sizing can be out a bit.

Spiral hope you feel better soon Flowers

diamante I would also like to give up work and crochet full time. I have 3 attic24 blanket packs now. I don’t have time to go to work!

book they are amazing! I’m liking the 4 colour toned square thing. They look very effective. Good luck with your little hug. I finished my pink and purple one in time for the posting date, but only have 3 candy squares to send this time.

NormansNipple · 21/04/2017 21:24

The little hug. I'm posting this with it's rainbow sibling and 3 squares this time. Then I'm on to Candy squares for the next posting date Smile

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. OVER HERE!! Come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs, newcomers and old hands, all very welcome
MadisonAvenue · 21/04/2017 22:26

book you choose some lovely colour combinations! I've had trouble with rows using the Jan Eaton book because they were coming out too large and I couldn't work out how to resize them but I'd bought a Dorling Kindersley crochet book when I first started crocheting and saw these patterns in there. They say to make the foundation chain, for example, in multiples of 2 plus one extra. I find a chain of around 26 makes a 6" square.

Norman that is so beautiful!

MadisonAvenue · 21/04/2017 22:32

Oh, and no crochet for me tomorrow - we 're at that wedding I mentioned. I've popped to Tesco tonight for supplies. Four carrot cake muffins and two bottles of water. We have a two hour drive, the ceremony is at noon so it'll be a good few hours after that until we sit down to eat so there'll be cakes in the car to keep us going. We did the same last Summer for a nephew's wedding (three hour drive for a noon wedding that time) and the cakes were a lifesaver as it was gone 4pm when we finally sat at the tables. Cruel really, even then they got us all in for the meal and then did speeches first!

bookbook · 21/04/2017 22:48

Jux - sleeves - I don't like them them - increase, increase, increase then decrease, decrease, decrease :)
Madison - good luck for tomorrow! - can't you crotchet in the car? Grin . It is always a long, long time from wedding to food. One a few years ago, we were nearly chewing each others arms off....
I'm trying to use the donated wool up evenly, but it doesn't really work, as I have favourites!. So I have topped up with those, quite a lot really Blush The fuchsia is new to me though, and its nice . ( I am a big fan of pinks/purples generally )
Norm - that is lovely

diamantegal · 22/04/2017 00:28

I've had a revelation today. While watching blatantly paying no attention to DS's swimming lesson, I discovered that what I thought was C2C was something completely different to what the rest of you have been doing.

I thought square 1 of the Jan Eaton book was C2C because it goes diagonally but it's all doubles, whereas you've all been doing some form of witchcraft with trebles and flipping. This may explain why mine looks quite different...

Given that I've screwed up two entire rows of my ripple blanket by missing an increase right at the start of one of the rows (which means frogging about 1.5 hours of work), I might investigate this new discovery in the morning as welcome relief. Especially as DS has football training, so I have 2 hours of blissful solitude to look forward to if I can forage a suitable lunch so that I don't have to food shop

bookbook · 22/04/2017 08:13

get thee to the Bella Coco C2C diamante Grin !

KnottyAndPistey · 22/04/2017 10:24

‪Celebrating Zombie's birthday in a vibrant riot kind of way. Love to her family and many friends, to all missing this remarkable woman xxxx

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. OVER HERE!! Come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs, newcomers and old hands, all very welcome
OP posts:
Jux · 22/04/2017 12:20

Happy birthday Zombie, wherever you are Gin

Trebles all round! hic

bookbook · 22/04/2017 12:46

Birthday girl Zombie Wine , left us with a fabulous legacy

WitchDancer · 22/04/2017 13:26

Happy Birthday Zombie 🍸

UnbornMortificado · 22/04/2017 13:48

Happy Birthday Z 🍺

RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 22/04/2017 13:54

Happy Birthday Zombie Gin Chocolate

AmethystRaven · 22/04/2017 15:19

A fabulous legacy indeed Smile

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. OVER HERE!! Come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs, newcomers and old hands, all very welcome
SpiralArchitect · 22/04/2017 16:12

Happy Birthday Zombie Gin

I will raise a Wine later.

CraftyGirly90 · 22/04/2017 17:38

Happy Birthday Zombie,I'm at a party tonight and will raise a glass in honor of her and the amazing legacy she left behind xx

DoubleR · 22/04/2017 20:25

Hi everyone! I got busy with other things for a few days and by the time I came back you're already 4 pages into a new thread, I had to follow some peskies to find you all Grin
As usual I am in awe of everyone's work, and also on FB. I couldn't even begin to make a cardigan or a hat, they would come out square Grin
It was v exciting to see my Candy squares up on the FB page, I had to stop myself commenting and outing myself, not that I've ever posted anything that it would matter but you know the first rule of Mumsnet or is that fight club?
Thank you to everyone who said they liked my squares, someone, I think Norman, asked if if crocheted the flowers, yes they're the Bella Coco puff flowers. I'm going to do another set with four different colours when I've finished the Little Hug I'm working on.

And Happy Birthday to Zombie, somewhere out there looking down on us all making blankets in her memory CakeGin

Spindelina · 22/04/2017 20:56

Gin Happy birthday, Zombie.

RR I know what you mean about cardigans and hats. I'm really not averse to tackling complicated stuff, but for some reason 3D stuff like clothes makes me really nervous! The silly thing is, Is be quite happy doing the same 3D construction on a sewing machine.

bookbook · 22/04/2017 21:13

Evening!
I have made hats/jumpers/cardigans for years , but only knitting. I have promised myself to get some crotchet hats done for the refugee appeal.
I saw your squares RR - , I know what you mean about 'outing' yourself on fb ...:)
Right, finished all 4 of the set I wasn't planning on doing. So Shrimp/Fuchsia/ Petrol.
I am now going to concentrate on getting my Little Hug done , and I have chocolate! ( an Easter Egg which did not want to break - I had to go and hit it with an implement in the kitchen. It put up a fight!)
Has anyone heard from Chipping ? - I saw her squares , but she hasn't posted recently. Hope she is okay

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. OVER HERE!! Come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs, newcomers and old hands, all very welcome
Spindelina · 22/04/2017 21:44

Ooo I like those book. They feel a bit retro.

bookbook · 22/04/2017 22:24

Thanks Spin - I'm retro in truth!

diamantegal · 22/04/2017 23:56

As I didn't dare argue with book, here's my attempt at a real C2C! It's a bit holey up close though - is that normal?

Only problem is that now I want to copy Norman and do a rainbow C2C little hug - it looks stunning and now I know how to do it. But that means buying more wool...

Zombie and Woolly Hugs. OVER HERE!! Come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs, newcomers and old hands, all very welcome
NormansNipple · 23/04/2017 00:23

Happy Birthday Zombie Gin

RR yes it was me who asked about the flowers. I'm going to look them up, they're so pretty Grin

book I think Chipping had some problems with her hands and wasn't crocheting/knitting for a while. I hope she's ok too.

diamante that looks great. It does come out quite holey! Buy more wool. You know you want to! Grin I used the Sirdar colour wheels but it was quite expensive. You can make a really good rainbow with Candy colours, I'd do that if I did it again.