Zombie and Woolly Hugs. ALL very welcome to join us, come and find out about her legacy of Candy’s Hugs.

[KnottyAndPistey]

Surely the best corner of the Mumsnet, all are welcome here and if seen this for the first time, join us, you'll be glad you did. 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.

A bit of background
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

Raising a glass or two to the fabulous Zombie, we go on together

We have several previous threads now, have a look at the Woolly Hugs topic.

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.

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 dates are October 28th and then January 28th. 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.

We start this new thread having sent out 46 Candy's Hugs to wonderful women, extraordinary, thank you.

Thank you so much xx

Really Witch? We're just off junction 11!

Down your way tomorrow, I need to go to Ikea.

Frankly, I think it would do dd the world of good to go far away, preferably to a big city (she hasn't applied anywhere in London, so Bristol will have to do!). She's just had another offer, this one Uni of E Anglia. I think she should go there. She'll go to Exeter, though. Living in Halls will be great for her, and she knows Exeter well, so will be less worried and therefore study better! She can always transfer or do post-grad somewhere else. Her best mate's going to Norway, so she could easily end up there. Her goal at present is to settle in Iceland . She hates me!!!!

Hah! - we trailed up to Stirling with DD1 Jux - its a very long way away. She probably would have gone too, but the prison like halls put her off

Have fun in Ikea Madison. I go in for one candle and come out with a trolley full when I go 😂

Wow, you start doing Chernobyl and Snugs and miss a whole load of woolly chat over here!

Congratulations Jux Exeter was one of my choices some many years ago. I remember discounting it at offer stage because it was too fast west (we lived in Kent) - I'm sure it made sense at the time!

There's so much on at the minute, I can't keep up. Am babysitting for a friend tomorrow, so very much seeing it as four hours of uninterrupted hooking time - joy!

I actually did well Witch, I managed to buy exactly what I went in for an nothing else.
That may have been down to the fact that I left the house at 6.40pm and needed to be back to watch the football by 7.55pm though. I was a woman on a mission, through the doors, up the stairs and off speed walking to the bathroom towel section. I was back home with 15 minutes to spare.

You are to be admired Madison. I can do the whole store in the 45 minutes allowed for the kids in the play area and can still come out with half the shop! 😂

I learnt restraint the hard way Witch, when I went in for nothing in particular and came out with a sofa and an armchair

I miss the days of leaving the kids in the play area, although I can now leave the youngest in the restaurant with coffee and cake while the oldest will happily walk around and spend my money on things for his flat

Afternoon!

Evening K&P

One year since we lost Zombie.

Thoughts with her family, with all who love and miss her. Feels like five minutes and yet forever. Will be raising a glass to her tonight.

www.woollyhugs.org/2017/12/15/the-blanket-for-zombies-family/ xxx

to Zombie.

The blanket is so beautiful

I had a sticky apricot brandy to Zombie this evening - I don't normally drink alcohol.
Then I had a small glass of something quite fiery.
Then some sort of butterscotch and cream alcoholic thing.
Then another.
And then a small apricot brandy.

Toasted Zombie for each glass.

That's my annual intake of booze done in one evening! Good cause

I may have been to the pub and come last in the quiz because I spent more time chatting and drinking than answering questions. I feel Zombie would have approved.

Morning all! Are we all snowed in?

Hello Witch our snow is thankfully thawing now after a rainy day but we had it much worse than expected here. I actually thought that a pack of St Bernards would need to come to my assistance on Friday morning when I walked the dog, I was suddenly thigh deep in snow at one point. Then on Friday night we walked to meet our youngest from his burger flipping job and I fell flat on my back while crossing a road, I'm bloody useless in snow.
How are you doing with it?

Hi Madison, ours is thawing too but I've not been out of the house since it started coming down. It's just not worth the risk of a tumble as I'm not to good at the best of times. Not only that but we daren't have an accident in the car as that would leave me stranded too 😔

Still, I've been busy with my crochet - I've finished a shawl for the church fair plus done some Woolly Hugs too - so it's not been time wasted 😁

That's time well spent Witch, and it's really not worth risking going out.

We've had no choice but to walk if we've needed to go out, we've been cut off at times as there's only the one road which runs through here and despite being a A road the police have closed it at times, either due to massive drifts or fallen trees and lampposts! My husband couldn't get out for work on Friday morning as it was closed, he went once it had reopened.

ooh morning !
we had a fair bit of snow, but nothing serious. All gone now after yesterdays rain
I have been constructing and Chernobylling ( is that a word ? ) :)
Actually have a day free here - I normally am out on a Monday, but DGS has popped out with chicken pox, so DD is at home with him. I have the Wednesday shift ....
Witch - did you have a nice break ( and did you manage to smuggle more wool ? )
Madison - Gosh it sounds dreadful , you will be full of bruises coming out I bet , it doesn't half take the stuffing out of you too. Counting down the days to your hols I bet :)

Book I think we can count that as a word. That's what I've been doing too, as well as a star blankets for Little Hugs and a temperature blanket ( the only good thing about the weather last week was the fact that I could use my coldest colour ).

Hope your grandson is feeling better soon!

Yep, a good few bruises and I was laughed at. I just hope that the house we were crossing in front of don't have CCTV trained on their drives - I'll go viral if they do 😂

17 days until we go away. I don't think I've ever been this disorganised about a holiday, I've usually started sorting clothes etc and put them aside in the spare room by this stage. I've crocheted myself another lovely scarf to wear though

Thank you Book, the break was lovely - you can't beat crocheting on a deserted beach in a beach hut. I was only allowed 1 beach bag of wool 😱

Today is the first day I've ventured out as we have had a major thaw. I had to go to work and everything...

Here's a tip Witch - we always used a large Ikea bag for a beach bag when the boys were young. Just think how much wool you could fit in one of those!!!

Glad you have a lovely time!

Hi everyone,
So its been a while since I've been able to get on here but glad to be back. It was one of those years last year what with the broken ankle, hospital stay, learning to walk again, internet going funny, back to work and family situations glad everything seems to be going back to normal(ish). Think the only thing that kept me sane over the last year was looking towards various upcoming holidays and crocheting/knitting. Glad to be back part of this wonderful community again xx

hello Crafty - sounds like a tough time - most of us are posting on the Chernobyl thread atm - some lovely squares and recommendations !

HERE if you like a nice browse :)