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

That a nice colour combo Stitch. I think you have the same tension as me - I normally finish off with a round of half trebles to get it up to 6".

Nice square, Stitchit! My first ever Candy’s square was tomato - it’s a nice colour.

I do 12 rounds for a large granny square, which ends up around 11.5 inches. I started out last year hooking more tightly, but I’ve got looser as I’ve got more practiced. I constructed a blanket over the summer, and the variation in tension in the squares was huge. If you’re more comfortable with a 4.5mm hook, and producing the same gauge that others would get with 4mm (not producing holes held together with wool), then I’d stick with 4.5mm.

We haven’t got a Chernobyl thread yet, have we? 4 squares down, 16 to go! I haven’t done the peskies, but I’ll edge each square in my joining colour and do them then. Honest.

I'm planning on giving a 5mm a go for Chernobyl blanket as I do 15-17 rounds for a 12". I wouldn't of dared try that before joining a blanket but as Spin says the variation in tension is HUGE.

Haven't started yet as am still madly going doing DD's blanket for Christmas and I had half hoped to get one done for DS too.

Lovely Stitchit - saffron is just about my most favourite colour in the Candys - I try and slip a bit it when I can. :)
I do 13 rounds for just a tweak under 12" . Now I am doing all sorts of patterns, lots are actually for 9" afghan squares, so I either leave off a few to do 6" , or keep trebling around until its 12" - its just choice in the end :)
Spin - how productive are you! I have put the Chernobyls on hold until I have done Watchers and Slinky ,( and constructing 2 kits ) then I have ear warmers and wrist warmers to knit for DD then onto those . I don't think I have seen the official thread, just picked up on the early bird bit on the main site

Stitchit - nothing wrong with that square It looks fab!

Chernobyl squares aren't even happening here until I've done squares for Watcher and Slinky and finished my Sophie's Universe. Though I guess I could get DD on the case... It isn't as if I don't already have every colour in the 2018 palette or anything, oh no...

Great square Stitchit
I love those colours together, and Spice works very well with them too.

Okki I’ve just seen the blanket you constructed. Looks fabulous. (And I’ve spotted one of my squares in it, which is always nice!).

Thank you very much. Which square was yours - I always wonder if I know any of the square makers

The flower one that’s over the top of the chair in the photo. Pretty sure it’s mine anyway, from the few inches you can see!

This one Spin? If so, yay - I've been trawling patterns to try and find it as I really like it. Where can I find it?

That’s the one! It’s here (but I made it up a bit for the last few rounds to make it 12”). Someone (MrsH?) posted it on one of these threads a while ago and it went on my to do list!

Thank you 😊

What I have learnt from this: I have a low boredom threshold, and should not attempt patterns with 936 identical petals. Onwards and upwards!

nevertheless, beautiful - Spin is that the one for your DD that she chose? I like the repetitive stuff for things to do when I am not at home, so most of my Little Hugs are simple patterns. It means I can talk /put down when needed !
How you do it all with velcro baby, I just do not know :0

that was :) !

Thanks, book! Velcro baby making an appearance bottom left of that photo.

Yeah, this is the one she chose. I originally intended it to be done before DS arrived but I couldn’t cope with that many petals and nothing else to break it up! So I did a row of this then something else.

Morning loves, hugs for everyone who needs xxxx

Was just having a mo, looking back at Candy's original FB message to Knotty and me about her donation, and how the project came about, all the discussions about what we would do, that was on December 20th last year. Can't believe it was as long as a year, and yet it also feels like forever ago. Still can't believe she has gone. She'd be so bloody chuffed about the number of folk she has helped, about the way folk have been brought together supporting each other, crafting. How privileged we were to know her. Her own Woolly Hug is on the way to America to her family, will be there by Christmas.

Miss her

Stitchit - Lovely squares - you are right into the swing! :)
K&P - a year she and you have already helped so many with this project