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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.

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.

1000 replies

KnottyAndPistey · 08/06/2025 14:44

Desperately sad news, we are afraid, lovely Swashbuckled’s wonderful son Ted has died in a road traffic accident where he was a pedestrian. He was just 24, it is unspeakable sad, and we send much love to her and her daughter. There are no words really are there? It’s absolutely devastating. Lovely Swash is on a long running thread on Mumsnet and this request has come from lovely folk on there with her.

We are so glad Swash would like a Woolly Hug. For those new on here, this is a long standing tradition on Mumsnet where folk come together to make a blanket for one of our own who has been bereaved. We hope it may give whatever comfort it can. There will be love crafted into every stitch. We want it to be a tribute and full of memories.

So we are now asking for help once again. We shall need crafters and donors of funds and wool, can you help us? We’d be so grateful. Thank you so much.

Important crafting info
Squares to be six inches, using 4mm needles or hook. Please knot off VERY carefully when finishing or changing colour and sew your ends in, thank you! No blocking please, makes it much easier to join squares.
Simple or complex, made by beginner or expert, we genuinely welcome them all. It really is the love and thought that counts.

Ideas from lovely Swashbuckled, have copied some as quotes

Her son’s name is Ted and his friends gave him the nickname “Bear”.
Her daughter’s initials are HLF and Swashbuckled’s are SJF

“He lived with me, just the two of us.
We were extremely close and had an incredible bond.
He has always been so happy, cheerful, polite and loving. We always described him as “pure of heart” as his nature was so open and warm and he didn’t seem to have any of the complications that some of us struggle with.”

“His eyes were navy blue and he had dark brown hair. I think of him in those colours.”

“He was a chef. He led the team at work and the phrase he always used to motivate them on busy shifts was “In it together”. I think of him saying that phrase to me now, as we stick together through the rest of my life.”

“He has a small flat cap collection in his bedroom, which he has displayed with some football shirts.
He loved football and was loyal to his team (although they were in a lower league). His team play in red and white.
He enjoyed watching darts and had recently joined a local darts club. He bought a dart board for his room and experimented with different darts sets and was pleased with his progress.
He was saving up to buy his first house, and loved watching his savings build. He was good with money.

He loved news and politics.

He liked cooking at home too, where he could choose what to make, and experiment with different dishes.
He had just bought a new car, and only had it about three weeks. It was a black Mini Cooper countryman and he was so pleased with it, and proud of it. (It has just been taken back by the dealer, who was very kind.)
We lived together in a stone cottage by a small river. There is a little bridge from the lane that you walked over to the front of our house.”

We’d also love to have a bluestocking referenced square - really important. If you are unsure what this term means pls do a bit of research before undertaking.

So many ideas for themed squares, and we need simple squares too.

The Colours
Blues including navy
Silvers and greys
Taupes
Greens - nature inspired
Cream but only this one please Drops Merino Extra Fine - Off White (01)

Then to create the above ideas, so accents/ not whole squares
Dark browns
Black
Red, just this one please Drops Merino Extra Fine DK 11, Crimson red.

The Yarn we will be Using….
Debbie Bliss Rialto DK only available on Love Crafts
Drops Merino Extra Fine DK, currently on sale at Wool Warehouse
Katia Merino 100% DK
King Cole Luxury Merino DK
Yarnsmiths Merino DK Superwash - new to us and a BIG sale at Wool Warehouse. Loads of colours, looks exciting.

Just from the brands listed please because we know they combine for wash and wear. If you still have any of our wools that have been discontinued or have become less easy to find- Artesano Superwash Merino DK, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK, Jenny Watson Pure Merino DK, Patons Merino Extrafine DK or James C. Brett Pure Merino DK in your stash, please do use them.

Posting will be Teddington, please message if you need the address. If you'd like to include a card for her family , please send with your squares. And please don't forget to include your name!

Thank you lovely crafters, thinking of lovely Swash and her family, and all who love and miss Ted.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
385
AlexandraLeaving · 10/07/2025 15:01

KnottyAndPistey · 10/07/2025 11:23

Star And I love these. Beautifully crocheted treasure. It’s the willow square in grass green. Gorgeous. Thank you so much lovely JE Flowers

I love those - both the detail of the individual ones and the fabulous mass production of them. This thread is really making me wish I could crochet.

My knitting went it the post today. I hope the postie does a better job of finding your porch than I did at the weekend. The parcel is carefully labelled, and stuck down with dancing badger parcel tape. Fingers crossed.

AlexandraLeaving · 10/07/2025 15:02

KnottyAndPistey · 09/07/2025 11:43

Star Deliciously rich textures in crochet. In this deep glorious blue. Absolutely super. Thank you so much lovely HF

So much beautiful variety!!

AlexandraLeaving · 10/07/2025 15:05

MyrtleLion · 10/07/2025 13:24

If you get more than 99 squares, will you just make the blanket bigger?

I wondered whether there would be some left over to make a scarf for Dr Swash jr since she will be far from home and far from the main WH, but I appreciate that this is my wonderings creating a job for someone else so I should shut up. But surely there will be more than 99 squares at the rate we are going. Some people (hookers in particular) have been wonderfully prolific.

inkymoose · 10/07/2025 15:12

ifIwerenotanandroid · 10/07/2025 13:46

Oh no! Failure. It's FuzzyPuffling, not Magpie! (And DeanElderberry.) Too late now, it's in the post at last. I think Magpie made her own.

The blue shamrock is a design chosen by MariedeGournay.

All that green is stunning.😍

Edited
heart breaker sigh GIF by Puffin Rock

Nonono NOT a failure dear Android!

Beautiful, full of the spirit of the Bluestocking - lovely stuff!

and I see now of COURSE it's Fuzzy Puffling! Wearing the wrong glasses earlier ... sorry 😊

ifIwerenotanandroid · 10/07/2025 16:31

AlexandraLeaving · 10/07/2025 15:01

I love those - both the detail of the individual ones and the fabulous mass production of them. This thread is really making me wish I could crochet.

My knitting went it the post today. I hope the postie does a better job of finding your porch than I did at the weekend. The parcel is carefully labelled, and stuck down with dancing badger parcel tape. Fingers crossed.

You can't leave it like that! Where does one buy dancing badger parcel tape?

ifIwerenotanandroid · 10/07/2025 16:34

@inkymoose Something tells me you've got/had children! "No, of COURSE it's Mummy & Daddy! Of course I see that. I just had my wrong glasses on. Silly Mummy, thinking it was an elephant!".😂

inkymoose · 10/07/2025 16:35

ifIwerenotanandroid · 10/07/2025 16:34

@inkymoose Something tells me you've got/had children! "No, of COURSE it's Mummy & Daddy! Of course I see that. I just had my wrong glasses on. Silly Mummy, thinking it was an elephant!".😂

😂

Boiledbeetle · 10/07/2025 16:49

@AlexandraLeaving @ifIwerenotanandroid

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
AlexandraLeaving · 10/07/2025 18:22

ifIwerenotanandroid · 10/07/2025 16:31

You can't leave it like that! Where does one buy dancing badger parcel tape?

At JimbobArt https://www.jimbobart.com/collections/tape
You can get bear stuff too, but badgers are my thing.

tape

The Official Site of Jimbobart! Unique, one-off and independent! The world of animals inhabiting Jimbobart’s hand-drawn ceramics range has a woodland setting but its creatures have urban sensibilities

https://www.jimbobart.com/collections/tape

KnottyAndPistey · 10/07/2025 18:36

We actually have that plate!

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KnottyAndPistey · 10/07/2025 18:41

Re the size, 99 would be the smallest we’d make, and it can easily get bigger. I think let’s see what we get and go from there?

Oooo we also have a bowl which says cereal destroyer.

No woolly arrivals today so I’ll share my plate. 🤭

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
OP posts:
AlexandraLeaving · 10/07/2025 19:01

KnottyAndPistey · 10/07/2025 18:41

Re the size, 99 would be the smallest we’d make, and it can easily get bigger. I think let’s see what we get and go from there?

Oooo we also have a bowl which says cereal destroyer.

No woolly arrivals today so I’ll share my plate. 🤭

The plates are brilliant, aren't they? We have several. My favourite is the badger eating cheese and playing records 'Will DJ for cheese'. What's not to like?!

FuzzyPuffling · 12/07/2025 11:57

ifIwerenotanandroid · 09/07/2025 19:18

Poor Fuzzy got misidentified as a magpie elsewhere & now the AI has made her look like a penguin! Very versatile bird, the puffling. Maybe we should use Fuzzy as a spy or a private investigator.

You ain't seen me, right?

KnottyAndPistey · 12/07/2025 12:21

Could have sworn someone was in here. Nope.

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KnottyAndPistey · 12/07/2025 12:22

Please no one fret about the lack of posts. Away since v early on Friday. Back on Monday. DH is on collection duty and am hopeful for a glorious structure of parcels when I get back. 😃

OP posts:
ExtensivelyDecluttering · 12/07/2025 18:14

Posted mine yesterday Flowers

TourdeFrance25 · 13/07/2025 09:11

KnottyAndPistey · 12/07/2025 12:22

Please no one fret about the lack of posts. Away since v early on Friday. Back on Monday. DH is on collection duty and am hopeful for a glorious structure of parcels when I get back. 😃

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!! 😘. Look forward to the mass photographic postings!!

KnottyAndPistey · 13/07/2025 13:40

Thank you! We are at the Carry on Crafting Festival at the South of England Show-ground. Running drop in crafting sessions for some of our other projects. Lovely weekend but super hot!

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
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ifIwerenotanandroid · 13/07/2025 13:50

Amazing blankets (& quilts?) there!😍

Hope it all goes well.

Sunshineandrainbow · 13/07/2025 18:48

Will be posting 3 plain crochet squares tomorrow 💙

TourdeFrance25 · 13/07/2025 18:49

KnottyAndPistey · 13/07/2025 13:40

Thank you! We are at the Carry on Crafting Festival at the South of England Show-ground. Running drop in crafting sessions for some of our other projects. Lovely weekend but super hot!

Wow!! Very hot weekend for it🥵. Hope you've had helpers bringing you lots of cold drinks & you've had some breaks in the shade!!

I didn't know about the Festival. I've put it in my diary to check it out next year! (I wouldn't have been well enough to go this year anyway & definitely not in this heat!!)

Tell us more about it when you're back😘

KnottyAndPistey · 14/07/2025 09:53

The festival is lovely. All crafts, and enormous range of classes. The daughter of one of our helpers did a glass bead workshop with Bunsen burners and everything and a clay vase workshop too. Really amazing experiences. We did a drop in make us a square for a Snug or Cwtch. Find out more about us we had a yarn lucky dip and raffled a beautiful blanket. I’d definitely recommend

OP posts:
KnottyAndPistey · 14/07/2025 09:54

So back to our beautiful blanket and yes, a pile of parcels was ready as we thought. Stand by……

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KnottyAndPistey · 14/07/2025 09:59

Star Such beautiful treasure has arrived. Absolutely super knits. Love the galleon, peas and incredible blue stocking. Love them all! Gorgeous. Thank you so much lovely @AlexandraLeaving Flowers

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
OP posts:
KnottyAndPistey · 14/07/2025 10:03

Star Beautiful treasure arriving. Gorgeous knits, love Ted, and check out that blue stocking design. All so gorgeous Thank you so much lovely @EdithStourton Flowers

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
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