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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
Magpiecomplex · 13/09/2025 13:20

ifIwerenotanandroid · 13/09/2025 13:10

Like these?

Gorgeous!

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 13/09/2025 18:15

Can i just say

What a wonderful, kind, caring, generous bunch of people there is on MumsNet !
From knitting, crocheting, sewing, buying, donating wool / yarn, postage etc etc.

How lovely of each and every single one of you.

Weekly there are members leaving for a variety of reasons - sometimes as they have received what they perceive as ' unkind ' comments / replies,
if only they could read a Woolly Hugs thread before they leave.
They would realise that MumsNet is quite some community !

Swashbuckled · 13/09/2025 20:25

I’ve just caught up on this thread. I knew I’d be moved to tears when I did, and I was.

❤️

IoWfairy · 13/09/2025 22:03

Thank you @KnottyAndPisteyfor pulling our offerings together for @Swashbuckledand Dr Swash.
Such a sad occasion has been the catalyst for this lovely venture. And, thanks to this project, I’m in now a fan of a virtual gerbil 🙄
I❤️Maud!

Boiledbeetle · 13/09/2025 22:07

Swashbuckled · 13/09/2025 20:25

I’ve just caught up on this thread. I knew I’d be moved to tears when I did, and I was.

❤️

It's good to see you Swash.

From what we can see yours and Dr Swash's blankets look beautiful.

This has been the only time where I have wished I could knit. Luckily lots of other very talented women could and did.

💙

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
MyrtleLion · 13/09/2025 23:21

Boiledbeetle · 13/09/2025 22:07

It's good to see you Swash.

From what we can see yours and Dr Swash's blankets look beautiful.

This has been the only time where I have wished I could knit. Luckily lots of other very talented women could and did.

💙

You have excelled in your own way by producing lovely, affectionate and ridiculously silly AI images to keep us going and keep this thread alive while we wait for the finished articles.

You are as much a part of this project as anyone else, Boily.

We wouldn't have Maud without you. 💙

Boiledbeetle · 13/09/2025 23:31

MyrtleLion · 13/09/2025 23:21

You have excelled in your own way by producing lovely, affectionate and ridiculously silly AI images to keep us going and keep this thread alive while we wait for the finished articles.

You are as much a part of this project as anyone else, Boily.

We wouldn't have Maud without you. 💙

Correction: we wouldn't have Maud if it wasn't for @ifIwerenotanandroid

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5350941-woolly-hugs-desperately-sad-news-we-are-afraid-making-a-blanket-for-lovely-swashbuckled-whose-son-has-tragically-died?reply=145571362&utm_campaign=reply&utm_medium=share

I merely fed a photo of android's Maud the gerbil knitted square into the AI.

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
Boiledbeetle · 13/09/2025 23:52

IoWfairy · 13/09/2025 22:03

Thank you @KnottyAndPisteyfor pulling our offerings together for @Swashbuckledand Dr Swash.
Such a sad occasion has been the catalyst for this lovely venture. And, thanks to this project, I’m in now a fan of a virtual gerbil 🙄
I❤️Maud!

I think we all fell hopelessly in love with Maud.

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
ifIwerenotanandroid · 14/09/2025 00:04

You've definitely rounded out her life story, @Boiledbeetle , with some of the sweetest images AI hs ever made.

ifIwerenotanandroid · 14/09/2025 00:18

Boiledbeetle · 14/09/2025 00:13

Alas, also Android!

But you see that you were my Muse. Make a gerbil, you said, & so I did. And so gMaud was born.

MyrtleLion · 14/09/2025 00:20

ifIwerenotanandroid · 14/09/2025 00:12


and

... and then Deano said:

My apologies, android.

Wemdubz · 14/09/2025 00:40

Well I just stumbled upon this thread and have spent time looking at every square made with a lump in my throat.

@Swashbuckled you are very much in my thoughts.

So many talented and kindhearted people coming together. Those blankets (and the beautiful cushion) will be so treasured 💙

ifIwerenotanandroid · 14/09/2025 00:48

MyrtleLion · 14/09/2025 00:20

My apologies, android.

No problem. It's made me realise Maud is my & Boily's lovechild, & now I've come over all unnecessary.

inkymoose · 14/09/2025 02:55

ifIwerenotanandroid · 14/09/2025 00:48

No problem. It's made me realise Maud is my & Boily's lovechild, & now I've come over all unnecessary.

🩵

EdithStourton · 14/09/2025 11:53

Those blankets are amazing. I hope they bring some measure of comfort to Swash and Dr Swash.

Now I'm wondering what Maud will do next. Is she settling in to become K&P's permanent assistant? Or will she be walking ostentatiously around the Bluestocking in her smart new wellies?

2025ismybestyear · 14/09/2025 12:31

MyrtleLion · 13/09/2025 23:21

You have excelled in your own way by producing lovely, affectionate and ridiculously silly AI images to keep us going and keep this thread alive while we wait for the finished articles.

You are as much a part of this project as anyone else, Boily.

We wouldn't have Maud without you. 💙

They were AI 😮? I thought they were real 😉

I was so impressed with them and your talent.

Boiledbeetle · 14/09/2025 12:59

2025ismybestyear · 14/09/2025 12:31

They were AI 😮? I thought they were real 😉

I was so impressed with them and your talent.

The images are AI.

But Maud is real.

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles · 14/09/2025 14:22

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 13/09/2025 18:15

Can i just say

What a wonderful, kind, caring, generous bunch of people there is on MumsNet !
From knitting, crocheting, sewing, buying, donating wool / yarn, postage etc etc.

How lovely of each and every single one of you.

Weekly there are members leaving for a variety of reasons - sometimes as they have received what they perceive as ' unkind ' comments / replies,
if only they could read a Woolly Hugs thread before they leave.
They would realise that MumsNet is quite some community !

This. i hardly can post on MN anymorr (long story, see my spag as symptom and explanation) but I lurk mainly still on fwr and this shows the best of us. ironic given how much misguided hate there is for fwr these days.

truly we shld run the country as we would make a better fist of it then anyone,but it’s just lovely to think we all come together here to try and bring some comfort, any comfort we can to women like lovely swash and her Dd.
And there is even a gerbil love child. like Glaswegian says it’s thr best of MN.

if we do ever run the country obvs knotty and pistey joint leader with maud as deputy? And then a sort of collective group just getting things done quickly and kindly (proper kind not #bekind sloganism, if that’s a word!) or we cld just leave all the gerbils to do it?

seriously though i so hope @Swashbuckled they brings you and Dd some comfort. There are really no words - a friend of my Ds (both 20s and motorbike lovers) was killed in an accident this week, and i can’t imagine there is literally nothing anyone can say that can in any way lessen the pain. tho Ds is thinking of writing a note to his parents in a few days about him (friend not Ds I mean).

ps sorry about the poor wording and spag hope it makes sense.

Bearfrills · 14/09/2025 23:14

@WeBuiltCisCityOnSexistRoles As someone recently bereaved, sometimes it's enough to just acknowledge that there are no words but that you're thinking of them and you recognise how sad and unfair it is.

@KnottyAndPistey The blankets look amazing, thank you for all that you. I've said it before but what you do is no small thing, all that love put out into the world really does make a difference to people, for everyone involved in making the blankets as well as those receiving them.

Also, are there going to be lots of crafted Mauds on the Christmas sale?

KnottyAndPistey · 15/09/2025 11:48

It’s been a privilege helping to achieve this. I wish we’d never needed to come together like this. But we did, life has been so unspeakably cruel and sad for Ted, his mum Swashy, his sister and who love and miss him. I’m so glad we could do this for them. Thank you so so much everyone for the part you played. It took a MN village. 💙🤎

Love and compassion in every stitch.

Remembering Ted 💙🤎

I got to the park early yesterday. The sun didn’t shine but it was bright and I got some beautiful pics of the blankets together. Then I had to rush off as it poured! I’ve just taken a few more close up ones in my garden. I didn’t take the little teds yesterday. I was paranoid about losing them in the park!

Thank you again to the lovely donors of funds. We budgeted for posting (in the most secure fashion.) So the funds are ready. And we have Swashy’s address. Will be posting tomorrow morning. At her suggestion, everything will be going to Swashy and her daughter will collect.

Will share all photos once Swashy has seen it. I have a tonne!

And this little knitted Ted is to go to Dr Swash. Felt she needed one too!

Best of Mumsnet. Right here.

And I love Maud ❤️

Woolly Hugs. Desperately sad news we are afraid. Making a Blanket for lovely Swashbuckled whose son has tragically died.
OP posts:
KnottyAndPistey · 15/09/2025 11:57

Maud has had a lovely lovely time here and I adore her. She loves everything about wool and has mastered the art of bustling. But sometimes I do find her wistfully looking out of a window. I know ahe’s missing the bluestocking pub and all the little gerbils. It’s time for her to go home 😭

OP posts:
KnottyAndPistey · 15/09/2025 12:04

Maybe Maud can help me carry the parcel in the morning, then the gerbils could arrange the bus again? I mean, it didn’t go terribly wrong last time did it?

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