Welcome to those lovely crafters looking to make an early start to our Chernobyl 2019 project! We have slimmed down the colour palette again, please do double check, and this includes joining yarn too if making a whole blanket. Having just done the 2018 blanket kit sort we found some colours harder to fit in than others. Finished blanket size remains the same at 48inches by 60 inches, and we ask that if you are contemplating making a whole blanket for 2019 please contact us so we have an idea of numbers, it does make it easier, thank you. If looking to make squares, we will need 12 inch or 6 inch please, as simple or complex as you like, single colour, multi colour. If sizing is a challenge with your pattern/tension, we prefer them just under sized rather than over!
SO IMPORTANT! Please ensure you knot off every end/colour change very very securely, leave approx a 6 inch tail end and use a needle to sew in. These blankets have to be super sturdy as there is no way back to fix them if squares collapse.
The 2019 Palette
- Aspen
- Aster
- Bluebell
- Boysenberry
- Bright pink
- Candy floss
- Citron
- Claret
- Cloud blue
- Cypress
- Denim
- Duck egg
- Emperor
- Empire
- Fondant
- Fuchsia pink
- Grape
- Grass green
- Kelly green
- Lapis
- Lavender
- Lime
- Lipstick
- Lobelia
- Magenta
- Meadow
- Mustard
- Pale Rose
- Parchment
- Petrol
- Pistachio
- Plum
- Pomegranate
- Raspberry
- Saffron
- Sage
- Sherbert
- Shrimp
- Spice
- Storm blue
- Teal
- Tomato
- Turquoise
- Violet
Crafting info… Important stuff!
- Yarn is Stylecraft Special DK – just this please, inc for any embellishments.
- Squares to be 12 inch ideally, or 6 inch if that is too much.
- Knit and crochet equally welcome. Beginner or more experienced crafters also equally welcomed.
- Please use a 4mm hook or needles.
- No blocking please, and please ensure you are knotting off very thoroughly when colour changing or finishing, leave a 6 inch end and use a needle to sew it in.
- We are asking folk to avoid using a magic ring (crochet) to start as find that these don’t seem to always stand up to the pressures of wash and wear.
- Please read the list of colours in our palette carefully.
- Squares to be single colour, multi colour, textured, but not too lacy, they need to be sturdy!
- If you’d like to make a whole blanket, please use these colours too, makes thing easier at the giving stage! Ideally make any whole blankets gender neutral is it is so much easier for us to know what we have coming when sorting kits. Whole blankets need to be 48 inches by 60 inches with some kind of border please.
- NO POSTING please before January 2019! We will confirm the address just before.
We will be collecting ice cream funds, Hugs for Heads (hats) and extras but just need to talk to the groups first to see what they would like. Again posting for these will be next year!
Aiming for 120 blankets minimum in 2019!
About the Project
For the last few years we have been making warm, comforting Little Hugs for Belarusian teenagers and children visiting the UK for recuperative holidays during the summer with the fabulous charity the Chernobyl Children’s Project and Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline. Photos from the Leeds group can be seen here.. and our finished blankets from last year here…
Each year these marvellous charities bring children who live in the most contaminated area near the Chernobyl reactor over to the UK. In summer, when the dust causes radiation levels to rise, it becomes even more important for as many children as possible to leave their contaminated homeland for a few weeks of fresh air and clean food. The rates of childhood cancer are incredibly high; the most common cancers being thyroid and leukaemia. Coming to the UK for a four week break increases their immunity against the awful disease by up to 3 years when they return home. Often these children are in remission. Sadly though there is a high chance of these children falling ill again. They all suffer living in such difficult conditions and with very little.
This project has grown in epic proportions, we started making for the Leeds group visiting, that was 14, we then expanded to include Portsmouth (35) then we shot up to 120, making blankets for various groups around the country!
Not all groups host every year, but groups we have helped so far to date!
- Leeds
- Gloucester
- Portsmouth
- Isle of Wight
- Swindon
- Bristol
- Fife
- Aberdeen
- Ayrshire
- Helpston, Northamptonshire
- Norfolk
- Mid Suffolk
- Liverpool
Thank you so much, if you need further clarification, please message us. x