Two festivals this summer, because one is never enough! Firstly we are back to Carry on Crafting between July 12 – 13th.This is held at the South of England Showground, Ardingley.

And secondly, Woolly Hugs is headlining alongside Tom Jones (in our hearts) at Camp Bestival between July 31st – August 3rd. Well we are ACTUALLY having a charity stall! 

Please come and find us at either event if you are attending!

At Carry on Crafting we plan to run Hugathon type workshop sessions throughout the weekend, focusing on our Snug project,  getting folk to make 6 inch squares.  We will be providing yarn. There is no booking needed for this, it will be a drop in activity.  It worked brilliantly last year. Hopefully it will be busy and great fun again. We will again be accepting ££ donations and spreading the woolly word. As last year (and nearer the time) we will make a blanket to raffle. This was extremely popular and a great fundraiser.

At Camp Bestival we will be again spreading the woolly word and running drop in pompom making sessions for families for a ££ donation.

As well as spreading the woolly message and rallying more crafters to our ranks at both festivals, are looking to have a few craft items to sell. This is where BESTIES and KEYRINGS come in!

How to help by making…

Overwhelmingly at Carry on Crafting it is an adult crowd buying any items, and at Camp Bestival it is 99% children. This is just something to consider.

1. We are looking for small handheld 3D pocket friends. Sewn, knitted, crocheted. Cute or quirky. Kids LOVED the animals. These sold incredibly well in previous years, and with your love and support they will again. Because of the age range particularly at Camp Bestival, no buttons, sequins etc, ie nothing which can be a choking risk. Safety eyes or embroidered eyes only.
2. And secondly we are looking for key rings/ bag tags, these could come with a Bestie attached or something else, we have had some many in previous craft sales so we suggest looking back there for ideas.

Have included Ali’s pattern from 2022 should folk wish to use it as a base for their Bestie. Scroll down..

Have a look at this Pinterest board for ideas..

How to help us by purchasing resources.

The children loved making pompoms last year, parents donated for these craft workshops, and it was a fabulous opportunity to chat about the work Woolly Hugs does. The number of crafters was pretty limited by the number of kits we had. So if anyone would like to buy us a set or two, thank you so so much, have a look here (at scissors and pompom makers) Our Amazon Wish List

Last posting for Camp Bestival is 1st July, to Teddington, please write BESTIES on the outside!

Photos from previous years…

This is the pattern from 2022 if anyone wishes to use as a base…

One for the Crochet crew. This is the base as devised by lovely Ali Oxford. Suggestions for personalising are as below. Safety eyes only please, or embroidered. Besties can be made in any yarn and colour. You can use plain or variegated yarn. Personalise your Bestie with accessories – spots, spikes, hats, wings, hair, etc. Please ensure that all accessories are securely attached, we will be testing before putting out for sale!

Accessory Ideas

Please do not post until we are back after our Summer break. Last posting please November 22nd 2025!

This is a wonderful project we have worked on for the last couple of years.

Care Leavers Christmas Dinners were originally set up by the poet Lemn Sissay to help communities provide a Christmas Day for young care leavers (of foster and care homes) aged 18-25, who often spend the day alone.  It aims to be a magical day to be cherished and remembered by those who attend, with care leavers being able to gather together for food, pressies, company and fun on the 25th.. Please see the link which gives more detail regarding The Dinner: http://thechristmasdinners.org.uk/

One of their organisers, Katie coordinates knitters to gift hand knitted hats and scarves to include with the presents given to the care leavers. The Care Leavers project collected around 200 hand knitted and donated hat and scarf sets last year to gift to care leavers in Leeds and Bradford and two Christmas Dinner groups in London.

The aim this year is to gift hat and scarf sets to as many Christmas Dinner groups across the UK as possible.

Here is where we come in….

If you would like to be involved with the project and knit a hat and scarf gift set for the care leavers attending the 2025 Christmas Dinners in the UK, READ ON YOU LOVELY PERSON!

The crafting info is specific and precise, so if you are keen, make sure you are meeting their criteria! This is not our own project so we have to fit in!

We will need folk to commit to a hand AND scarf set

Crafting Info

• The chosen patterns (Wheat Scarf and Barley Hat) can be downloaded for free from the Tin Can Knits website (see link below). If any knitters prefer to knit flat rather than in the round the alternative hat pattern we ask them to use is the Basic Family Knit Hat pattern which can be downloaded for free from the Yarnspirations website (see link below).
• We ask that the hat is made WITHOUT the pompom.
• We ask that the yarn used is machine washable, aran weight  in solid, gender and cheery neutral colours. Thinking about this we’d suggest reds, oranges, blues, greens, plums, purples, greys, black?
• Adult size please.
• Add a Christmas label sending Christmas wishes and letting the recipient know how best to care for their gift.

Unfortunately hookers will have to sit this one out as there is no given crochet alternative. Or maybe this is the time to learn to knit??

These patterns all use aran/worsted weight yarn and are free:

– The Barley hat and Wheat scarf, which can be found within the Simple Collection 

https://tincanknits.com/book/the-simple-collection

– Boyfriend Cashmere Scarf, which can be downloaded from the following website: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/boyfriend-scarf-8. If you’re unable to use Ravelry, please let me know and I can email you the pdf of the pattern.

– The Basic Family Knit Hat (knit flat and seamed) https://www.yarnspirations.com/en-row/products/caron-basic-family-knit-hat . We ask that you make the hat without the pom pom. 

– The Classic Cuffed Hat https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/10/22/classic-cuffed-hat/. Again, please make the hat without the pom pom.

– No-purl ribbed scarf from the Purl Soho website https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2014/09/12/no-purl-ribbed-scarf/

– Seedbed scarf: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2018/10/02/seedbed-scarf/

– Christian’s scarf  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/christians-scarf

– Heartwarming Scarf: https://www.yarnspirations.com/products/red-heart-heartwarming-knit-scarf

– Mixed rib hat: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2024/03/02/mixed-rib-hat/

– Lovely ribbed hat: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2020/02/28/lovely-ribbed-hat-in-linen-quill-worsted/ If knitting this it is likely best to knit the adult small as the pattern sounds like it uses fine Aran (worsted yarn).

– Fit ribbed hat pattern (knit flat and seamed): https://www.yarnspirations.com/products/red-heart-easy-fit-ribbed-hat

– Wide rib hat – https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2021/03/12/wide-rib-hat-hand-warmers/?srsltid=AfmBOorsqgVRShFhVrxaFOqBCWrJcWaqDhh8jiaM8XqLONYkXkiebPaI

In addition, and these CAN be crocheted…

They would also greatly accept any woolly garments for children and babies, as young care leavers attending the dinner sometimes have children of their own. Some hat patterns include sizes for babies and children, but any pattern can be used be it hats, garments, booties, etc. Any colour of yarn can be used for children and babies knits.

Please remember you are making a wonderfful Christmas gift so do take time to write a gift tag, wish them a Merry Christmas, and tie up the set together. No need to wrap, the young people get to choose a colour they would like.

Posting will be Teddington. 

Thank you SO MUCH!!

Welcome to our Spring 2025 fundraising craft sale and Auction crafting phase!

Thank you so much for joining us.  All funds raised will go directly into our own Woolly Hug projects. Every penny raised will go to help others, we hope you will support us, either by crafting, buying or even maybe both! Thank you so so much. x

Crafting info…

We would love our crafters to make Spring/Easter craft items, and to keep postage costs to a minimum we ask that ideally anything made can be sent on to a buyer in a large envelope. We are open to larger items too obviously, that is just a guide. We will then sell these beauties through the sale.

Some suggestions for you, but we are very open to others too…

1. Spring and Easter decorations, bunting, garlands, Easter egg themes etc
2. Anything sheep wise is always SUPER popular!
3. Small gifts – Little bags, purses, brooches, hair accessories, key rings, gift bags, tags,
4. Clothing – but lightweight please, we find heavier winter hats, scarves don’t sell well at this time. Any that arrive we will keep for the Christmas sale later this year. PLEASE include the yarn type or ball band so we can let folk know how to wash their new treasure. Socks are always very popular!
5. Woolly, fabric, card, embroidered, beaded, all crafty crafts welcome!!
6. Lovely lovely things!

NB – PLEASE INCLUDE NAMES OF PATTERN DESIGNERS WHERE APPROPRIATE SO WE CAN CREDIT THEM. THANK YOU!

Absolute last posting for crafts to be Saturday 1st March please, earlier is better for us if at all possible. Thank you!

Please message for the posting information if you need, but it will be Teddington.

The Event itself…

Our Spring/Easter 2025 Craft sale and Auction will take place ONLINE on a Facebook Event page and our own Auction site attached to this website as before, between Tuesday 18th March and Sunday 23rd March.

We are keeping it all crossed that this Sale will be a huge success, with your love and support we have every confidence, huge heartfelt thanks.

THANK YOU!!!!

First of all, the most enormous thank you, seriously heartfelt and huge. None of this happens without you. This review is a celebration of YOU and all your hard work, care and compassion over the last twelve months!

It’s that time again, a review of the last frenetic twelve months here in our woolly world! It is so important in this busy world to sometimes stop, refresh, renew and reflect. As always it has been a mad and full on time. The wonderful woolly hug crew never fail to amaze. It is genuinely humbling and awe inspiring at the response from everyone. So much compassion, generosity, LOVE and care, truly it feels boundless. Crafters and donors what you do is incredibly special and precious, giving woolly warmth comfort to others. Incredible. We never take any of this for granted. Thank you.

As last year, we are still processing the Poland trip with the visiting Ukrainian children and the refugee families, we were still there (at time of writing) less than 3 weeks ago. Exhausting and emotional yes, but our main take away is inspiration, to do more, be more, so glad we could be there. Thank you to the CCLL for letting us tag onto their trip. We feel the message of HOPE is central.  More of this project later…

It was absolutely marvellous to be able to continue to tour the country with our Hugathons, and so fantastic to meet so many of you again. Our Hugathons are a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow Woolly Huggers who share a love of crafting. They are friendly and inclusive. It is a great time for chatting with your fellow Woolly crew and sharing ideas. Plus Woolly Bingo! What’s not to love?!

We loved our sea front trip to Brighton in January, it certainly blew away any cobwebs!

Then onto York in March, where Little Tortie had Viking aspirations. Bless him, he’s far more of a sofa dweller to be a Viking..

We had the most beautiful day in the shadow of Lulworth Castle at our May Dorset Hugathon, the weather was simply glorious and we had lambs in the fields all around. We even had outdoor crafting! Thank you to lovely Sophie for giving us this glorious venue!

We always love our trip to Edinburgh and it was an Autumnal one this year. We always draw a great crowd in Edinburgh and this year even managed to draw Charles and Camilla, with their entourage of nine million soldiers. There was some talk of them being there to attend the special 25th anniversary celebration at the Scottish Parliament, with a procession down the Royal Mile to Holyrood, but we know better. It was all about wanting to come play Bingo in truth. Which we did to a backdrop of bagpipes! But without them.

And then and this feels like 5 minutes ago we were off for our Christmas Hugathon to Manchester! Such a super time UP NORTH ( love to say this as it drives folk nuts)

Our first Hugathon of 2025 is in Birmingham, and is already a sell out, and we are very excited to be holding our first Brum Hugathon. There are others planned, we go to Southampton in March, then further plans are afoot. We hope to see as many of you there at a Hugathon next year as possible!

2024 saw the continuation of our Ongoing projects. Each really is going from strength to strength. It is wonderful to have such a range because it allows crafters to pick the most appropriate/relevant/most interesting to them. From here in the UK to as far away as Ukraine and Poland, children and families feeling love, warmth, support and comfort through our crafting. That really is quite something.

Our most recent drop off was at The Royal Marsden with a large collection of Christmas Cwtches, taken by lovely Lucy J.They are going to share across their (getting the names of the ‘wards’ right) the Oak Centre for Children and Young People which includes:

McElwain Ward (age 1-16)

Teenage Cancer Trust Unit (age 16-24)

Outpatient and Day Care Unit.

We are ready to deliver some non Christmassy teen blankets in January.

More Christmas Cwtches went to our friends at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle. We know how much they are loved by the children and families during that bleak challenging time of being seriously ill and in hospital over the festive period. This was the whole collection, thank you so much everyone, absolutely stunning effort! This project will continue in exactly the same form in 2025

This has been the sixth year of our Snugs for Looked after children project, our aim is to make blankets for children and young people (0-16years) who are being looked after in the foster care system. We make these children something permanent, that they can take with them wherever they are.  As always it was a wonderful response. The Snugs going this year to Middlesbrough and the wider Portsmouth area. This wonderful project continues into 2025 with a new (and aligned to Chernobs) palette. All info in the weblink. Thank you!

Our Candy’s Hug project, now into its ninth year goes from strength to strength. Our aim there has always been to make comforting cosy blankets with love in every stitch for women going through treatment for breast and other cancers, at times forming part of palliative care. It’s a project of love and strength, of friendship,  of creativity, of coming together to show compassion, support and give and receive comfort. Its a wonderful collaborative project, folk sending individual squares. Each blanket comes from so many. We miss Candy but are so glad her legacy lives on

Our Little Hug project continues apace. It is our biggest overall project. More than a thousand blankets of all sizes have gone out this year alone. Our Little Hug project supports children of all ages from birth to teens and their families at The Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow, the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle and for teenagers in ICU at Great Ormond Street and the Teen and children Cancer wards at the Royal Marsden and those transferred on to St George’s, Tooting. We also support the NICU at John Radcliffe in Oxford. We do send on request to individuals too. It is a very special thing to be able to do for the whole family. Knit, crochet, fabric – all equally welcomed here.

Our Angel Hug project for bereaved families at both Glasgow maternity and the Haven House Hospice, London continue, heartfelt thanks to all who support this. Thinking of all the families in Glasgow, London and the surrounds who have received our Angel Hugs and Teds in incredibly bleak and devastating times. Love in every stitch we say and it really is true. These blankets are so precious and beautiful inside and out. 

Our Peony Project for elderly care in Newcastle has had a very successful second year, we are now sending both blankets and twiddlemuff/sensory toys etc. This project continues into next year in exactly the same format.  

I just wanted to drop a quick email to say a huge thank you for the beautiful lap blankets and big blankets we have received from yourselves.

I can’t express enough gratitude for all the work you guys put into these creations.

We are very grateful, they make alot of elderly people happy and comfortable.

Thank you again

So wonderful to be able to help here, thank you!

Our Refugee project and Kinship project have both been quieter this year, but both are still ticking along. Some refugee blankets went along with Snugs to support unaccompanied child asylum seekers are in the foster care system. This was a wonderful thing to be able to do. And we have sent several kinship blankets out this year too. Again, it is such a lovely thing to have ready for a time of need.

We started a new project in 2024 creating bonding squares and hearts to support the wonderful work of the NW neonatal transport team – Connect NW (www.connectnw.baby) who cover the 21 neonatal units of the NW Operational Delivery Network (NWNODN) – made up of Greater Manchester, Lancashire & S.Cumbria and Cheshire & Mersey Neonatal Networks.

They are consistently one of the busiest neonatal transport teams year on year carrying out in the region of 150+ transfers a month and an average of 2000 a year!

This fabulous team have heard of our work with the (equally fabulous) Cambridge team and would like something very similar. Their team ‘colour’ is purple so they are thinking along the lines of some purple themed bonding squares, and also some purple hearts for them to leave with mums when they transfer their babies. You can see how comforting that would be. Very special at a time of incredible anxiety.

Thank you so much!

Have attached a picture of a recent educational boards I did at base for world prematurity day on Nov 17th … featuring your lovely bonding squares & hearts which thought you might like to see … they’re going to good use 

And if this wasn’t enough, together we very recently sent £500 to Parkinson’s UK through our Christmas Craft Sale, with over £4000 going to support our ongoing projects, and earlier in the year held a wonderful Spring Sale, funds from which directly went into supporting our Chernobyl Project, raising £2792.14!. We LOVE seeing how crafty folk are away from wool and including wool. Folk are so thoughtful and generous! We are eternally grateful to all who wave pompoms, craft, donate and buy. The funds really really help. THANK YOU!!!!!

Just the smallest sample!

Our Square Squad is now SIX years old! We couldn’t manage without them, it’s Facebook group made up of fabulous Woolly Hug folk (all welcome to join) who are able to make squares for specific Little Hugs or family blankets. It enables us to reach more people and families with personalised Hugs and kinship blankets. They are astonishing, and rally every single time there is a call. Thank you so much everyone. It’s been a hugely busy year in there, super successful. Awesome work everyone. Do check it out and join us, link is here….

All hail the incredible Woolly Avengers AKA the Construction Crew! What an astonishing bunch of folk.  At times our requests (Cwtches, Candy’s, Kinship, Snugs, Refugee blankets, Chernobs) are relentless and often with short notice. For this and several other projects, we could not function without you. The sheer joyful enthusiasm our calls for help is met with makes us so thankful. What wonders you are. And the SPEED OF RESPONSE! Thank you! If you think this sounds like something you’d like to try, come and find us, all welcome.

The Woolly Pack. One of the absolute highlights again this year has been our social Facebook page, born from lockdown adversity, we wanted to have a safe, happy, supportive and chatty space. We couldn’t be happier with how it has worked. It’s a fabulous place to be, all we hoped for and more! Thank you so much to our wonderful admins, Agatha, Ali, Lisa, Steph, Jo, Jen, Alexsis without whom it wouldn’t be.  It’s called the Woolly Pack, do request to join, and do answer the questions. Can’t wait to see you in there. This is the profile pic!

So back full circle to where we started this Review, with our Chernobyl project 2024. With your unfaltering love and support we made an epic 250 blankets to go to children.We were so blessed to receive a return invite to go with the CCLL and meet the children and hand out these blankets ourselves. This as we write was less than 3 weeks ago.  

These children already have very little, still with the threats from the legacy of Chernobyl, made worse by the Russian invasion of the area, with war looming all around and the impact that has on every part of daily life. Historically of course we used to make these blankets to give to children visiting the UK with the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline for a respite break. These children need support even more now. So in December,  children were driven out of Ukraine from their home town of Korosten, near Chernobyl and Kyiv to Lublin, just in Poland, and others came who are refugees in Lublin with their mothers. The time was full of food, games, activities, outings, fun and laughter. Children being children. And it was wonderful to see. These kids are now back in Ukraine with the uncertainty, dangers and chaos, or continuing in uncertain, unsettled life as a refugee with loved ones fighting in Ukraine, with all the fears and anxiety. But they’re all taking love and woolly warmth from us. It doesn’t fix anything but it’s a tangible sign of love and care. So many hugs! The Refugee mums can’t thank us all enough, thank us for remembering them, for ‘seeing them’ – so many tears. We yearn for a brighter future for them all.

It was great fun to spread the woolly love this year and get the children engaged in pompom making! They loved it, got really stuck in, it was absolutely fantastic! We gave each child a kit with two pompom makers and yarn, then any yarn that was still around has gone back with the teachers. We are talking A LOT! Was all part of our woolly plan. Getting resources is so tough. They are so chuffed and we’ve seen photos of the children back in Ukraine happily getting creative with yarn. What’s not to love?!

Blanket giving was such a wonderful thing. Honestly your love shone from the blankets. Do visit the Christmas in Poland 2024 Blog on here for all the photos,  This project will run again in 2025, with a shorter turnaround, check the home page for dates. We need to crack on!

Pompom making back at school in Ukraine. Spreading the woolly love! Thank you folks – this down to your kindness and generosity! Amazing.

And a huge thank you for all those torches and power banks. Think that night we requested those really shows the generosity and empathy of the Woolly Hugs crew. Astonishing reponse. This less than a third here, we just didn’t want to unpack all the boxes ready to go to Ukraine with the kids.

And we really do. Wish we could do more.

It was incredibly tough seeing them go back into Ukraine, and a real relief to know they had arrived home safely. They will be in our thoughts, we hope 2025 brings them a much brighter future, one with hope, safety and stability.

Feel like there is so much more to say! Imagine how many stitches there were for Woolly Hugs in 2024, how many post office queues! We treasure every single one. The good that comes from it is astonishing. As has been said many times, it is more than just a blanket.

We truly salute all the Woolly Hugs crew, proud to be in amongst the most awesome bunch of folk. 

 We all do what we can do, we all fit in this in around families, busy lives, work commitments, a hundred and one other things, which truly makes it all so amazing. No one can do this alone.

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things…

 If you are reading this thinking you’d like to jump in, PLEASE make 2025 the year you do, we’d love to have you with us, message us if you you’d like a chat about how. Our aim is always to be inclusive, no one should be excluded because they can’t afford to join in and we welcome all levels of ability, from someone keen to begin to learn to someone with a lot of experience.

2025 is already looking busy, lots of posts about how you can help coming on here and across social media very soon. We hope you are rested and ready!