If you'd like to knit, sew or crochet for charity, come and join us at Woolly Hugs. All levels of experience and ability are welcome here.

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  • Candy’s Hugs. Ongoing in 2026

    Candy’s Hugs. Ongoing in 2026

    Candy’s Hugs, making cosy comforting blankets for women going through treatment for cancer. Candy’s Hugs will be an ongoing project. Thanks to your love and support we have sent well over 200 of these now. Amazing.

    2026. Very much an ongoing project, please post when you are ready, to Teddington. 

    The aim here is to either make 6 or 12 inch squares OR a whole blanket in the vibrant colour palette as below. Squares sent to us will be joined into blankets, good examples on here show the end results! These will then be sent out to nominated women undergoing treatment for cancer. (NB we have also sent to men and children)

    More about the origins of the project and our friend Candy who inspired us below

    The yarn is Stylecraft Special DK.Just this please for consistency, and in these colours…

    Vibrant Riot Palette

    • Apple green
    • Boysenberry
    • Claret
    • Dandelion
    • Empire
    • Fuchsia
    • Grass
    • Kelly green
    • Lavender
    • Lime
    • Lipstick
    • Magenta
    • Meadow
    • Petrol
    • Plum
    • Pomegranate
    • Proper Purple
    • Saffron
    • Sherbet
    • Shrimp
    • Spice
    • Turquoise
    • Tomato
    • Violet

    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.

    The origins of this wonderful project

    We knew her time left with us was short, but the news of Candy’s (Zombie’s) death was still a sad 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

    Zombie was a bright and beautiful woman so we have chosen a palette to reflect this which we call Vibrant Riot.Will you join with us?

     

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  • Billie’s Blankets for World Child Cancer and the Minsk Children’s Cancer Hospital

    Billie’s Blankets for World Child Cancer and the Minsk Children’s Cancer Hospital

    Always thinking of beautiful Billie.

    The Billie’s Blanket Project

    Since the beginning, the aim of the Little Hugs has been to provide little blankets that give comfort to babies and small children who are seriously ill in hospital. This project is an extension of that and was launched in 2013 as a tribute to beautiful Billie who died at 14 from leukaemia. In her name, we send little blankets to children who really need a woolly hug and to feel loved and looked after.

    We work with the wonderful organisations World Child Cancer and the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline and are arranging for Little Hugs to be sent to children suffering from cancer in low and middle income countries. In these countries their overall chance of survival can be under 10% compared to around 80% in high income countries such as ours. The first collection of Billie’s Blankets went in April 2013 to Malawi, most recently to Vietnam and Belarus.

    These children need all the love and comfort possible. So please, in memory of a sparkling young girl who always thought of others, we’d love you to help us help them. As ever, thank you so much for your support.All crafting info is below.

    Next delivery will be to the Minsk Children’s Cancer Hospital. Last posting for this please Monday 1st June 2020.

    We’d love your help, this is how :

    • You can help by either making a whole blanket, Minimum size: 24 inches by 24 inches. If you would like to make a blanket that is bigger, that would be lovely. The children are aged 0 to 14 so we will need bigger blankets too. Suggested yarn: Stylecraft Special DK, a soft, non-scratchy acrylic yarn. If you would like to make a whole blanket, you could use a different weight and make of acrylic yarn. The essential thing is that it needs to be soft against sensitive and delicate skin and that it can be washed and dried quickly and easily. Or……
    • Colours: Your choice. Although for practical reasons, we advise avoiding white and cream.
    • Things to avoid: Any embellishments that could scratch delicate skin or could be swallowed.If you would like to take part in this project but feel you can’t due to the costs involved, please message us and we’ll try to help with materials.If you would like to contribute towards materials, you can either donate via Paypal here on our Woolly Hugs website or if you do not have Paypal, please message us.

    From Word Child Cancer
    Your blankets are beautiful and I’m sure they provide great comfort to the children who you make them for. I’m sure the children would love them. Unfortunately
    most of the children we see at our projects are not able to survive their cancer due to the poor conditions, lack of knowledge and the high cost of medicine in the worlds poorest countries. In these cases we encourage palliative care for the children through our twinning partners who provide training for local project staff on the importance of this care, especially in pain relief. Psychosocial care is also very important and an area we focus on through supporting parent groups and play therapists. I think your blankets would fit in well with this area.’

     

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  • Our Little Hug Project. Updated in 2026.

    Our Little Hug Project. Updated in 2026.

    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, for teenagers in ICU at Great Ormond Street, the Teen Cancer and children’s wards  at the Royal Marsden , NICU at John Radcliffe in Oxford and most recently to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

    Our Little Hugs go to some of the sickest babies and children in the UK. At Great Ormond Street, they may also form part of palliative care..

    Still an ongoing project, please make and send as ready.

    Always remembering Merryn and Aillidh, our inspiration.

     

    Crafting guide for Little Hugs. please check the changes!

    1. Please read our Size Up September page to see about the changes. Minimum Size : 32 inches by 32 inches. NB If making for a teen in GOSH/MARSDEN, minimum size to be 48 inches by 60 inches, ie single bed sized.
    2. Crochet, knit and fabric all equally welcomed, but please note GOSH only use woolly blankets because they find they drape over machinery better, and if making for the NICU babies in Oxford, these can only be knit, ie no holes.
    3. The essential thing for whatever size is that blankets and quilts can be machine washed, tumble dried and/or steam cleaned. Infection control requires this understandably. So do check your resources before starting please!
    4. Think about the size of the child the blanket is for, Aran weight and chunky yarns are not suitable for babies.
    5. Please avoid yarns with a halo – loose, fuzzy fibres which are a safety hazard.
    6. Colours : Your choice! Just go cheery! Avoids browns and muddy colours etc. We’d like to be able to provide a range of Little Hugs suitable for all. As much as we don’t like to associate colour with gender, not every family will think the same, so playing it safe. We tend to get 10 pink Little Hugs for every one of any other colour.
    7. Things to avoid: Buttons, sequins and beads, and embellishments that could scratch the skin or be swallowed. If using appliqué it needs to be firmly stitched on with no hard edges.
    8. Yarn used needs to be soft against sensitive and delicate skin.
    9. Blankets could be made from squares stitched or hooked together. Granny stripes or ripples. They could be made in one piece or in blocks as well as squares.
    10. For fabric quilts and stitched Blankets : Pure cotton and good quality fleece. We suggest you wash
      both separately before sewing to allow for any difference in shrinkage.
    11. If you would like to take part in this project but feel you can’t due to the costs involved, please message us and we will try to help you with materials.

     

    Thank you so much everyone, we know how much these mean to parents going through incredibly challenging and worrying times

    How it all began

    When we offered a blanket to Greengoose after her beautiful daughter Merryn passed away, she told us how Merryn had been given a small handmade blanket whist she was in hospital. As Greengoose said,

    “Merryn’s little square meant and still means so much to us, and so many families end up in hospital early or unexpectedly and have nothing of their own ready or with them, and even if they do, just to know you are thought about means so much.”

    We loved this idea and with Merryn’s blanket in mind, and knowing how Expat’s darling daughter Aillidh had so much comfort from a blanket handmade by a group of wonderful friends, we wondered if we could do something more to help.We contacted a few hospitals and very early on developed a lovely relationship with our first hospital – Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow where Aillidh was treated. Our project has grown ever since.

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  • Angel Hugs for Bereaved families.

    Angel Hugs for Bereaved families.

    2020. Very much an ongoing project, collection dates to aim for are at the bottom of the Home page. Thank you x

     

    Our Angel Hug project began with a request from the Royal Brompton hospital in London, to make blankets for babies who very sadly did not survive and to help comfort the families. At an intensely bleak and dark time there is still something very positive that we can do for the baby and their family. Our blankets are always handmade with love and compassion and so are perfect. We can help care for the whole family at this time by making the baby comfortable and snuggled up whilst sending love and a hug to the parents. We send to Glasgow maternity hospitals, offer Angel Hugs to all bereaved families now, and can help support SANDS.

    We know that we have many crafters and donors who have first hand experience of such devastating loss. We understand that this is a very difficult request, but if you can join with us, and are able to help, then we would love to have you on board. From speaking to some of you, we know how incredibly important blankets like these are to those who receive them.

    Angel Hugs is an ongoing project. Here’s how to join in. Many thanks for your help.

    To our lovely crafters

    • Angel Hugs are to be all white and can be knitted or crocheted in any wool suitable for a baby blanket, so 4ply, DK, just as long as it feels soft and cosy. The design is up to you, but it should be kept simple. Angel Hugs can also be sewn using pure cotton and good quality fleece, again white please and in a simple design.
    • Minimum size : 24 inches square, going up to a maximum of approx. 30 inches square.
    • At the bottom of this page is a copy of the SANDS knitted pattern if this helps you. 
    • If making a whole Angel Hug feels too much, but you would still like to support this, we would be pleased to accept simple knitted and crocheted 6 inch squares, which we will hook together. If choosing this option, please use Stylecraft Special DK in white.
    • If you would like to take part in this project but feel you can’t due to the costs involved, please message us and we’ll try to help you with materials.
    • We would be very grateful for support from anyone who would like to donate funds to help with this. You can either donate via Paypal admin@woollyhugs.com but please add a message so we know who to thank and which project it is for. If you don’t have Paypal, please message us as we have other ways that you can donate. We are so grateful to all our donors, without you, these projects could not function.

    It is a very sad request we are making, and yet there is something very positive here too, and we know the Blanketeers have big hearts. Sometimes thank you doesn’t seem enough, but thank you once again.

     

    The SANDS pattern

    Please note this is only a suggestion.

    If you are intending to make a blanket with the lace edging, then please knit the basic blanket no larger than a 20 inch square.

    Easy Baby Blanket with Lace Option This lace border makes the easy blanket very special but we are happy for you to knit to the basic pattern. (You can use any white wool and needles to suit, to give a soft drape). The basic pattern knit to approx a 24” square. It will always come square.

    BASIC BLANKET 200gm of Double Knit Wool and 4mm needles.

    Cast on 1 stitch Next row:- Make the one stitch into two stitches.

    Next row:- Knit 1, into the next stitch make another, 3 stitches on needle.

    Continue to knit, ALWAYS knit the first stitch and into the 2 nd stitch make another. Only increase this way at the BEGINNING of a row. Continue until you have almost come to the end of the 100gm ball. Knit 1 row plain.

    Next row:- Knit 1, Knit 2 together, Knit to end of row.

    Continue this way, always knit the 1 st stitch then decrease into the next stitch by knitting 2 together until 1 stitch remains.

    You should now have a neat square.

    LACE EDGING

    Using Double Knit and size 8 (UK) needles Cast on 8 stitches

    Row 1 (Wrong side) Slip 1, Knit 1, (Yarn fwd knit 2 tog) twice, Yarn fwd, Knit 2 (9 sts)

    Rows 2, 3, and 6. Slip 1 Knit to the end.

    Row 3. Slip 1, knit 2 (yarn fwd knit 1 tog) twice. Yarn fwd Knit 1 (10 sts)

    Row 5. Slip 1, knt 3 (yarn fwd knit 2 tog) twice. Yarn fwd Knit 2 (11 sts)

    Row 7. Slip 1, knit 4 (yarn fwd kni t 2 tog) twice. Yarn fwd Knit 2 (12 sts)

    Row 8. Slip 1, Knit 11 sts Row 9. Cast off 4 sts. Knit to the end (8 sts)

    Row 10. Slip 1, knit to the end (8 sts)

    These 10 rows form the pattern.

    Continue in pattern until it is long enough to fit all around. Sew o nto the blanket. Thank you so much.

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  • About MN Blankets

    About MN Blankets

    Our beautiful blankets have been made by a community of Mumsnetters wanting to show their love and support to fellow Mumsnetters and their families facing heartbreaking and devastating loss. Some contribute by crafting, others by donating funds or wool, all playing a full part,  It is hoped that the blankets can offer some comfort to the families. If they get one ounce of love from their blanket then it’s all worth it.

    The blankets have come to be known as Woolly Hugs, we are sending them love and wrapping them in a warm hug.

    “When I’ve finished my not very well knitted squares, I sort of sigh and think, well they aren’t very good, but you look at the picture of the finished blanket, and you really ‘get’ it. The whole thing, so various and beautiful, the feelings behind it, so many people contributing, wanting to send comfort and love.”

    “My wool has just arrived! The colours are beautiful, pink and blue. Please tell my donor I am proud to knit with it on behalf of us both. There is something incredibly special about receiving this wool from a friend I don’t know and to be doing something so precious with it. Big big thanks…..”

    Mumsnet is sometimes accused of being shouty and cross (and it can be) but put simply, there are few better places to get support when you need it most. These blankets and the work and love behind them shows just how much of a community Mumsnet really is.” Justine Roberts, April 2012, CEO and Co-Founder www.mumsnet.com & www.gransnet.com

     

  • She met the world with love

    The initial crafting stage of this project is over, we are onto construction!

    There cannot be a single soul who has not been shocked and 13533210_1151677034882655_45421188523841453_n.jpghorrified by the devastating attack and murder of MP Jo Cox. Truly awful, at times like this one struggles to find the words to make any sense, there just aren’t any. We feel desperately sorry for Jo’s children, DH, parents, family and friends, and are thinking of all who love and miss her.

    In one of the most beautiful and courageous pieces written her husband Brendan has said she would have wished now for their children to be bathed in love, this really resonates with what we hope Woolly Hugs is all about.

    Jo represented the good things in the world, all that is the opposite of bitterness and hatred, let us do something now for her, for her husband and their children, by sending love, compassion, strength and support. We hope it will bring them a little comfort. We are thinking of them. [thanks]

    We are very fortunate to have one of her good friends on board, we asked if she could help us, and she will, and will be able to pass on the blankets to the children when the time comes, we can’t thank her enough, she says “With your permission, I will pass the message on that they are being made. I know they have taken great comfort from the love everyone’s shared in the last few days and this will be equally welcomed. You are brilliant. Thank you xxx.”

     

    So this is our plan, can you help us?13524458_1152268314823527_7070346248171948071_n.jpg

     

    Firstly, we would like to make a blanket for both of Jo’s children, big enough that they can snuggle with their dad and find warmth and comfort.

    Secondly we would like to make a blanket for Auction in the run up to Christmas, and have chosen one of Jo’s charities to be our recipient. Brendan said it would have been Jo’s wish that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her, so we have chosen the charity called *Hope not Hate.*  It seems right.

    Thirdly, may we encourage folk to contribute to our existing Woolly Hugs’ Refugee Project,  all crafting info is here.]] Jo campaigned tirelessly for refugees, this seems very appropriate. We know we cant help everyone, but one square, one blanket, a pair of gloves, one warm hat, one step at a time, really every little thing will help. Thank you.

    HOPE_not_hate_150x200.gif

     

     Crafting information for the three blankets

     

    All yarn to be Stylecraft Special DK, which is very easily available, this is a good retailer. Please make sure your square fits into one of these palettes. It will make it much easier. Thank you.

    IMG_7165 (1).jpg

    Vintage, above: Duck egg, sage, storm, parchment, pale rose, pomegranate, raspberry, grape, cloud blue, sherbert.

    Unknown-5.jpeg

    Traditional, above: Parchment, cloud blue, denim, sherbert, aster, petrol, lipstick, claret, burgundy.

     

    • Squares to be 6 inches, using 4mm hook or needles.
    • All crafting abilities  _genuinely_ welcome, simple, complex, squares made by beginner or experienced are equally welcomed. It really is the love and thought that counts.
    • When finished *please sew in those ends* but don’t block your work.
    • Then PM for details for posting.
    • Last posting to be July 27th.

     

    We are on Facebook as Woolly Hugs and Twitter @Woolly_Hugs which are both good ways to keep in touch. Do join us there if you would like to.

     

    “She would have wanted two things above all else to happen now, one that our precious children are bathed in love and two, that we all unite to fight against the hatred that killed her.”

  • Christmas Craft Sale 2016

    Christmas Craft Sale 2016


    Welcome to the start of 2016’s Christmas Craft sale!

    This year we have chosen to split the funds, primarily we want to help the amazing work the Alzheimer’s Society do. They give wonderful support to those worried about and affected by dementia as this can be a desperately sad, lonely, bleak and isolating place to be.

    We’d love to be able to do something to help, we really hope you will join us.

    The Alzheimer’s Society aim to provide friendly expert advice on their Helpline, they run an online forum to enable individuals to talk to others affected by dementia, and also organise community-based services. Brilliant. If you would like to find out more see here…

    e2ede7e6b9ed21718e7e22ae03c01b90_f4979

    We would also like to use a third of any funds raised to support our own family blanket projects.

    Will you join us?  There are several ways to get on board, as a crafter, a donor to help others craft and ultimately we will need folk to buy our treasures!

     

    Crafting info…

    We are aiming to make and sell small/lightweight Christmas 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.

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

    • Stocking fillers, although obviously Father Christmas is REAL, this is just to help.
    • Christmas tree decorations, bunting, garlands.
    • Stockings
    • Small gifts – Little bags, purses, brooches, hair accessories, key rings, gift bags, tags,
    • Clothing items such as gloves, hats, scarves, shawls
    • Lovely lovely things!

     

    Woolly, fabric, embroidered, beaded, all crafty crafts welcome!!

    If you make something to wear, please include washing info for that item, so that the purchaser can look after their treasure for the time to come.

    Items from last year can be seen in our Christmas albums on our Facebook page, Woolly Hugs.

    Last posting for crafts to be Monday 14th November please. Please PM for the posting information.

    Donor info…

    If you would like to contribute funds to help others craft we would love to hear from you. Our Paypal is admin@woollyhugs.com

    The Event itself…

    Our Christmas Craft sale will take place ONLINE between the evening of Wednesday 23rd November and run through to Sunday 27th November. It will be organised through an Event page as we have done before. In addition we will be auctioning a range of items through our website which will help folk not on Facebook, or those who prefer to take part in this way.

     

    We are on Facebook as Woolly Hugs and Twitter as @Woolly_Hugs both good ways to keep in touch too.

     

    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.  K&P xx