With your love and support are repeating last years’ crafting activity for the Ukrainian children when we see them in Poland this Christmas. It was so successful last year, between everyone there was the most stupendous amount of fabric strips to use, truly gorgeous, interesting patterns, single colour, textures, SPARKLE! It felt like a very luxurious activity, and that was perfect for these children.
So we are coming requiring help again please.
Christmas wreaths 2026!
This is a super straightforward, super effective activity and creates something very beautiful for their families. Even better it will pack flat for the journey home.
We need your help please! We shall need you cutting!
We need 6 inch long by 1 inch strips of fabric/ ribbon. Straight cut please. If using a fat quarter, 5 inch is fine, but 6 inch is ideal if possible. We are going bold and blingy, zingy and FABULOUS! Plain, patterned, textured, sparkly.
Any of these colours please, just using there SSDK pegs for ideas
When preparing to post, please get your parcel as flat as possible so lay strips flat in sandwich bags. It worked super well last year. This will help us get the max out of our available luggage space!
Last year we were able to send a crafting kit of leftover resources back into Ukraine to enable more children to take part. If were can do that again it will spread the Christmas cheer even further.
Last posting please MONDAY 16TH NOVEMBER. To Southsea please. Do message for the address.
We realise this is a very sensitive project and it may bring up difficult feelings for some of you.
We are looking to make some cotton and fleece quilts for the hospice as an ongoing project. Becky from Haven House has written below for us, it is better she explains the project.
A very sad but vital part of our work at Haven House is the care of babies, children and young people at end of life and post bereavement. Sometimes we do not meet the families until after their child has passed away and they come to us to spend precious time with their child before the funeral. We also work with families in their own homes and being able to keep their child with them is a choice every parent should be able to make. To facilitate this, we use cooling blankets and cuddle cots. I am sure you understand what they are for, so I won’t go into detail. As useful as they are, they are a clinical and ugly piece of equipment, and we need your help to make them look more friendly and comfortable. To this end we would like some of your beautiful quilts to lay on top of the pads. The sizes of the pads are
Small cooling pad ( 154mm x 290mm )
Medium ( we previously called this one large) cooling pad (400mm x 550mm )
NEW Large Cooling pad (100cm x 70cm) This is for their bigger machine and will help support even more families.
More info about what is specifically needed….
It would be helpful to have the quilts slightly bigger than the pad, by giving them a border of 10cm all round.
We would like them to be fleece backed to make them less slippery and to help with absorbing any water from the cooling systems.
Thinking about the designs: lots of pattern, avoiding very light or very dark colours. Child friendly and they can be gender specific or gender neutral to appeal to the biggest range of families. Some are quite traditional, and others just want to celebrate their girly girls and boyish boys.
It is likely that some families will want to keep the quilts, and we would very much like to let them.
It is difficult to predict how many we will need each year. Sadly, we supported several families in the last 12 months but in previous years we may only see 1-2 families in these circumstances.
My plan is to have a ‘home kit’ ready for our outreach nurses. This will contain bedding, quilts and blankets as well as the clinical equipment our team need to care for the child.
I want every family to have access to the best care at this time, I cannot provide the medical expertise, but I know, with your help, I can ensure the environment is as kind and comfortable as possible.
Love B x
From us again…..
With your love and support we believe we can help these families in such bleak times.
To sum up then, we are looking for lightweight quilts, cotton topper, some batting in the middle (light to medium weight) with fleece backing. We know we have many crafters who sew beautifully, and this is such a simple project really. Sizes as above.
This is an ongoing project, as Becky said the families can keep the quilts if they wish.
If making an Angel Hug for Haven House Hospice Single colours only please, using Stylecraft Special DK in these colours only…Duck egg, grape, sage, pale rose, cloud blue. We do also send some white ones. Minimum size : 32 inches square. Not much bigger please, and no smaller.
Thank you so much everyone, we really appreciate you all.
PLEASE DO NOT POST FOR THIS PROJECT UNTIL JANUARY 2027 AS THERE IS NO STORAGE SPACE UNTIL SNUGS/CWTCHES LEAVE!
Before we start again for this year, we must thank the wonderful Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline. Making the blankets is a big team effort for us (and we are truly grateful, thank you) but then transporting them by road to the Ukrainian border area of Poland and then into Ukraine itself is also a huge enterprise. We do obviously pay a £££ contribution for this, but the delivery job itself is not to be underestimated. Especially the dangers of driving in Ukraine. These folk are amazing and so generous in spirit. The CCLL continue to be astonishing in their efforts to support families. Even those who managed to flee have incredible stuggles as funding ceases and finding accommodation or meeting basic needs are a challenge. The situation is tougher than last year, bleaker, colder.
We are eternally grateful because without them, our project would not exist. Thank you CCLL! Also do check out our Christmas 2025 blog.
We are delighted to have been invited back to Poland at Christmas time to help deliver the 2026 collection, it truly was a very precious time in previous years. Meeting the children and their teachers, hearing the resilience, watching their joy and having time just to be safe and warm. Seeing their utter joy at the blankets! We are also taking any remaining Besties again from the summer.Thank you again to the CCLL for having us back. This year we are going to be running another crafting workshop. We will be asking for help when we know exactly what we need.Thank you in advance!
How to Help for 2027
Squares. We need twelve inch squares in the Stylecraft Special DK palette as in photo, if 12 is too much, 6 inch squares are fine too, just this yarn in these colours please, inc for embellishments so the blankets come together and are consistent for wash and wear. Knit and crochet equally welcome, beginner or expert, as simple or complex as you like, single colour, multi colour. Design of square up to you, but not too lacy, they need to be hardy. Please use a 4mm hook or needles. If sizing is a challenge with your pattern/tension, we prefer them just under sized rather than over!
There is the text list of colours at the bottom….
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. If we have doubt over a square’s integrity strength wise, it can’t go in.
Whole blankets We know some crafters love to make their own whole blankets and this is wonderful, we are truly grateful, thank you. Please still use our SSDK palette. Finished blanket size is still 48inches by 60 inches.
Size matters!Chernob blankets MUST be 48 inches by 60 inches. If a blanket arrives and it is too small it will be redirected to Little Hugs. Equally please don’t go much over size, if it comes to taking two blankets of the right size vs one kingsize, we will take two, because that is two children supported, rather then one. Again thank you for your support on this, size really is important.
LAST POSTING FOR SQUARES IS MARCH 1st 2027!
LAST POSTING FOR WHOLE BLANKETS IS JUNE 5th 2027
PLEASE DO NOT POST FOR THIS PROJECT UNTIL JANUARY 2027 AS THERE IS NO STORAGE SPACE UNTIL SNUGS/CWTCHES LEAVE!
Donating funds As always we like to be inclusive and would love to send yarn to folks who otherwise would not be able to craft. In addition, we already know there will be the high cost of transporting them to the children again and would be incredibly grateful to anyone who would like to donate funds for this project.
Our Paypal is admin@woollyhugs.com
Bank transfer
• We are a Cooperative account in the name of Woolly Hugs • Account number: 65579631 • Sort code: 089299
Please do inc your name so we can thank you properly.
Apple
Aspen
Aster
Bluebell
Boysenberry
Candy Floss
Citron
Claret
Cloud blue
Cornish blue
Denim
Duck egg
Fondant
Fuchsia purple
Grass green
Kelly Green
Lapis
Lavender
Lipstick
Lobelia
Magenta
Meadow
Parchment
Petrol
Pistachio
Plum
Pomegranate
Proper purple
Saffron
Sage
Sherbet
Spearmint
Spice
Storm blue
Tomato
Turquoise
Violet
Posted with permission. A story from Korosten School No12 (NW of Kyiv) sent by Iryna, one of the teachers who comes with the children to Lublin just before Christmas. We’ve met her every year. She’s an astonishing teacher and the main organiser from the Ukrainian side. Due to ongoing drone attacks some of their lessons are conducted online. At her English class she asked her students to choose any personal item which they associated with safety, comfort and a warm feeling. Mark, one of the boys who came to Lublin two years ago, presented his “best buddy from WH” straight away. Struggling for words. That adorable hedgehog (Vivienne R) is helping him return to happy memories in dark moments. And while this is from one teen, we know it will represent others, through the trips the CCLL work hard to achieve, on which we are so happy we can support in our way, through your blankets, the Besties.
So let’s keep on. Together let’s help as many Marks as we can.
Thank you everyone who helps this project in any way.
Last posting for crafts please – October 19th. This is to Teddington. Earlier rather than later is much much easier on us though!
The event itself is online between November 9th and 16th. Event page is here
THANK YOU!
We know this feels super early, but we also know our lovely crafters like to plan and that crafting takes such a long time. We are delighted though to be launching our Christmas Craft Sale 2026, we hope you will join us. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and will help us raise much needed funds to continue our woolly work. With your love and support we hope it is a huge success! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!
The charity we shall support with a shared of funds raised this Christmas will be Air Ambulances UK (AAUK) This is the national charity that supports the lifesaving work of the UK’s air ambulance charities, helping them save even more lives every day. Read more about them here….
So every penny we can raise will go to help others, we hope you will support us, either by crafting, buying or even maybe both! Thank you so so much.
So let the Crafting Stage begin!
Important update – we have become a victim of our own success with the craft sale, don’t get us wrong we are truly grateful for every item and need the fundraising, but with sensible heads on, and to make this a manageable endeavour, no more than 8 items per individual crafter, 12 total if sending from a crafting group.
We are aiming to make and sell small/lightweight Christmas craft items. 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. Always very popular, as are totally bonkers quirky things, yes we are thinking gin wreaths, woolly slugs and sock pigs, who knew??!
Stockings
Cute cuddly things / Besties
Small gifts – Little bags, purses, brooches, hair accessories, key rings, gift bags, tags,
Clothing items such as gloves, hats, scarves, – if making clothing PLEASE inc the ball band or let us know so we can pass this info on to those who buy. xxx
Bunting – everyone LOVES bunting. This could be sewn, knitted, crocheted etc.
Pocket friends, no bigger than palm size. Would suggest cute.
Book marks
Covered tape measures
Sewing type needle cases
Wreaths
Coasters
Cards
Lavender bags
Pencil/ hook cases
Hair accessories
Brooches
Keyring/bag tags
Pin cushions
face scrubbies
Covered notebooks
Animal headbands
Lovely lovely things!
Woolly, fabric, embroidered, beaded, ALL crafty crafts welcome!!
The Event itself..
The event itself will take place as usual all online through a Facebook event page and an Auction site attached to this website.
Just a few items from previous sales to give you an idea!
We go on our summer break immediately after Camp Bestival on Sunday 2nd August (posting to us stops for the summer on July 1st) and we will be back on September 18th. It has been another busy year so far and we can’t thank everyone enough for all your hard work, compassion and enthusiasm.
We know that many of you love a summer break project, some of you certainly need to be kept out of mischief and if you need yarn to take part, please do message us.
This is such a beautiful project, we know in Newcastle staff go round on Christmas Eve with our Cwtches and tuck children in. Just lovely. It’s so tough to be so ill, with all the anxieties and emotions this brings, but this intensifies for the child and the whole family over the Christmas period. So it’s wonderful to do something which brings some joy.
We are hoping to achieve our revised Christmas Cwtch project target of 50+. Size wise we are aiming to send a mix of sizes from smaller sized (Remember this project is included in Size Up September, minimum is now 32 inch) up to single bed sized.The majority will need to be at the bigger end. Last year we managed to send to our friends at Newcastle as usual plus the teen unit at the Marsden, we were 3 short of a complete set for the children’s ward at the Royal Marsden cancer hospital, obviously we sent other blankets so there were enough! If we had any over we’d send to elderly care at Newcastle, as they are often overlooked. Is this too much to aim for? We don’t think so. (aiming for the stars again!) We will though need to up our numbers of single bed sized blankets, and the easiest way to do this is to make squares! Obviously if you are up for a whole blanket that is truly excellent, thank you!
Six and twelve inch squares in Stylecraft Special DK, colours as listed
Claret
Cream
Grass Green
Kelly green
Green
Lipstick
For the fabric folk…..
Christmas cwtches could also be made in these sort of colours in cotton Christmassy prints, lightweight quilts. These must be machine washable and tumble dry possible only please.
Thank you so much! October 5th, Last posting for squares AND whole blanket for Christmas Cwtches.
Merry Summer Christmas folks! And thank you – you are ALL GOING ON THE NICE LIST!!!!
Following communication with our partner hospitals we are going to need to increase the size of our smallest blankets. This will affect Little Hugs, Cwtches, Angel Hugs (with the exception of those using the Sands pattern which is fine to continue to use) and we will include those for Haven House Hospice in this. This will help find every blanket a home moving forward. We have to make sure we are making what your recipients want to receive.
If you have made at our smaller size for any of these projects, please still send. But from September our minimum accepted size will be 32 inches.
We appreciate that this is a significant change, but as we say this is driven by the hospitals we support. If you will find this too much, maybe look to the projects which will accept squares, we are hoping not to lose any of our crafters!
The children loved making pompoms last year, parents donated to Woolly Hugs 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) We also sold 60 kits of two little balls of yarn, we’d purchased, two pompom makers, then a pair of scissors for extra (where we had them). These kits were super popular and we could have sold more.
If you do Amazon wish lists, we have one under Woolly Hugs, but we have also C&P some links below. Please send directly to Teddington, thank you so much.
