I have just opened the blanket with the children. We love it! It’s so beautiful and soft and we loved spotting the different things that remind us of S, who we miss so very much.
We have decided it will live on our little sofa in the kitchen as he spent most of his time in the kitchen – he was chief cook and also worked at home in there, plus he would sit and listen to his vast music collection. I still struggle to listen to music as he loved it so much. As I sit there I will think of him.
Many many thanks to everyone for their contributions and to you for organising such a lovely gift.
I hope you have a lovely Christmas. x
LAST POSTING FOR SQUARES AND BLANKETS IS JUNE 14th! THANK YOU XXX
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia as we all know is incredibly devastating and many of our families have had to leave. Obviously this project was up in the air for a while, but Elizabeth and team and going to take our blankets to them, final details will be sorted later, but in Poland/Moldova and potentially Ukraine too. An extraordinary effort.
For many years we have been making warm, comforting blankets for Belarusian and Ukrainian teenagers and children visiting the UK for recuperative holidays during the summer with the fabulous charity the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline, Chernobyl Children’s Project and the Friends of Chernobyl’s Children. Devastatingly for the children and their families COVID has put these trips on hold. But as 2021 proves, we can get the blankets to these children AT HOME!
You will, we hope have seen the beautiful happy and heart warming photos over the last week or so of children in Ukraine receiving our blankets in their schools and at home. So much more than just a blanket, these Hugs send love, hope, friendship and warm comfort to the children and their families.
So in 2022 we hope to repeat this, and with your love and support we’d like to get as many blankets to as many more children and their families as possible. We will need to pay to get them over (think this year it was around £1400, which per child is very little) but we can do this!
So in 2021 there were 175 blankets, could we dare hope to match this?
We need YOU!!
Here’s how you can help…. We are focussing on collecting blankets and separate squares
Squares. We need twelve inch squares in the Stylecraft Special DK palette as in photo and listed at the bottom of the page, 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! 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.
Whole blankets We know some crafters love to make their own whole blankets and this is wonderful! Please use SSDK. Finished blanket size remains the same at 48inches by 60 inches, and please work within the colour palette.
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 cost of transporting them to Ukraine 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. Any funds raised from our Spring/Easter sale in 2022 will be used to support this project too.
The 2022 Palette
Aspen
Aster
Bluebell
Boysenberry
Bright pink
Candy floss
Citron
Claret
Cloud blue
Cornish 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
Spearmint
Spice
Storm blue
Teal
Tomato
Turquoise
Violet
Bless him, Tortie always has to get in there……. Thank you lovely Lisa McA for doing these pics xx
These photos are from Belarus, taken in 2019. Just lovely!
We are delighted to be adding the wonderful teens and young people being treated at the Teen Cancer Ward at the Royal Marsden into our Little Hug project. The Teenage Cancer Trust Unit (TCTU) at The Royal Marsden’s hospital in Sutton is a purpose-built unit for teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 24 years. The first delivery will go just before Christmas 2021 but we will be continuing into 2022. So pleased we can do this, we hope you are too. Thank you so much everyone. xxx
Absolutely delighted to let you know that ALL Snugs for Christmas are now away – to SE London, East Midlands and Middlesborough. All truly made and sent with so much love. Thank you so much everyone. We do love to take a big photo, made challenging this year with storms and grey skies, but for the briefest moment the sun shone ( on the righteous!) This project will run again in 2022, same crafting info as this year, destinations confirmed as soon as poss. This is such a wonderful project, so grateful we reach as many children as we do. And that is all down to our wonderful, generous crafters.
