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2020. A Snug for Christmas. Phase 4, Yorkshire!

Absolutely delighted to be starting this project again, we know how much it means to the wonderful children and the fabulous Children’s Family Trust. 2020 will be the turn for looked after children in Yorkshire to receive our Snugs this Christmas time. Our previous phases have been South Central, Midlands and the NE of England.

About the project

We are aiming to make blankets for children (0-16years) who are being looked after within the Children’s Family Trust. The Children’s Family Trust work with these children aiming to give them stability and security through to adulthood, helping them achieve their full potential, with the ideal being fostered within a family for life. We would like to make these children something permanent, that they can take with them wherever they are.

Crafting Info

  • 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 6cm 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, the list is below.
  • Squares to be single colour, multi colour, textured, whatever you like, they will be wonderful, thank you.Just avoid anything too lacy please.
  • It is VITAL all ends are sewn in firmly. Knot off firmlyly then sew at least 6 inches of yarn in PLEASE. These blankets need to last.
  • If you’d like to make a whole blanket, please use these colours too, makes thing easier at the giving stage! Whole blankets to be 48 by 60 inches, we would like them all to be single bed size no matter what age the child.

We are looking to make 30 blankets minimum, but children come and go into care so any more would be obviously be wonderful!

The colours are a twist on a rainbow theme…

  • Aspen
  • Aster
  • Bluebell
  • Cloud Blue
  • Cypress
  • Duck egg
  • French navy (new for 2020)
  • Lapis
  • Lavender
  • Lincoln
  • Lipstick
  • Lobelia
  • Magenta
  • Meadow
  • Pistachio
  • Plum
  • Pomegranate
  • Proper Purple (new for 2020)
  • Saffron
  • Sage
  • Sherbert
  • Spice
  • Storm Blue
  • Tomato
  • Violet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so so much. Posting please after September 12th. Whole blankets to Teddington, squares to Southsea. Last posting tbc but aiming for last week of October xxx

 

Pictures below from previous collections!

 

Our Christmas Craft Sale 2020. Yes, its JULY!

Welcome to our Christmas Craft Sale 2020 

 

We know it’s July! But we know crafting takes such a long time. We are delighted though to be launching our Christmas Craft Sale 2020, we hope you will join us. THANK YOU! This year, with your love and support  we are delighted to get behind the drug education charity the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation, and will be sending a third of all profits to them, using two thirds to support our own projects and keep them running, ambitious and inclusive. 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. x

The Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation is a tiny charity with a simple but huge ambition: to help young people make safer choices about alcohol and drugs. Why is this so important? It’s because the charity was started by Fiona and Tim Spargo-Mabbs in 2014 after the unthinkable happened: their bright, popular, kind and talented son Daniel died after taking ecstasy. He’d done that typical thing that teenagers do, in telling them he was going to a party with a group of friends when instead he went to an illegal rave. He wasn’t the only one of his friend to take ecstasy that evening – five of them had agreed to be in – but the bag of powder that Dan tipped into a bottle of water and drank, although identical looking to the others, turned out to be a lethal dose. Just hours after taking it, he collapsed and was taken to hospital. His body temperature soared to over 42C and he went into multiple organ failure, and although the medical staff did everything they could to save his life, it was a battle that couldn’t be won and he died three days later.

It was a tragedy that needn’t have happened, and one that his parents wanted to do everything they could to stop happening to anyone else. Through carefully planned evidence-based and non-judgemental workshops delivered at schools, colleges and other settings by the Foundation’s drugs educators, young people gain a broader understanding of alcohol and drugs as well as other important aspects of decision making such as adolescent brain development, how to deal with peer pressure and harm reduction in order that they can make safer choices when in situations that they might otherwise not give any thought to.

With budgets so tight, all workshops are provided free of charge to state-maintained schools, and there have been a lot: during the 2018-19 academic year, 418 workshops were delivered to around 27,000 young people, plus 32 workshops to over 1,800 parents and carers.

Following Covid their budgets will be even tighter. Every child reached could be another saved. We’d like to support them in this. This could be any of our children.

 

For more, or to follow the amazing work they do, find them  on Facebook or check out the website… 

Their registered charity number is no. 1158921

 

So let the Crafting Stage begin!

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, general 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
  • 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
  • Lovely lovely things!
  • Chelsi wants us to add that sprout things are always very popular! They are. She is right!
  • Woolly, fabric, embroidered, beaded, ALL crafty crafts welcome!!

Last posting for crafts to be Saturday 31st October please. Earlier is very very helpful, thank you. Anytime after September 12th!

Posting will be to Teddington, please message for the address is needed.

 

Pics of crafts from 2019!

 

 

The Event itself…

Our Christmas Craft sale and Auction will take place ONLINE on a Facebook Event page as before, between Tuesday 17th – Sunday 22nd November.  TBC

We will set up the event page soon. Some items will be up for instant sale on this event wall during this time, others through auction on our Auction Site which will help folk not on Facebook, or those who prefer to take part in this way.

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. Remembering Dan.

 

 

Christmas Cwtches 2020

Our 2020 collection by drone photography!

We were delighted when the staff at the Great North Children’s Hospital contacted us last year and asked for help. The pictures here are from our 2019 project, and we are delighted they would like us to make for the children again. They would like some very special Little Hugs making to use in the run up to Christmas for very sick children in  hospital over this period. This project will again help children and their families at very difficult times.

 

For the Woollies…

We are looking for six and twelve inch squares in the SSDK colours below. Christmas designs/themes/embellishments warmly welcomed. Fill your boots! Just this yarn in these colours please so we can match up squares and the blankets will be consistent for wash and wear.

Christmas Cwtch palette in Stylecraft Special DK

The Christmas Cwtch palette (all SSDK yarn)

  • Claret
  • Cream
  • Grass green
  • Green
  • Kelly green
  • Lipstick

For the Sewing 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.

If making a whole cotton quilt or blanket..

Size wise we are aiming to send a mix of sizes from baby sized (24 inch squares) up to single bed sized.

Please no posting before September 13th, then whole blankets/quilts and separate squares please to Teddington.

Last posting date : Monday 18th October 2021. 

 

 

Thank you so so much! xxxx

The Impact of Coronavirus. Tuesday 24th March 2020

We hope that you and your loved ones are safe and well. This is not an easy time for any of us and we are all having to adjust to a new normal/ different way of living. The situation regarding coronavirus is rapidly changing, our last message was only eight days ago but it feels a life time.

The main priority for us is without question the health and safety of our crafters and so have decided to suspend posting to us to stop for the foreseeable, we will review this after three weeks. Our projects are continuing, but we can wait.  At the mo as well we can’t access our storage and fear being overwhelmed which with the lockdown and all children at home would be very difficult! A lot of woolly treasure is safely here already and we will work our way through, but it may take significantly longer. Thank you for your understanding.

All our ongoing projects continue, this is so important, we can easily get yarn to those who need. All projects need help! We know that as many of you are confined to your homes you may be looking for something practical to get on with.  Maybe have a look?

Our Spring Craft Sale is going to take place, it starts tomorrow at noon. Join the Facebook event page and check out the parallel Auction site. Gorgeous crafts to be had and we can send them wherever, so if you are going to be missing someone this Easter, we could send from you to them. Do check it out, we shall need more support than ecevr! Thank you so much xxx

Do keep messaging us if we can help you, but please do bear with, only two of us here and we will do the best we can.

 

So really it remains to say, keep safe, keep crafting.

With all our best wishes,

G&G x

 

 

Last week’s message…

 

The Impact of Coronavirus. Monday 16th March 2020

The Impact of Coronavirus. Monday 16th March 2020

Fast changing times at the moment due to the coronavirus and its impact, so we thought we should post and let everyone know where we are at.

All our ongoing projects continue, this is so important, we can easily get yarn to those who need. All projects need help!

Our wonderful Chernobyl project will undoubtably feel the greatest impact, see the message from Dennis their CEO below. Visits are being cancelled and postponed and the situation regarding the later summer visits is very up in the air. We do though know how much the children and families love our blankets and the tradition of them and so are determined to keep making and get blankets to them, either through their rescheduled visits or out to them. See Cecilia’s message from the Helpston group below. Can’t bear to think how disappointed this year’s cohort will be 🙁  So let’s keep going, so that we are ready as soon as they are. We are lucky as have recently acquired storage for a very low rate so aren’t worried about that part.

 

In terms of posting to us. the next deadline is for Chernobs and it is April 12th. We are very happy for folk to keep posting, but please no one go out of their way or make a special trip and we will see where we are in April.

 

We are setting up an extra Woolly Hugs Facebook page for anyone who would like to join. We see this as being a chatty/social page but also one where if anyone is stuck for help they can post and we can endeavour to find a local Woolly Hugger who can help with groceries etc. We also know we have quite a few wonderful crafters in the 70+ bracket and are keen to be able to help, not only those beauties but anyone who finds themselves in isolation.. Will add a link very soon! the Torties are keen to run this page and we are going to have to let them down gently. It would be CHAOS!

 

Our Spring Craft Sale is delayed a week. We had gone very early with this because of the (now cancelled) Gloucester Hugathon and have struggled to be ready in time! We have no excuses really it has just totally snuck up on us! It will now run between Wednesday 25th and Sunday 29th March. We’d love your support in our Craft Sale, all funds are due to go into our Chernobyl project and we shall need them more than ever if we are to deliver blankets further afield!

 

Sending so much love to everyone at this uncertain time, but please do keep crafting! THANK YOU SO MUCH.

 

G&G xxxxx

 

We have deliberately not been posting on Facebook regarding the Coronavirus situation as we did not want to add to the growing amount of misinformation and panic being spread. We would urge our friends and supporters not to subscribe to this regarding the visits of the Chernobyl children. The following is the most up to date information, anything else can only be conjecture:
The Belarusian authorities have suspended the visits of all groups of children to the UK for the Spring holiday period. This currently only applies to group travel and not private individuals . As of yet we have no further confirmation regarding future visits. Regrettably some decisions have to be made well ahead of the scheduled visit dates due to the visa application process. Obviously we must take a sensible and responsible approach and are monitoring the situation on a daily basis. We must be considerate of both our hosts and supporters and the children and their families. We are as disappointed as you will be. We hope you will all remain positive and look to a time when things will return to normal and we are able to continue our work which remains as important as ever in these difficult times.
We wish you all the very best and hope you keep well.
Dennis & The Board of Trustees

 

 

 

As I expect you have already realised, very sadly our Chernobyl Children are not visiting this summer. We still have some hope for a shorter visit this autumn. We also have plans to get aid out to the families, so we will still be taking blankets and teddies once the emergency situation is over. Such a shame for the children and I know that the mothers will be worrying about how to cope without the warm clothing, vitamins, toothpaste etc that they always receive each year.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful work that you do. The blankets and teddies are really loved by the children and it is always wonderful to see your cheerful blankets on the beds of the children! Please give my best wishes to your lovely ladies and gentlemen. Things will soon be back to normal and our work will be underway again.

Thank you

Cecilia and Helpston Chernobyl