Welcome!

A few photos from our 2024 visit. 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.

Having spoken with the CCLL this week, we can now confirm our project will run again in 2026. We can’t fix this, but we can do our part as best we can.

We are eternally grateful because without them, our project would not exist. Thank you CCLL!

We are delighted to have been invited back to Poland at Christmas time to help deliver the 2025 collection, it truly was a very precious time last year and in 2023. Meeting the children and their teachers, hearing the resilience, watching their joy and having time just to be. Seeing their utter joy at the blankets! Thank you again to the CCLL for having us back. This year we are going to be running some more workshops, a combination of fabric and wool. What’s not to love? We will be asking for help when we know exactly what we need.Thank you in advance!

Check out our Christmas in Poland blog. Looking back to last year, mid December 45 Ukrainian children were driven to Lubin in Poland by our friends at the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline for a respite break with Christmas treats and Father Frost! We can only imagine how much this was needed. These children already have very little, still with the threats from the legacy of Chernobyl, now with war looming all around and the impact that has on every part of daily life. Each child was given one of our blankets. This is overwhelming. In addition, children and their mums already refugeed in Lublin came for a Christmas party. What the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline have done here is extraordinary, so glad these children and families have a warm blanket full of love from us. So glad we can do this. These kids are now all going back into Ukraine with the uncertainty, dangers and chaos. Or continuing with their refugee status. 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.  This means the world. Thank you!

 Crafting information for 2026. Please read this to ensure what you are making is what we are asking for.

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.

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 remains the same at 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 2026!

LAST POSTING FOR WHOLE BLANKETS IS JUNE 1ST 2026

PLEASE DO NOT POST FOR THIS PROJECT UNTIL JANUARY 2026.

THANK YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!

1. Apple
2. Aspen
3. Aster
4. Bluebell
5. Boysenberry
6. Candy Floss
7. Citron
8. Claret
9. Cloud blue
10. Cornish blue
11. Denim
12. Duck egg
13. Fondant
14. Fuchsia purple
15. Grass green
16. Kelly Green
17. Lapis
18. Lavender
19. Lipstick
20. Lobelia
21. Magenta
22. Meadow
23. Parchment
24. Petrol
25. Pistachio
26. Plum
27. Pomegranate
28. Proper purple
29. Saffron
30. Sage
31. Sherbet
32. Spearmint
33. Spice
34. Storm blue
35. Tomato
36. Turquoise
37. Violet

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.
Funds raised from our Spring/Easter sale in 2025 will be used to help pay our delivery contribution.

“Little Iris wanted to say thank you for the gorgeous blanket she was given on the children’s ward where we spent a good chunk of her first five weeks of life and also the special Christmas one she received as a gift on her first ever Christmas. They definitely brightened our time there and we still use our rainbow blanket every day. Thank you to the lovely talented people who made them! Xx”

We were delighted when the staff at the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle contacted us a couple of years ago and asked for help. They asked if it were possible to make some very special Little Hugs to use in the run up to Christmas for very sick children in  hospital over this period. The pictures here are from our 2020 project, and we are delighted they would like us to make for the children again. 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.

The Christmas Cwtch palette (all SSDK yarn)

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

PLEASE CHECK THE HOME PAGE FOR LAST POSTING DATE FOR SQUARES AND BLANKETS FOR 2024!

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 2023, then whole blankets/quilts and separate squares please to Teddington.

Thank you so so much! xxxx

Refugee project posting window is open between November 1st and Easter

Please read carefully, our refugee project will focus on blankets ONLY.

Our Refugee project during the pandemic has been incredibly challenging as we have struggled to get items to folk in need. Currently it is still impossible for us to reach folk in Refugee camps as we historically have done, and we long for  the time when this is possible again. At present we are focussing on blankets and blanket squares and are reaching folk in this country. Six or 12 inch squares in good quality acrylic, all ends must be sewn in.

We are supporting families being resettled from Afghanistan and Ukraine. This is Tania and Maryna from Ukraine, currently living in the UK but busily raising funds for a field hospital and night vision goggles. Truly inspiring women.

 

Thank you so much for your continued support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help Father Frost! The Christmas Stocking Project 2020

Stocking are made very early as due to transporting them over to Belarus goes, they leave when the summer visitors go back and go into safe storage! They will be given to the children around the time of the orthodox Christmas early January 2021.

Please read carefully as things are different.

• We have been given a list of children, names and ages as at the time they will receive their stocking. Initially we have 31.
• If you would like to take part, message or email us and we will allocate a child to you. How lovely is this??!! You then make a stocking just for them!
• Let’s say no more than 2 children per person, but if you are prepared to make for more, let us know and we can always come back to you. No extras needed this year, just personalised stockings for these children. If we have more donors than children we will take your names in case we get more.

So last posting is Friday 23rd May 2020.

Elizabeth Parker (Mid Suffolk Chernobyl Children’s Life line link)and her team personally take filled stockings to Belarus, to the homes/schools of very disadvantaged children. Their aim is to give the children a real Christmas present and those they give to have most likely never received a Christmas present before.  It is very important to note this is absolutely not one of those shoe box appeals, so these stockings do not include functional toothpaste/brush type items, and there are no strings attached. It is just a wonderful thing to be able to do for some of the most disavanted and sick children.

So message/email for a child’s details, then once you have these please read on! Should anything change and you can’t make the stocking PLEASE PLEASE let us know so that we can sort things out. This is so important, we don’t want any child to be left out.

Even if you took part last year, please do read the instructions, they are absolutely vital to making this work. We are grateful to you, this is a wonderful project. Thank you.

We are looking for home made fabric only please stockings, OR shop bought stockings, we found some  on Ebay and Amazon but PLEASE as close to the size below as possible.  Then fit it with age appropriate treasure and get it as close to the weight as possible!

Here’s how to help…

1. Whether it is home made or shop bought, stockings need to be as close to 18cm by 40cm  (approx 7” x 16) which seems to be average standard size of shop bought ones.
2. The stockings can contain anything that would be considered a Christmas present but for this project, no utility items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste
3. A list of suggested items is below but these are by no means the only items to be included, feel free to add anything you want!
4. The gifts inside the stockings must not be wrapped in Christmas paper as this makes it easier if they are stopped at customs.
5. VERY IMPORTANT – Completed stockings must weigh no more than 650 grams please and need to be able to lie as flat as possible for travelling purposes.
6. Reiterating the 650g weight limit!
7. Please send any filled stockings to us wrapped in a carrier bag with a list of the contents jotted down on a bit of paper and the weight in grammes, PLUS THE CHILD”S NAME AND NUMBER

What to put in to a stocking…The items listed are only some suggestions, please feel free to add your own items

1. Liquids may not be sent neither should toy guns, sharps, knives or other weapons etc be sent as some parents might object to these.
2. No sweets (as the stockings will be in storage in Minsk for a good while, they go over in June, and they can’t guarantee they mightn’t get hot)
3. A small soft toy
4. Small ornaments (all children love dogs and cats)
5. A “Barbie” or Action Man type Doll
6. temporary tattoos
7. lip balm
8. flavoured chapsticks
9. Magic Gloves
10. Hair slides, bobble, elastics etc for girls, colourful, sparkly items are really liked.
11. Girls love all things pink and “blingy” !
12. Wrist bands for boys
13. Fridge Magnets are a big favourite
14. Small logic puzzles, i.e. the ones we use to get where you had to roll a few small balls around and get
    them in the right place.
15. Spinner toys
16. Bracelets and necklaces for girls
17. Balsa wood models
18. Polystyrene plane kits
19. Small cars or other models
20. Small windup toys
21. Marbles – quite heavy but a few would be ok and the children really love them
22. Stickers – all the children seem to collect these
23. Yo yo
24. Harmonica
25. Funny socks and slipper socks are liked very much, particularly if they are “Character “ones.
26. Warm tights for girls – they like bright colors
27. Small notebook – pretty ones for girls
28. Pens, pencils – biros should be blue not black please, this is for school use, highlighters
29. colouring pencils
30. Small coin purses
31. Pretty notebooks
32. Pencil case
33. Any toys with LED lights – particularly the stretchy/squishy ones
34. Folding shopping bags (older girls)
35. Keyrings
36. Slipper socks

We will have quite a bit of admin this end, so please send any filled stockings to us wrapped in a carrier bag with a list of the contents jotted down on a bit of paper and the weight in grammes. Do make sure you include your child’s name and number which will all help make sure the right stocking goes to the right child! All hail the folk who get these out in Belarus! 

2025. Very much an ongoing project. Please post when you are ready, to Teddington.Thank you x

Our Angel Hug project began back in 2012 with a request to make blankets for newborn or very young babies who devastatingly have not survived. 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 and wider family. We have been supporting Glasgow Maternity wards and are able to support SANDS if needed.

We have recently had a request from the wonderful Haven House Children’s Hospice in Woodford Green, Essex to support their bereaved families too. With your love and support we will be so glad to help more families going through absolute hell.

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 as always an ongoing project. Traditionally we have sent plain white Angel Hugs to Glasgow and will continue with this.  Haven House would like us to use the palette below which will tie in with the big Billie’s Butterfly blankets we have made for their post bereavement room and may well be in use for families at this incredibly difficult time.

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
• 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 an Angel Hug for Glasgow Maternity

• 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.
• Please make sure when you post that you label your blanket as an Angel Hug, we don’t want to get them muddled with Little Hugs.

If you need help to be able to take part

• 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

If you’d like to donate funds for others to craft on this project

• 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.

 

Hearty Hearts, THIS IS AN ONGOING PROJECT, PLEASE POST AS A ND WHEN!

‘A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees’
Amelia Earhart

We recently sent out handcrafted Hearts to nominated folk who needed a little boost. These were sent anonymously (for free )and with our love. ❤️  It was a wonderful to be able to undertake a random act of kindness like this and it is one we’d like to repeat.  It was only made possible by wonderful crafters making and sending hearts, and we now have none left. We’d love to be able to collect more so are making this an ongoing project.

How…

We would like to collect crochet, knitted or stitched 3D hearts (so not single sided) these to be no bigger than 20cm MAX and to have a hanging loop. They can be padded or just double sided. Other than this the style is very much up to you. !

Have put some links below, you may well have your own ideas!

 

Crafting suggestions

Crochet Heart Applique Pattern

Twenty six free crochet heart patterns! Including granny hearts, swirls and crocodile stitch. 

Bella Coco YouTube crochet heart tutorial, bear with the ads

Bella Coco Heart crochet pops – just leave out the stick and add a loop!

Cute Knitted heart design on Ravelry

Knitted heart design

Love stitches heart design – in photo

 

The most enormous thanks!

 

Christmas Cwtches

 

We were delighted when the staff at the Great North Children’s Hospital contacted us and asked for help. 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. So we are looking for squares in the SSDK colours below. Christmas designs/themes/embellishments warmly welcomed. This project will help children and their families at very difficult times.

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

 

The Christmas Cwtch palette (all SSDK yarn)

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

Squares and blankets for our Christmas Cwtch project to be sent to Teddington please. Last posting…..

Monday 19th October 2020.