Welcome to our Annual Chernobyl project info!
Please note this has been updated for 2018
This is an annual ongoing project, takes place in the spring and summer, supporting children and teens visiting this country from areas affected by Chernobyl,through the Children of Chernobyl charity and Chernobyl Lifeline charity.
For the last few years we have been making warm, comforting Little Hugs for Belarusian teenagers and children visiting the UK for recuperative holidays during the summer with the fabulous charity the Chernobyl Children’s Project and Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline. Photos from the Leeds group can be seen here.. and our finished blankets from last year here…
Each year these marvellous charities bring children who live in the most contaminated area near the Chernobyl reactor over to the UK. In summer, when the dust causes radiation levels to rise, it becomes even more important for as many children as possible to leave their contaminated homeland for a few weeks of fresh air and clean food. The rates of childhood cancer are incredibly high; the most common cancers being thyroid and leukaemia. Coming to the UK for a four week break increases their immunity against the awful disease by up to 3 years when they return home. Often these children are in remission. Sadly though there is a high chance of these children falling ill again. They all suffer living in such difficult conditions and with very little.
This project has grown in epic proportions, we started making for the Leeds group visiting, that was 14, we then expanded to include Portsmouth (35) then we shot up to 120, making blankets for various groups around the country!
Crafting Info updated for 2018!This year we look like we are aiming for approx 120 blankets in 2018, but this may change. It is a good place to start with!
- 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, especially as it is new to us in 2018!
- Squares to be single colour, multi colour, textured, whatever you like, they will be wonderful, thank you.
- If you’d like to make a whole blanket, please use these colours too, makes thing easier at the giving stage! Ideally make any whole blankets gender neutral is it is so much easier for us to know what we have coming when sorting kits. Whole blankets need to be 48 inches by 60 inches with some kind of border please.
If you need yarn donating to be able to take part, please message us.
POSTING IS TO THE TEDDINGTON ADDRESS PLEASE MESSAGE IF YOU NEED THIS.
The Palette
- Aspen
- Aster
- Bluebell
- Blush
- Boysenberry
- Bright pink
- Burgundy
- Candy floss
- Citron
- Claret
- Cloud blue
- Cypress
- Denim
- Duck egg
- Emperor
- Empire
- Fondant
- Fuchsia pink
- Grape
- Grass green
- Kelly green
- Lapis
- Lavender
- Lime
- Lincoln
- Lipstick
- Lobelia
- Magenta
- Meadow
- Mustard
- Pale Rose
- Parchment
- Petrol
- Pistachio
- Plum
- Pomegranate
- Raspberry
- Saffron
- Sage
- Sherbert
- Shrimp
- Spice
- Storm blue
- Teal
- Tomato
- Turquoise
- Violet
If anyone would like to donate funds to support this, we would be so grateful. Please PM us for the donation info. Thank you xx
Can anyone help with extras?
There are a few extras which we will be collecting too alongside squares, items which really help, if you would like to add in any of these we would love to
receive them for the children, thank you, bless you.
* Underwear aged 10 plus. Boys and girls. New only
* Adult size socks (one size fits all) new
* Toothbrushes, single packed please
* Hairbrushes
* Toiletries, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo etc, but not bars of soap please.
* Sanitary Towels
* Plasters, first aid items eg antiseptic wipes
* Vitamins, please check suitable for 10 years+
* Any little luxuries that teens might love, eg hair clips, make up bits, temporary tattoos, stickers etc.
If you would like to add 50p in when you post squares for ice creams that would be so kind, we will split any money we receive between the groups.
What a big ask! Good grief! But the fabulous Woolly Hug crew never fail to amaze, last year was an astonishing team effort, as the photo shows, we know that together we can do this. On behalf of these children and their families, a huge THANK YOU. Actually, thank you doesn’t really come close.
