A knitted hug that started out as a gift for her son has proven to be a global success story for a mum from Royton. During the Covid-19 lockdown Claire Calverley-Smith and her whole family were shielding after being sadly diagnosed with a very rare type of blood cancer a few years ago.
Stuck indoors and unable to continue with her role as an assistant headteacher, she discovered a love of knitting. For Christmas 2020 her son Lance asked her to knit him a chunky knit cardigan to keep him warm in the winter months ahead.
And through 'love and lockdown' she created the 'Cuddlygan', an oversized chunky knit hoodie that weighs 3kg. The wearable weighted blanket, which has helped to ease wearers' tension and anxiety, went viral on social media after being shared by Lance.
