Lumps on my skin that have come in patches. could this be hives?

Possibly: Hives or urticaria or raised, red and typically very itchy. They wax and wane (come and go) over minutes to hours and usually the skin returns to normal without leaving scars, bruises, etc. Deeper skin tissue swelling from an allergic reaction similar to hives is angioedema. This typically leads to lip, tongue or eye swelling. If the lumps don't itchy and not red, unlikely to be hives.