Crochet

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BLOGTEST #1 – WEEK 4

by

Fourth week of January, 2010.  Want to win a copy of this book?

crobots book 0409If so, please post an answer to this question, following the contest rules posted below:

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CROCHET TEACHER?  (YES, IT CAN BE YOU, YOURSELF!) Kindly post a link to a site if the your favorite crochet teacher has one.


RULES AND DISCLAIMERS:

This is how it will work.  Each Monday, I’ll pose a question on my blog.  Everyone who answers the questions will be entered in the drawing on the last day of that month.  Some ‘answers’ may require you to post a link to a specific pattern or site.  The winner will be announced along with the next first Monday’s question.  The winner will have 48 hours to contact me with mailing information.  If the winner doesn’t contact me, the prize will be offered on another occasion.

Right now, I have prizes for at least a year!  All good stuff.  I’ll post a description of each month’s prize on that first Monday’s blog article (with the question for the week).  I hope this makes sense.  Look at it as four (and sometimes five) opportunities to enter a prize winning answer each month.

I’m the sole determiner of the winner of each month’s contest.  The drawings will be random as each entrant have her/his name written on a piece of paper and entered into an old piece of Tupperware for the drawing.  Your chance(s) to win will be based on the number of entries each month.

Comments

  1. My favorite crochet teacher isn’t a person but a group. It is Crochet Partners because I can always find someone who does teach to help me if I have a question

  2. My favorite crochet teacher was my Grandmother, Grace. During my summer vacations I would visit her in North Carolina and she would keep me busy with arts and crafts. One day she was crocheting and I begged her to teach me. She had to think about it for a while because I’m left handed. I told her my hands didn’t know the difference so just teach me right handed. She did and I still crochet right handed. Gram Grace is no longer with us but everytime I start a project I think of her.

  3. My favorite teacher is time and practice. I have been finding that going back to an impossible pattern a few weeks later, suddenly makes the pattern possible. Is it me- or is it time? I also find that teaching others to crochet-to read a pattern, to take time, to frog-rip it rip it, to laugh at the mistakes I made, to enjoy the time crocheting makes it more fun for everyone. When it stops being fun for the person, I tell them to stop that project and to start something else for awhile. That the whole purpose of creating something is to enjoy the process. So time is my favorite crochet teacher.

  4. My favorite crochet teacher is actually YouTube. Whenever I’m not quite sure how to do something that I’m trying to do – particularly if the simple drawings in a crochet book don’t make sense – then I just do a search through YouTube. I can almost always find a video from someone out there that makes it clear!

  5. My favorite crochet teacher is my husband. As the youngest to 5 sisters, he learned to crochet from them as a teen. So, he taught me to crochet and I still go to him with questions. I love the personalized instruction from the person I love!

  6. My Aunt Barbara…she’s cranky and precise, which can be daunting. But, having learned from her as a child myself, I can’t deny that my tension and attention to detail (learned directly from her, and her making me tear it out, do it again, it’s not right!) has served me well over the many years since.

    I am way more of a relaxed, hippie kind of teacher, but I’ve never successfully taught anyone how to crochet. Aunt Babs has taught hundreds of people…nobody fails under her strict tutelage!

  7. My grandma! She taught me when I was really little. Now that she’s gone, youtube is a close second. I usually search for whatever it is I need to figure out, whether it was something new, or just a quick refresher 🙂

  8. My favourite crochet teacher is my Mother-in-Law who got me started and me, me, me. 😀 Well apart from when I get to see my MIL I am teaching myself via books and Youtube.

  10. My favorite crochet teacher is my Gran. She first taught me the craft when I was 16 – the summer I spent helping take care of her after a dog knocked her over and her hip and ankle were shattered. I enjoyed it, but didn’t really invest time into developing skills until after college when I was faced with evening time without homework! Now I consult my Gran about patterns, yarn choices and final products. No website for her though! 🙂

  11. My Grandma. I remember when I was in middle school my family went to our cabin over the wintertime. It was snowing like crazy outside. She sat down and taught me, my friend, my two step-brothers (one younger and one older)all to crochet that night. Trying to teach a bunch of tweens to crochet?!? I give her mad props on that. I eventually forgot but am in the process of relearning it again thanks to her :o) No website for her crocheting abilities. She is just an all-around great crafter!

  13. My favorite crochet teachers have always been books. I now belong to a couple of Internet sites that have people willing to help and always do.

  15. My favorite teacher was my mother. I learned with thread and steel needles. I had been crocheting several years before I started crocheting with yarn.

  17. My favorite crochet teacher was my Mom. She taught me when I was 8 years old while home with a sprained ankle in a cast. I learned with crochet thread and a tiny metal hook! I always had something to do growing up. I remember as a child, then teenager, having tons of commisioned work to do.

  19. The internet in general… everything I know about crocheting I learned by googling and surfing the web. :3

  20. My favorite teacher would have to be my mother. She taught me just a few years ago – with lots of patience. Now, I’ve done things that she’s never attempted, but she’s the one that inspired me.

  21. My grandma is the best teacher ever. She spent many volunteer hours at the local elementary school teaching kids to crochet. Of course, she taught me too!

  22. My favorite crochet teacher was the one who taught me when I was only 10 or 11 years old. She stayed with our family and was mostly blind. She would hold her hands over mine and gently manuever them to do the stitches. She crocheted from memory and always made the same afghan pattern over and over. She would tell my mom which colors of yarn to buy and then when she was ready to switch colors she would ask us for help. I think of her everytime I am crocheting.

  23. I am a self taught crocheter. My grandmother started me off with the basic chain stitch. But I learn a lot today from books. Jean Leinhauser is one of my favorites.

  24. maggie righetti! I read her book, crocheting in plain english, and it’ll be the only teaching I’ll ever need!

  25. I want to have something I can look at and go back to when I am stumped, so my favorite crochet teacher are books. I love looking at on-line sites, but for actually doing it, I want that book right there beside me.

  26. I taught myself to crochet when my daughter was born in 1990. I saw some really cute crocheted toys in a magazine that I just had to make for her. Through trial and error (heavy on the error) I learned. I credit it much of it to a Reader’s Digest Needlework book that my inlaws gave me. That book and my own determination and desire to have cute, safe toys for my daughter would be my best teacher.

  27. When I was a kid, my mom taught me how to crochet and I picked up easily. Over the years, I had forgotten how to do it but have recently started teaching myself with books and the net. My mom is still my favorite teacher though.

  28. My favorite crochet teacher is my very best friend Sue. She is still teaching me how to crochet as I’m alittle slow at it, but getting there. Sue is very patient with me. If I get stuck on a pattern, I call her & she is always very keen to help me. Bless her.

Have you read?

Make To Donate: Crochet Chemo Cap Patterns

There are some crochet projects that are lovely to make, and then there are the ones that feel like they have a little more purpose stitched into them. Chemo caps definitely fall into that second category.

A handmade crochet chemo cap can provide warmth, privacy and comfort to someone experiencing treatment-related hair loss, but this is one charity crochet project where the yarn and pattern really do matter. A beautiful hat made with scratchy yarn or an open lace stitch may look lovely sitting on your craft table but be completely wrong for a sensitive scalp.

If you are new to making handmade donations, our broader Make To Donate crochet pattern collection is a useful place to start. 20 Crochet Patterns Perfect for Donating to Charities You can also read our guide to crocheting for a cause before choosing an organisation to support. Crochet for a Cause: Using Your Skills to Make a Difference

Before you start crocheting, contact your chosen cancer centre or organisation and check its current requirements.

Crochet for Cancer asks that donated caps are new, clean and free from perfume, smoke and pet hair. They recommend soft cotton, acrylic, silk, fleece or blends and specifically advise against wool and alpaca because they may irritate sensitive scalps. They also recommend close stitches without large gaps. Knots of Love similarly asks makers to avoid lacy or see-through designs and maintains its own approved yarn list.

In other words, this is not the project for that mystery skein of scratchy wool you bought on clearance twelve years ago and have been trying to justify ever since.

Crochet Chemo Cap Patterns to Make and Donate

1. Simple Crochet Chemo Cap

Get the Simple Crochet Chemo Cap free pattern

This is a very practical place to start. The pattern was specifically designed as a chemo cap and comes in sizes from children through adult extra large.

It uses a cotton and rayon blend and combines half double crochet with subtle ridged sections, giving the hat some texture without creating big open spaces. I particularly like having several sizes in one pattern because cancer treatment affects people of every age.

2. Canadia Chemo Cap

Get the Canadia Hat free crochet pattern

The Canadia Hat from Banana Moon Studio was designed specifically with chemo care in mind. It uses a light worsted yarn and linked stitches that help create a fairly solid fabric without making the hat stiff.

The pattern includes a range of sizes and the free version is available directly on the designer’s website.

3. Lily of the Valley Chemo Cap

Get the Lily of the Valley Chemo Cap pattern

If you would like something a little prettier without wandering into overly open lace territory, this floral-textured chemo cap is a lovely option.

It was created for the Crochet Cancer Challenge and is designed using soft lightweight yarn for comfortable wear. It has enough detail to feel special while still being intended specifically for cancer patients and donation programs.

4. Velvet Ridge Chemo Cap in Four Sizes

Get the free Velvet Ridge Chemo Cap pattern

This newer chemo cap pattern includes four sizes from approximately age five through adult XL.

It uses plush chenille-style yarn and has a simple ridged band for a little visual detail. The designer also suggests checking with your local cancer centre before making donation caps, which is advice I wish every charity pattern included.

5. Soft Heart Chemo Hat

Get the Soft Heart Chemo Hat free crochet pattern

The Soft Heart Beanie was created for the 2025 Crochet Cancer Challenge and comes in six sizes, from preemie through adult.

The design is seamless, soft and designed to work up relatively quickly, making it a particularly useful pattern if your crochet group is planning to make multiple hats.

6. Diane Beanie Chemo Cap

Get the Diane Beanie free crochet pattern

The Diane Beanie is a simple top-down design made primarily with single crochet and finished with a back-loop ribbed brim.

The result is a fairly dense fabric, which is exactly what we want for a chemo cap. The pattern includes teen/small adult and large adult sizing.

7. Textured Stripes Chemo Cap

Get the Textured Stripes Chemo Cap free pattern

I like this one for anyone who gets bored making completely plain hats.

The texture gives the cap a little personality, but the designer has kept the inside comfortable and smooth. It was created specifically for cancer-hat donation projects, so it fits our Make To Donate theme beautifully.

8. Elixir Chemo Cap

Get the Elixir Chemo Cap free crochet pattern

The Elixir is another pattern created specifically for charity donation and cancer awareness.

It includes three sizes and was designed to be lightweight, breathable and gentle. You can also choose a yarn colour associated with a particular cancer awareness cause if you are making hats for a specific fundraising or support event.

9. Cancer Ribbon Crochet Beanie

Get the free Cancer Ribbon Beanie pattern

This one makes the symbolism quite literal, with an awareness ribbon worked into the hat design.

The pattern comes in toddler, child and adult sizes and uses front-post colourwork to create the ribbon motif.

For actual chemo use, I would pay particular attention to the yarn choice and inside texture. For awareness events, fundraising or support gifts, though, the ribbon detail is especially meaningful.

10. Hopeful Butterfly Chemo Hat

Get the Hopeful Butterfly Hat free pattern

This hat was originally created as a chemo cap and incorporates awareness-inspired detailing along with butterfly symbolism.

It is a lovely choice when you want something that looks less like a basic medical head covering and more like a thoughtfully designed handmade accessory.

11. Summer Chemo Cap With Sun Hat Brim

Get the Summer Chemo Cap free crochet pattern

Most chemo-cap collections lean heavily towards cold-weather beanies, so I was pleased to find this summer option.

It combines a lightweight cap with a small sun-hat-style brim and was designed specifically for people undergoing treatment or experiencing sensitive scalps.

It is also a good reminder that people undergoing cancer treatment may need comfortable head coverings all year round, not just when the temperature drops.

12. Consuelo Beanie

Get the Consuelo Beanie free crochet pattern

The Consuelo Beanie was created for the Crochet Cancer Challenge and the complete crochet pattern remains available free on the designer’s blog.

It is beginner-friendly and was designed specifically as a hat suitable for donating to someone living with cancer.

13. Linda’s Easy Chemo Cap

Get Linda’s Easy Chemo Cap pattern

This is an older pattern, but still a useful one to keep bookmarked.

The adult-small version remains available as a free download, and the design was created specifically for makers pledging to donate a hat to a cancer patient or treatment centre.

14. Just Chenille Chemo Cap

Get the Just Chenille Chemo Cap free pattern

If the receiving organisation accepts chenille yarn, this plush option is worth considering.

The free pattern includes three adult sizes from XS through XL and uses soft chenille yarn to produce a warm, velvety cap. As always, check the charity’s yarn list first because individual cancer centres may have different requirements.

15. Kim’s Chemo Hat Crochet Pattern

See Kim’s Chemo Hat crochet pattern on Etsy

For our paid Etsy option, Kim’s Beanie from ThroughTheLoopYC was originally designed for the Crochet Cancer Challenge.

The PDF includes child, adult small and adult large sizing plus a photo stitch tutorial. It is labelled as an easy to advanced-beginner pattern and was designed specifically as a soft, comfortable chemo cap.

Choosing Yarn for Crochet Chemo Caps

This is one area where I would choose yarn for the recipient rather than because I happen to love the colour.

A yarn that feels perfectly comfortable against your hand may feel completely different against a scalp made sensitive by chemotherapy.

Look for soft, smooth and washable fibres and avoid heavily textured, scratchy or hairy yarn unless the receiving organisation has specifically approved it.

Knots of Love actually maintains a required yarn list for its own donations, which is a good reminder that there isn’t one universal “best chemo-cap yarn.”

If you’re buying yarn specifically for charity projects rather than raiding the stash, I would choose practical washable colours and yarn you can reliably buy again. Nobody needs to discover halfway through a 20-hat charity project that the beautiful bargain yarn was discontinued in 2009.

What Makes a Good Crochet Chemo Cap?

For most donation programs, think:

soft rather than scratchy

close stitches rather than open lace

comfortable seams

good scalp coverage

washable yarn

no heavy embellishments unless the charity specifically allows them

a useful range of sizes

And always make the hat to the requirements of the organisation receiving it.

For more general hat donations, you can also browse our 10 crochet beanie patterns to make and donate. See the charity crochet beanie roundup

CraftBits also has a free vintage child’s crochet beanie pattern that can be useful for general children’s winter charity projects. Free Vintage Crochet Child’s Beanie Pattern on CraftBits For cancer-care donations, however, I would only use it after checking the yarn, fit and stitch coverage against the receiving organisation’s chemo-cap requirements.

There is something quietly powerful about making a chemo cap for someone you may never meet. It is not going to change their diagnosis or make treatment easier, but it can make one cold waiting room, one difficult morning or one vulnerable moment a little more comfortable.

Sometimes a ball of yarn really can become something much bigger than we expected.