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POMPOM, POMPON, POMPADOODLE – Have You Seen This Yarn?

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I saw skeins of this yarn (the higher end variety) at my LYS last month.   It’s very scrumptious, comes in divine (and more adult) colors, and is tempting – but, what to do with it??

Rico Designs Pompon Yarn

Rico Designs Pompon Yarn

There are less expensive varieties like Red Heart Pompadoodle and Hershnerrs’s Pompom Yarn.

Red Heart Pompadoodle Yarn

Red Heart Pompadoodle Yarn

Pompom Parade Yarn by Herrschners

Pompom Parade Yarn by Herrschners

The January/February 2010 issue of Crochet Today! Magazine has patterns for a hat and muffler using the RH version of this yarn.  They picture the finished items on a child.  They’re quite cute.  The two-tone pink used in this hat and muffler is a nice selection.

When using these yarns, the crocheter is urged to never pull a pompom (fur ball??) through a stitch, to crochet only on the approximately size 10 thread between the pompoms.  Sounds like a good plan but not sure I could pull it off.  I fear this yarn will disappear even faster than those eyelash and feather yarns.  A little bit goes a long way……

Comments

  4. I saw a picture of a stocking hat made with this in the last issue of Mary Maxim. Looked great. I’m going to try to knit one when I can find the yarn in stores.

  5. My mother made scarves for my daughter, niece and soon to be daughter-in-law for Christmas using this yarn…and the results are gorgeous! So gorgeous that she’s now going to make one for me and the mother of the bride-to-be….as soon as our local store gets more in stock!

  6. I made a poodle doll for my granddaughters and used the pompa doodle on the ends of the paws and around the neck. Use it also around the edge of beenie hats, stockings, mittens and scarfs. Use your imagination, my girls have even brought me orders from their friends.

  7. I love this yarn for scarves and baby blankets and it wasn’t that tricky trying to knit between the pompoms.

  9. I recently found this type of yarn, also and had NO idea how to deal with it.

    It’s more like the yarn in the first picture ,in lavender, being that the poms aren’t very big and seem to lay flatter once knit.

    My skein is from Jo-Ann “sensations- lovebug”.

    BTW- I never knitted in my life before, until maybe 2 or 3 weeks ago. I have completed a total of 4 hats, knitted in the round, only using a basic knit. One being a regular adult size (the first project ever), and the rest being smaller infant sizes- and now I’m working on a scarf with the lovebug yarn.

    It’s awesome!

    I’m going back for more of the lovebug yarn and can’t wait to see what more I can do with this stuff. I will be attempting whatever I can find. 🙂

    WOOHOO!

    FYI, only prefer the lovebug since the poms are not nearly as big as the Pompadoodle. The project pictures are super cute, but the size of the poms almost makes the brim of the hat look too big for a child’s head.

    When I start making a blanket, or something, I might look for the larger, pompadoodle. HOwever, I do like the mono colored yarn, and not the variegated color… so… we shall see!!

  10. I just bought the Lilac colored Lovebug yarn with the intent to make our new grand daughter a blanket…. So far not having much luck making it look like the sample they had in stores. The closest was with size 10 needles.

    Anybody got tips as to size of needle they used…

    Thanks!

  11. I’ve made several crocheted scarves with the red heart pompadoodle and was super excited when I found the sensations love bug yarn….. Until I tried to use it. The same stitching does not work with lovebug and no matter how small a hook I try, it curls and twists. I just want to make a baby blanket! Somebody help me or I’m stuck with 6 skeins of it.

  12. Kim,
    Sometimes it helps to carry along another strand to make one kind of yarn ‘behave’. Why not try carrying along a size 10 thread in a compatible color or the smallest thing you have on hand that will match or coordinate with the Lovebug yarn. Let us know if this works. That will save others a lot of hassle.
    jd

  15. I bought Sensations Lovebug yarn which is very much like this only smaller little balls. I have no idea how to knit this so that it looks like the sameple that I saw in JoAnn Fabrics store. I tried all different size needles, but the little pom pons are just all tangled and going in all directions – whereas, in the store, they were all laying side by side. Help!

  18. You can find several patterns online. I have seen it used to make hats, scarves, the cuffs of socks and mittens and blankets. When working with this yarn, you don’t pull the pompoms through your loops, you are just working with the lengths of yarn between the baubles.

  21. Does anyone know roughly how many stiches I need to cast on in order to make an adult size blanket. I know the baby one is 74 stitches.

    Furthermore, when I cast on am I using the 2 stiches in between the pom poms?? Or do I cast on using 1 stitch in between pompoms and knit 2 in between?

  23. Fiona-I know this is a really late response but I thought I’d offer some help anyway just in case you still want it! 🙂

    I am playing around with 110 sts for an adult blanket, we will see how that goes (if it’s too small, I will just use it as a throw anyway). I am using size 13 needles and only knitting one in between each pom (although sometimes I pull the poms through, it gives it a little less uniform look which I like).

    Hope that helps (if you’re still trying to make the blanket that is!)

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.