Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

STITCH AND HOOK MARKERS – MAKE YOUR OWN EASILY

by

number-beads.jpg

 

alphabet-beads.jpg

http://www.beadsandsupplies.com/

coil-less-pins.jpg

My favorite mail order source for beads:

gold-alpha-beads.JPG

 

even has the alpha and number beads in costlier gold plate and silver plate for those among us who want to create some heirloom markers.

Typical stitch markers look like this:

stitch-markers-typical.jpg

www.fluffbuff.com

These stitch markers are fine – but you can’t really use them for hook markers. You have to create your own version of these. Some people use earring wires to create markers:

earring-stitch-markers.jpg

www.goodtobegirl.com

Again, these work fine for stitch markers – but they will also hold a bead to use as a hook marker too. A variety of types of earring wires is available. This type (spring back) will have the most secure hold.

Others use a bunch of different things for stitch markers:

safety pins with coils

bobby pins

paper clips

pieces of yarn

twist ties

plastic bread bag closures.

These all work fine, the paper clips and regular safety pins can snag yarn and bobby pins just don’t make sense to me, although they are commonly used so they must work. Seems like they could easily be dislodged. The little pieces of yarn work well – but cutting and tying them on makes me crazy! And twist ties – well they just belong in the kitchen IMO! Of course, they’re ‘free’ since we all get so many of them at the grocery store. And, those plastic bread bag tags just don’t seem secure to me at all, although they can be written on with a marker.

Thanks to one of my readers for pointing out that I hadn’t actually included the directions for making one’s own stitch markers. Sorry!  Here’s what I do:

Choose the size coil-free safety pin that I want – I use smaller ones for stitch markers and larger ones for hook markers.

Slide a number or alpha bead onto the safety pin.

Simple as that!  I’ll add that those small M&M plastic tubes are perfect for storing your markers in.   Of course, Altoid tins and other small containers work fine too, but I prefer the M&M tins because one can crochet a cute little cover for the tube to further personalize it.

So, be adventurous and make your own markers. They’re inexpensive and fun to make and allow you yet another area in which to express your individuality and creativity!

Comments

  1. Love your blog … great article on stitch markers … I’ve been thinking of doing just that because sometimes the ones I buy snag … but my question … what is a hook marker?

    Thanks!

    Pam

    HI PAM – thanks for the kind words about the blog.  I use hook markers to remind me which size hook I was using if I abandon a pattern (temporarily or longer) and need to take the hook away.  I own a BUNCH of hooks, but found that I would run out of G or H hooks because I would leave them with one of the many projects I was working on.  So, I decided to begin marking the project in some way to make it easier to return to it.  In addition to leaving a copy of the pattern with the project (always a good idea!), I try to make notes on the pattern as I often change the hook size.  So, having hook markers in my most commonly used sizes has been very helpful – and keeps me from spending more money on hooks I already own!

    jd

  2. Thanks for going a little further on how to make a stitch marker. I’ve never see the coiless pins. The idea on the use of a hook marker was awesome! I have the same problem. must have at lease 5 G and J hooks! I keep finding them at the bottom of my craft bag or purse! LOL!

    DENISE, glad I’m not the only one who does this.  I’ve lost a gazillion hooks.  Well, not so much lost as hiding in WIP’s.

    jd

  3. I never thought about hook markers, but boy, oh, boy does it ever make sense?!!!

    All my UFOs are made with different sizes, and, darned if I can remember which goes with which!

    This is a great idea – thanks!

    JACKIE,
    Glad to be of help. That’s what the blog is here for!
    jd

  4. Wow, that is a great tip for a way to remember which hook for which UFO. Some of my missing hooks are still in some UFOs, but some just plain disappear. I even blogged about the G or H Hook Gobbler, and you all might get a kick out of it…
    http://prayersncrafts.blogspot.com/2010/06/g-or-h-hook-gobbler.html

    Some of the comments were funnier than I expected. Enjoy, and thanks again!

    Evie, heading off to find some beads for using on her soon-to-be hook markers.

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.