Some chemo caps for my friend's sister

[crochetbug]

My friend's sister is undergoing some super gnarly treatments for cancer, but she has the most amazing spirit, and I have been trying to help my friend (we are 2600 miles apart) help her sister by making chemo caps.

Here is a blog post about this raspberry turban,



here is a post about this granny square hat:



here is a post about a silk chemo cap and another cap decorated with flowers,



and a post about my personal favorite: the cookie cloche.

[TGsDad]

I will admit to not having even looked at CrochetTalk for many many months. I did look today for a very specific reason and there was your post, Crochetbug. After a mammogram which came up negative on April 12th, my wife had breast cancer surgery (lumpectomy) less than a month later. Now she has infective breast cancer (less than 1% of breast cancers, but very aggressive.) She has had two weeks of Herceptin and will begin with the nasty stuff on July 24th. The expectations include total hair loss four days later.

I took her to Rainbow Gifts in Norway, MI (also an alpaca farm) where she was given (free) a chemo cap of her choice as a gift from their "Alpaca Love" program, that works with the Dickenson County Hospital in Iron Mountain. I was told (this would be something I would like comments on) that some people need chemo caps to wear at night because the pillow is otherwise uncomfortable. She (Mary Lynn) recommended a specific cotton yarn with a strand of elastic in it. She also talked me into a bamboo hook. I have always preferred Susan Bates hooks, but I bought it anyway. (The jury is still out on the bamboo.)

The chemo cap in my mind looks very much like your granny square hat, above. I hadn't thought of the granny squares for deco, but I'll consider it. I usually make hats from scratch w/o a pattern, but I like yours!

Anyway, thank you very much for the post.

[crochetsoup]

Very Nice hats Good Work

[libertylady64]

what a very lovely gesture and talent you are bringing to us!!!! what a gem you are!

[twinfaye]

I agree, but I would like to caution you that all people do not have the same effect and I would hate to have a patient that felt that they did something wrong that caused the cancer. I started my nursing career in the Bone Marrow Transplant Center in Vanderbilt and I know that people are helped every day by chemicals. I love the theory of organic foods making people win over cancer but I think the numbers would show that a lot more people are cured with meds than with organic food. I do love your scientific mind but you need to keep an open mind about other treatments like I need to do the same about organic foods. Deal???

[crochetsoup]

I withdrew my comment. Didn't think this was the place for it.

[DinahRoberts]

What a great gift from the Alpaca farm!! There are lots of good people in this world and I think it's time I dwell on the nice ones instead of moaning about the nasty ones. And, Crochetbug I just love your hats!! I am sure they will be much appreciated!

[crochetbug]

So sorry about your wife. My friend's sister has been wearing them pretty much since the day I sent the first bunch.

I used a baby yarn that was 25% nylon and 75% acrylic for the sleep caps. I also made one from Berrocco Comfort DK. I can send you a link to the pattern I used, as well as specifics of what I did to get the hats.

Here is a link to another chemo daywear hat (scroll down past the squic) that I made that my friend's sister particularly likes. I used Caron Simply soft for this one, and she seems to be tolerating it well, and in fact enjoys that hat. It is fashioned after a hat worn by the character Elle Wood (played by Reese Witherspoon) in the movie "Legally Blonde."

The character first wears the hat in a turning point in the movie when she needs to "get serious," and I kind of see chemotherapy as that "I'm so serious about outliving my cancer, I'm going to go bald."

I know alpaca is supposed to be hypo-allergenic, but I must be hyperarllergic, because even with a full head of hair it makes me itch -- not as bad as wool, but still itchy enough for me to notice

I have enough extra of the Caron Simply Soft bone, orchid, and white, that if you wanted them to make hats for your wife, I would be more than happy to forward it to you as I bought the specifically to make chemo caps. If that is something that would be helpful, just send me your address in a private message, and I will get that in the mail.

[TGsDad]

Thanks crochetbug. Just came in from working in the garden. Had to take a shower. Hope I left enough dirt in the garden for the veggies to grow. Your post is just fantastic; thank you so much. I will check the link and your other suggestions tomorrow. Have to make supper now. I have almost two weeks before she begins challenging our 13yr old lab for "who can lose the most hair in the least time." So I should have enough time to produce some sleep hats for both of us. I am going to shave off my hair when she loses hers; I've never had a bald spot, but then neither has she and we're both 75. I try to reserve 2-3 hours each evening for book writing. (I've been writing this one since December and I think I might be about half done - 140 pages, 98,000 words so far.)

[twinfaye]

You sound like the husband I should have had!! I love a man that will stick by his wife and to shave your head when she loses her hair is just a step that neither of my Exs would have considered. You are a great husband by my standards.