Olympics inspired chemo caps

I made 11 chemo caps to send down to St. Judes/Mercy oncology clinic.  I barely got them done so my sister could deliver before opening ceremonies. 

I used Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn in indigo, country red and white.  Each hat was done in crochet and mostly done in the double crochet stitch.  But each hat is different in the use of color.

Helpful Tip from Lion Brand - How do to the Russian join

I have never heard of this.  I think I have to learn how to do this.  I hate joining and weaving in the ends.

How to Russian Join Yarn in 7 Easy Steps

Posted: 19 Jun 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Hate weaving in ends? The Russian join is an excellent technique for attaching a new skein of yarn or for changing colors. Best of all, it creates a secure join, so you can keep crocheting or knitting without worrying about yarn ends! Here are instructions on how to complete the Russian join in 7 easy steps. I’ve used 2 different colors of yarn, but this is a great technique for attaching a new skein of the same color yarn, too!

1. Thread a blunt needle with one end of yarn.
2. Work the needle through the plies of your yarn for a few inches. Don’t worry if this looks bunched up now.
3. Pull your working yarn through, leaving a small loop at the end. This is where the second piece of yarn will be attached.
4. Thread your needle with the second piece of yarn, then insert the needle into the small loop you created before.
5. Pull a few inches of yarn through the small loop.
6. Like you did before, work the needle through the plies of your second piece of yarn.
7. Give each strand a little tug to smooth out the bunching. You now have a secure join! Trim off any excess ends.
That’s all there is to it! Depending on your yarn, you may notice that this joined area is slightly thicker than the rest of your yarn. I find this isn’t very noticeable when I’ve worked my projects, but it’s something to keep an eye on.

Crochet Flowers

I want to learn how to make these to add on to chemo caps.  Don't they look like fun!   Lion Brand® Bonbons GAUGE:  Exact gauge is not essential to this project. NOTES: 1.     Each flower is made from a long strip of shells. The strip is rolled into a spiral, then the lower edges are sewn together to form the base of the Flower. The upper edges form the petals. 2.     To change color, work last st of old color to last yarn over. Yarn over with new color and draw through all loops to complete st. Fasten off old color.

ONE-COLOR FLOWER With color of your choice, ch 17 (35, 53). Row 1: Dc in 5th ch from hook (first V-st made), *ch 1, skip next ch, (dc, ch 1, dc) in next ch (V-st made); rep from * across - 7 (16, 25) V-sts at the end of this row. Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), turn, 5 dc in ch-1 sp of first V-st (first shell made), *sc in next ch-1 sp (between V-sts), 6 dc in ch-1 sp of next V-st (shell made); rep from * across, working last shell in the turning ch-sp - 7 (16, 25) shells at the end of this row. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. TWO-COLOR FLOWER With first color of your choice, ch 17 (35, 53). Rows 1 and 2: Work Rows 1 and 2 of One-Color Flower, change color in last st of Row 2. Do not fasten off. Row 3: With new color, ch 1, turn, sc in each st across. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. FINISHING Thread yarn tail into blunt needle. Roll first shell tightly to form center bud; sew together with 2-3 sts. Roll remaining strip to form Flower, secure by sewing in and out through layers of foundation ch at lower edge of Flower. If you want to make your Flower a pin or a barrette, glue the Flower to a pin back or barrette back.

Helpful Tip from Lions Brand - How to Crochet over your Ends

How to Crochet Over Your Ends

May 23rd, 2012 by Jess

Tired of weaving in ends whenever you reach a new skein in your crochet project? Avoiding crochet colorwork project because there are too many ends? Try crocheting over your ends! This easy technique allows you to keep on crocheting so that the end you have to weave in is the very last one. Here’s how to do it.

You’ll have two pieces of yarn: the working yarn and the tail you’re weaving in (top image). Place the tail over the top of your next stitch (second image). Then, complete your stitch as normal (third image). This securely hides your tail in the middle of the stitch (bottom image). Continue in this manner until the entire tail has been used, then snip any excess yarn that may be sticking out. That’s all there is to it! This technique is helpful for both stripes and solids, so get crocheting!

Getting started

It's been a slow beginning but we are finally moving forward. Our group is now listed on the national Head Huggers website. We are going to target hospitals, clinics and doctors offices in the Central and Southern Missouri area.

My name is Teresa Krapes. I started crocheting about two years ago. I had only made some baby afghans years ago. I researched crocheting for charity and found the Head Huggers website. Using the patterns there, I made my first chemo caps. And I was hooked. Pun intended!

My first batch of hats was 37 that went to Newborns in Need and the Mercy oncology clinic in Springfield, Mo. My sister, Cheryl, makes the deliveries for Springfield.

She is the other part of "we" for this new group. She is going to try her hand at sewing turbin type caps.

Since that first batch, I have sent down several more batches. I like to do themes. Pumpkin hats for Halloween; cotton for summer; pink bats for October breast cancer awareness, etc.


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