Think Pink!

Hillcreek Yarn Shoppe will participate in "Passionately Pink for a Cure" in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness month on Friday, October 6th. Donate $5 before the 6th and get a pink crochet ribbon pin to wear. Your donation will be sent on to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Join us in wearing pink on the 6th in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Shoppe is accepting donations of hand made pink women's garments (knitted, crocheted, woven, etc.) to be passed on to cancer patients in area hospitals. To help you with your projects, we offer a selection of yarns suitable for knitted chemo caps. We recommend either Berroco Chinchilla (the prefered yarn for Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital) or Real Fur. Chinchilla is on sale for $6/skein with a limited supply of bright pink available at $5/skein. Real Fur is half off its regular price of $8/skein in a variety of colors including "Pink Elephant" and "Easter Bunny."

Don't have a knitting pattern for chemo caps? We can help! Just print off the easy pattern below. If you run into trouble with your hat, be sure to drop by the Shoppe for some help. If you've never knit in the round and would like to learn, sign up for our Play Day class on September 30th. We'll show you just how easy it is to use this fun technique that allows you to avoid purl rows and seams in hats, mittens, sweaters, and more. Bex is also offering a class in Continental Knitting Basics on September 2nd. If you haven't learned to knit yet, a chemo cap is a great first project. Let us teach you how.


Chemo Cap Pattern

With Chinchilla or Real Fur yarn and #9 circular or double-point needles, cast on 60 sts. Work back and forth in garter stitch for 8 rows. For garter stitch, you knit both the front (right) side rows and the back (wrong) side rows. This is a purl-free pattern! When you've finished the 8th row, you'll have a hat band of four garter ridges.

Join to form a ring and knit in the round until the piece measures 8 inches from the cast on edge. Now it's time to start decreasing to form the top of your hat.

Row 1: *K8 K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 54 sts remain.
Rows 2-5: Knit plain.
Row 6: *K1 K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 36 sts remain.
Rows 7 and 8: Knit plain.
Row 9: *K1 K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 24 sts remain.
Row 10: Knit plain. Row 11: *K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 12 sts remain. Row 12: *K2TOG* repeat to end of round. 6 sts remain.

K8 = knit eight stitches
K1 = knit one stitch
K2TOG = knit two stitches together (decrease one stitch)

Pull the yarn end through the remaining six stitches and weave in. Sew the short seam in the hat brim and weave in ends. Ta-Da! This pattern produces a more rounded (less missle-shapped) top than some of the other chemo cap patterns you find on the internet.

Remember to Think Pink!

Posted for Bex by Kirsten