Chemo Cap for Mom: Advice, Please

AZ_Dawn

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As some of you may know from the Prayer Request thread, my mom has cancer, and is starting chemo and radiation some time this month. I thought it would be nice if I were to loom knit a hat or two for her. The pattern is just a simple roll brim hat that can be whipped up during my science and nature tv night. It has very little advice, though, other than a warning that the hat isn't for extremely cold weather.

Could anyone give me any other advice for the hat? For instance, should I use the yarn they recommend? Should I knit it as a roll brim hat or garter stitch the bottom? Any advice would help.

Thanks!
 

Old Hack

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I'm making a lot of chemo hats right now, for a dear friend.

The only rule of chemo hats is that they have to be softer than you expect they need to be. Chemo heads can be very sore, especially when hair is in the falling-out stage as then it's painful (my friend told me just today that it's best to shave the hair off, and not let it fall out on its own, as that is less painful). So if you can, make it from very soft, fine yarn, smallest stitches you can do, and knit without seams. If you're knitting them make your cast-on very soft and loose: perhaps cast on using bigger needles than you'll work it with, to prevent the tension in the cast-on from pulling at all.

I'm sorry your mother is so ill. Sending love.
 

Fruitbat

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No advice on the knitting but just want to say it's so lovely that you're making her the cap, regardless of how the cap turns out, AZ (and Old Hack as well). I have a friend who's going through it now too and outside of the medical stuff, people showing they care is just everything. Hugs.
 
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AZ_Dawn

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Thanks for the advice and the well wishes, guys; both are appreciated.

Use very soft, preferably cotton or breathable microfiber yarn. Something made for babies should work.

Old Hack said:
The only rule of chemo hats is that they have to be softer than you expect they need to be.
So I'll need to modify my usual yarn-shopping technique of it doesn't make my hands itch so it's good enough, then.

Old Hack said:
So if you can, make it from very soft, fine yarn, smallest stitches you can do, and knit without seams.
Does that mean the loom that requires 2 strands of worsted weight yarn to make 2.5 stitches per inch is out of the question? I have a loom with much smaller pegs, but it's kind of a pain in my arthritic hands to use.

Old Hack said:
I'm sorry your mother is so ill. Sending love.

Fruitbat said:
No advice on the knitting but just want to say it's so lovely that you're making her the cap, regardless of how the cap turns out, AZ (and Old Hack as well). I have a friend who's going through it now too and outside of the medical stuff, people showing they care is just everything. Hugs.
Thank you very much. :) Mom's doing pretty good, considering the circumstances. Mostly she's just very tired.
 

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I just wanted to say how wonderful you are doing this! My husband has stage IV breast cancer and has also been through chemo/radiation/surgery, etc. something soft for the head is so lovely (and awesome of you too, Old Hack!!!!!) I am round needle sweater knitter and then only with lopi wool, so NOT a good source for info on this, but just wanted to say how terrific you are and of course, all the best wishes in the world for your mom!
 

muse

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Not sure about wool for a chemo hat. I know when I lost my hair during chemo I couldn't bear anything scratchy near my head.

Also, as Old Hack has said, your head gets very sore and tender before your hair falls out, so make sure the hat has a good stretch to it.

Thinking of you and your mum, AZ. (And your friend, Old Hack):Hug2:
 

dirtsider

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Perhaps the yarn used for baby blankets and the like? The only other thing I could think of is either alpaca or rabbit fur/wool yarn but that can be expensive. And the baby blanket yarn is probably acrylic so it can be more easily washed.
 

AZ_Dawn

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Thanks again, guys!

I did a little more yarn research and found the Knots of Love site. They have an approved yarn list that they've tested on actual cancer patients. Caron's Simply Soft and Lion's Homespun were on the list, so I bought a couple skeins of each. Unfortunately, we still have 90 degree temperatures here, and the highs won't go below the 80s for at least another 10 days. The only warm-weather yarn I have is Sugar 'n' Cream (yes, that was one of the recommended yarns). Maybe the silk and bamboo yarn; they had no suggested silk and bamboo yarn, but it's definitely softer than the Sugar 'n' Cream.
 

Old Hack

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Silk and bamboo yarn is gloriously soft! That would be perfect, I think.