Thursday, February 28, 2008

Patterns for knitted caps

Chemo Cap Knit Pattern
Pattern for Knit Chemo CapKnitted on Straight Needles Size #11 (8mm)Yarn: Use Yarn Bee (Airy) Takes approximately 50 yards.Gauge: 10 stitches = 4 ½ inchesGarter stitch – knit every rowK2tog – knit 2 stitches togetherInstructions:Cast on 40 sts on #11(8mm) needles.Bottom of hat should measure 18 ½ inches.Work in Garter Stitch for 5 1/2 inches. Row 1 *K8, K2tog* across row (36 sts)Row 2 Knit 1 rowRow 3 *K7, K2tog* across row (32sts)Row 4 Knit 1 rowRow 5 *K6, K2tog* across row (28 sts)Row 6 Knit 1 rowRow 7 *K5, K2tog* across row (24 sts)Row 8 Knit 1 rowRow 9 *K4, K2tog* across row (20 sts)Row 10 Knit 1 rowRow 11 *K3, K2tog* across row (16 sts)Row 12 Knit 1 rowRow 13 *K2, K2tog* across row (8 sts)Row 14 Knit 1 rowCut yarn leaving 20 inch tail. Run through remainingSts Making a circle and sew up seam. Weave in ends.

Crochet caps pattern

Joyce's Chemo Cap Project Directions for Crochet Pattern 11. ch 3, join with sl stitch to form ring. Ch1,6 sc in ring,(do not join.)place marker in last sc of each round.2. 2 sc in each sc. (12 sc)3. (1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) around.4. (1 sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc n next sc)around.(24 sc)5. (2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 3 sc) around.6. (1 sc in each of next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (35 sc)7. (2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 5 sc) around. (42sc)(You can place the marker at the end of this row and keep it there until you do a few more rows. That way, if the hat is too tight or too loose, you can rip back to the marker and either add or subtract stitches from round 8 to adjust the size of the hat.)8. 1(1 sc in each of next 6 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. (48 sc)9. (2 sc iin next sc, 1 sc in each of next 7 s) around. (54 sc)((If necessary to make the crown wide enough: (1 sc in each of the next 8 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around))10. Sl stitch into next sc, ch 1, sc in each stitch around, join with sl st to ch 1.11-23. Ch 1, sc in each sc around, join with sl st to ch1. (Try on your hat now and see if it's long enough for you. Add a row or two if it isn't long enough. Or take a row off it it's too long.)24. Ch 1, )1 sc in each of the next 8sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. Join with a sl st to ch 1. ((If you added a row after row 9, then so this instead: (2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 9 sc) around. Join with sl st to ch1.))24-27. Ch 1, sc in each sc around. Join with sl st to ch 1. Fasten off. (These last 4 rounds should curl up to make the Brim.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Joyce's Son Comments On the Cap's


Joyce's Chemo Cap Project

Letter sent to the Mayor of Allen, Texas
With all of the people you meet everyday you may or not remember me as a volunteer the past two years on the advisory board with Allen Animal Control, which by the way is a pleasure to do.

I wanted to let you know about a project that a group of Allen Senior Citizen members have been doing over the past six months, started because of my mother Joyce Schmitt. My mother who has gone to the center since it's opening was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and stage 3 lung cancer in April 2006. After spending several months searching for the right oncologists, getting second and third opinions, she started chemo this fall.
As I'm sure you are aware most Chemo patients loose their hair and because of additional treatments and a second round of chemo that she just completed Mom has not had hair for sometime.
The project I am speaking about of is called "Joyce's Chemo Cap's". a group of Mom's friend's at the center heard her complain about the caps bothering her at night when she slept and her head would get cold.. Out of that comment while having coffee at the center six months ago began a group of members that crochet or knit and have given away more than 1,500 caps to cancer patients, They have helped start groups in six other states. These caps which are by the way beautiful, are donated to hospitals and cancer centers in Collin County.

Friend inspires Cap Creation



Joyce's Chemo Cap Project


From an article in Neighborsgo section Dallas Morning News December 15, 2007
After finding out that their friend Joyce Schmitt was diagnosed with cancer, friends Jan Goble, Vivian Denbow and Lena Louter of Allen started the Chemo Cap Project. Joyce had mentioned to her friends that the caps she had to sleep in hurt her head. because of the seams. So, Jan, Vivian and Lena started looking for patterns on the Internet for Chemo Caps. The patterns they found suggested using yarns that were soft to the touch. Jan and Vivian bought yarn and started making Caps. They then asked Joyce to approve the yarn and make sure it was soft.
On August 2, 3007 the friends started making caps at the Allen Senior Center. Several others at the center joined the project. Because many of the women can crochet and knit, they gathered patterns.
Some members such as Lena focus mainly on making children's Chemo Caps. Lena has made more than 100 children's cap and sent them to the Scottish Rite Hospital and St. Jude''s Children's Hospital.
Since the group started, they have grown to more than 20 women who knit and crochet caps. Because members have shared news about the project with family and friends, the idea has spread and groups have formed in Florida, Georgia and Virginia.


They also are now working with the McKinney Cancer Center and the Plano Cancer Center to distribute adult caps. The only stipulation members had was that the caps be given to patients who could use them at no cost.


The group has recently renamed the Chemo Cap Project as "Joyce's Chemo Cap Project".


Without Joyce's friendship and understanding about the need for comfortable caps, her friends would not have known there was such a need. Because of all of the support received members are glad to donate the "caps" .

Seniors Create Caps for Cancer Patients

Joyce's Chemo Cap Project

Article appeared in the Dallas Morning News section Neighborsgo August 2007

Allen Senior Recreaion Center members Vivian Denbow, Jan Goble and Lena Louter recently became invovled with Chemo Caps, a group that donates their time by making caps for cancer patients.

They created the group after a mutual friend of theirs, Joyce Schmitt, was diagonsed with cancer. She remarked that the hats she had to sleep in hurt her head because of the seams. After hearing this Vivian searched the Internet for a pattern to make a more comfortable fitting cap. The site visited suggested using yarns that were soft to the touch. So Jan and Vivian went shopping for yarn and started knitting. Joyce having the final approval on whether the caps were soft enough.

Others at the center who were not able to knit or crochet began donating money or yarn for the project.

In August the group donated 30 Chemo Caps to the McKinney Cancer Center. It was a humbling experience. We met two cancer patients and they were so happe to see and feel the caps that both ladies immediately took off the hats that they had on and put on our Chemo Caps'

Joyce's Chemo Cap Project


The Chemo Cap Project was started by Jan Goble, Lena Louter and Vivian Denbow after a mutual friend Joyce Schmitt was diagnosed with cancer. Joyce said that the caps she had to sleep in hurt he head because of the seams. We found patterns on the Internet for Chemo Caps. The patterns suggested using yarns that were soft to the touch. Jan and I bought yarn and started making the caps. We asked Joyce to "approve the yarn" to make sure it was soft. We started knitting the caps at the Allen Senior Recreation Center on August 1, 2007. Several of our friends at the center have joined us in making the Chemo Caps. Since many of the women can crochet and knit we have patterns for both types of caps. The caps are great for sleeping or being out on the town. Our Allen group had grown and now we have over twenty women knitting and crocheting the Chemo Caps. Our project has been shared with family and friends and spread to Dallas, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Pennslyvania, Iowa and Virginia.
Some of the senior who can not make the caps have either donated money or yarn to the project.
We found several cancer centers in Collin County that wanted the caps. We are currently working with the McKinney Cancer Center and Plano Cancer Center to distribute adult caps. Our only stipulation was that the caps be given to patients that could use the caps at no cost. Lena's main focus had been on childresn's Chemo Caps. Lena has made over 100 plus children's caps and has sent them to St Jude's Children's Hospital and the Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas.
In October we proudly renamed our Chemo Cap Project "Joyce's Chemo Caps" because without her friendshp and understanding of the great need for Chemo Caps we would not have know there was a need.
With your support over 1,500 "Joyce's Chemo Caps" have been made and distributed to cancer facilities in Collin County, and across the United States. Since the need is so great we are currently looking at additional facilities where we can distribute our caps.
If you know anyone who would like to join our group and make Chemo Caps, please contact Jan or Vivian. also if you know of a person in need of a Chemo Cap, they may contact either one of the Cancer Centers that have been mentioned.
Thank you all so much for your continued support. Each and evey one of you had made a difference in someone's life for your committment to this project