My friend Nibal and her husband Drew are awesome people.
Drew is a minister in a very cool church in North Carolina and a group from there is making their second trip to Cuba to take supplies to 2 pediatric oncology units - one in Santiago de Cuba and one in Havana. Drew says that because of the embargo on supplies to the country - especially medical supplies - the chemo treatments that these children undergo cause them all to lose their hair. About 40% of these kids face cancers that would be treatable in the US but unfortunately in Cuba they either face amputation or death.
Some of the women in the group who visited the kids in the oncology units last year are knitting chemo caps to take to them this year . The project is being named for a young woman (only 35) in the church who passed away last summer after a long battle with breast cancer. Her name was Dianne Lehman so they're calling the project "Lids for Lehman."
It's fairly late notice but if any of you are interested, they are looking for a very simple roll brim soft hat. I'll put the pattern that was provided to me at the bottom of this. Feel free to substitute whatever you have on hand for the Berrocco Plush as long as it's soft and washable and really you could use any simple roll hat pattern that you like as long as you stick to the gauge for size purposes.
Now here's the challenge - the group is leaving at the end of the month and all hats must be in Nibal's hands by January 25th.
Email me or leave a comment here and I will send you the address to send the caps to. A big thank you in advance from Drew and Nibal and the group. I know there would be many appreciative kiddos.
xo
Brim Roll Hat
Materials:
US Size #10 circular needles (16”)
2 Balls of Borocco Plush in contrasting colors (or other soft yarn…two balls makes approx three hats)
One stitch marker
Tapestry needle
Gauge: 3.5 stitches to 1 inch
Pattern:
· Cast on 56 stitches in Main Color
· K 1 row and place stitch marker on needle
· Join and K in round until piece measures 2.5 inches
· Leave a tail of Main Color (MC) to weave in later
· Pick up CC (contrasting Contrasting Color) and K in round until piece measures 3.5” in all. This is the hatband stripe.
· Leave a tail of CC yarn to be woven in later. Pick up MC yarn
· Knit in round until piece measures 5” in all
· *K4, K2tog. Repeat from *, K2 to end
· *K4, K2tog. Repeat from*, K5 to end
· *K4, K2tog. Repeat from *, K4 to end
· *K4, K2tog. Repeat from *, K4 to end…leaves 29 stitches
· *K2, K2tog. Repeat from *, K1 to end
· *K2, K2tog. Repeat from *, K2 to end…leaves 17 stitches
Note: this last round can feel tight. Work it carefully, leave an 18” tail. Thread this onto the tapestry needle and slip all stitches onto the tail. Pull up and secure.
Posted by Angela at January 6, 2005 09:49 PM