Chemo Caps

You might or might not be able to tell this from the singular picture of myself I posted there a while back but I am an incredibly short person.  (I don't know maybe you thought that both Josh and my average looking car were quite large).

My camera is getting repaired soon, I promise.

As part of this genetic shortness I don't weigh very much.  Normally this is pretty awesome.  I'm a size zero with out actually trying! (of course I have to get the pants hemmed in five inches afterwards). However, the requirement for Red Cross is a measly 110 pounds to donate, but I'm a whopping 30 pounds short so I will never be able to give blood.*

Although I think that the desire I have to donate is largely because I am unable to do so it is always disappointing to me when I see that sign up sheet and I have to slide it on by.

Perhaps as a compensation I always tried to donate other things (particularly when it means very little effort on my part).  I usually have long brown hair and about every four years I chop it off to send it to locks for love

Which brings me to the chemo caps I've started crocheting on my weekends.  I've done two and three quarters hats so far in the two weeks I've done it and it's super easy.  It only took a few hours each and I watched old cartoons and Star Trek (the next generation) the entire time.

Crocheting is something that I really enjoy and I've been doing it since I was little. 

Red is my favorite color, so I just love these accents

The grey one here is this surface braid pattern by laughing willow, featuring the camel stitch, which is a fancy variation of the half double crochet. I really love this stitch because it works up much thicker and springier than the typical crochet, and the hat I made myself is super warm.

The green and brown hat is the fishnet beanie by playing hooky designs.  I originally bought the pattern to make my brother a Christmas present year before last (red and black) but it's come back into so many uses (four hats= so many uses).  I really like how the brighter yarn looks like it's shining through the darker outer layer.  And I particularly like how the example hat on the site looks a little steam punk.

The pattern is also really well written so if you like anything from hooky designs I highly recommend it. 

Since all that I'm using for these projects are the left over yarn stashed in my closet the green yarn was something of a devil to deal with.  Last time I had used the green yarn I was foolish enough to pull from the inside so about a hundred feet from the end the entire thing imploded into a nasty mess that I had to unravel.

The dark blue hat is the elegant hat from Caron.  So far I have to say that I really just don't like it. The pattern works up really stiff and it expands in odd almost nonsensical places.  I actually started it before the fishnet beanie and I had to put it aside as it was starting to wear on me.

I'm disproportionately sad that I lost my red hook

One thing the pattern has taught me is that you can use a small piece of contrasting yarn to mark the beginning of your rows.  That may seem blatantly obvious but my mind was blown!

This is where I plan on sending the hats once I get enough scratch for postage.  The site looks pretty legitimate to me, but if you of you know someplace better let me know in the comments.



*When people find out my weight a surprising amount of them want to try picking me up. **

** Sometimes I let them, but it's always awkward.