Issue 8 Winter 2013: Comfort and Holiday Crochet

Issue 8 Winter 2013 brings together a Project Chemo Crochet blanket, holiday cowls and Christmas afghans in one seasonal set. You will see how each project fits charity giving, evening stitching and holiday decorating, and how charity patterns and coping ideas support the work.

What does the chemo blanket ask of you?

You start with the person who will use the blanket during treatment and recovery. The National Cancer Institute explains that having cancer changes your life and the lives of those around you, and that symptoms and side effects can cause physical changes while also affecting the way you feel and how you live. A blanket made for that time sits close to the skin, stays on a lap through long appointments and waits on a couch at home. You can plan a size that covers shoulders without dragging on the floor, a fabric that drapes without gaps and an edge that stays flat when it is washed. You think about color in daylight rather than under shop lights, because the blanket will live in bedrooms and family rooms. You keep the stitch pattern readable so your hands can continue without constant counting when you are tired.

Why does comfort stitching fit charity giving?

You give time when you make a blanket that another person will hold during a hard season. The coping pages describe adjusting to cancer as a change that touches you and your family, and they point to talking about those changes and taking small actions to adjust to a new way of life. A handmade blanket cannot change treatment, but it can mark that someone noticed the change. If you already make charity crochet through the year, you can place this winter blanket in that rhythm and finish it before the holidays. You label the fiber content, wash it once before giving, and keep the texture soft rather than heavily raised. You leave room in your schedule for a second wash and flat drying so the blanket arrives settled and ready to use.

Which cowls suit holiday evenings?

You can use holiday cowls to practice pattern reading in short sessions. A cowl uses a small amount of yarn, works up in rounds or rows and lets you check fit around the neck as you go. You read the first rows carefully, mark the start of the round, and count stitches before the fabric grows too long to fix easily. You test how a shell, a rib or a plain double crochet fabric pulls in over a coat collar. You try the cowl with the coat you will actually wear, because a collar changes the way the top edge sits. You finish one cowl before you start the next, so each version teaches you something about height, width and drape. You keep notes on hook size and row count while the details are fresh.

How do Christmas afghans shape a room?

You can plan a Christmas afghan as a background for the season rather than a single decoration. A throw across a sofa, a folded layer at the foot of a bed or a square spread for a reading chair changes how a room feels in December. You choose a stitch that looks clear from across the room and still feels smooth to the hand. You can compare construction ideas with free crochet hat patterns that show how yarn choice and sizing change fit and coverage. You block a small swatch first and measure it after it dries, because holiday yarns can relax or tighten once washed. You join motifs with a flat seam so the afghan folds neatly over an arm. You weave in ends as you go so the back stays clean when guests turn the edge.

How do you choose the right yarn and pattern?

You match yarn to use before you match yarn to color. The Knots of Love patterns page includes a section called Choosing The Right Yarn and Patterns and a section called Head Sizes, which helps you think about fit before you begin. The page offers Free Crochet Patterns as downloads and Free Knit Patterns as downloads, including a crochet bucket hat pattern and a knit bucket hat pattern, plus NICU Blanket Patterns, PICC Line Bandage Cover Patterns, Headband Patterns, Flower Patterns and a Heart Pattern. If you need trustworthy free projects to try, you can use those categories to separate hat shaping from flat blanket construction and small accessories. The Free Patterns page does not publish gauge numbers for those downloads. You read the pattern notes first, check whether the download uses knit or crochet terms, and confirm language options, since the page also lists Free Patterns in Spanish and Patterns in Italian.

What helps when cancer changes daily life?

You can keep the human side of the season in view while you stitch. The National Cancer Institute groups coping help under mental health, living with cancer and patient and family support. Under mental health it names emotions and cancer, including anger, fear, stress and depression, plus self-image and sexuality and the link between stress and cancer. Under living with cancer it names adjusting to cancer, daily life after a life-changing event, survivorship, support groups and late effects of treatment. Under patient and family support it names questions to ask your doctor, support for caregivers and follow-up medical care with a follow-up care plan. You can read those headings slowly and notice which one matches your household right now. You can talk with family about schedule changes, rest and visits. You can look for a support group by type and benefit and ask where to find one near you.

Knots of Love in brief

Knots of Love is the group behind the Free Patterns page called Free Knit and Crochet Hat Patterns. The page holds free crochet downloads and free knit downloads, NICU blanket patterns, headband patterns, PICC line bandage cover patterns, flower patterns and a heart pattern, with Spanish and Italian options. The page also holds a Get Involved section, a Charity Shop section with beanie kits and a Mystery Yarn Grab Bag, and a note that donations are 100 percent tax-deductible. Pick one pattern category now and read its notes before you cast on.