A couple of weeks ago, a very dear friend asked me to make her a pink chemo cap to replace the one she’d worn out. I was honored, of course, and went right to Hobby Lobby to grab a couple skeins of my favorite wearable cotton yarn, I Love This Cotton. I used the pattern for the Olivia Preemie Hat as a design base for this adult-sized beanie, and added a 5 Petal Tropical Flower as a finishing touch.
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BARB’S CHEMO CAP CROCHET PATTERN
Level: Easy
Size:
One Size Fist Most (Preteen – Adult Woman).
Hat measures 10” across the bottom of the band, and is 7.5” tall.
Materials:
- H hook (5.005mm)
- Yarn needle
- 140 yards of Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton (shown in “Pink” with a contrasting round in “White”)
- Stitch marker (a bobby pin works great)
Gauge:
Your first 3 rounds should measure 3.5″ across.
Abbreviations Used:
MC (magic circle) – view my tutorial here
ST/STS (stitch/stitches)
CH (chain)
SL ST (slip stitch)
SC (single crochet)
DC (double crochet)
SC+DC (single crochet and double crochet in same ST)
Notes:
(1) This pattern is written in American Standard terms.
(2) This hat is worked in a continuous spiral until the very end. Do not join, chain or turn until instructed. Use a stitch marker to mark the first stitch of each round.
(3) The information above is only for the hat. The pattern for the flower can be found here. For the flower, I used the same brand of yarn and a G hook.
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To begin:
Make a magic circle, CH1.
Round 1: 12 DC in MC (12)
Round 2: 2 DC in each ST around (24)
Round 3: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in next) around (36)
Round 4: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in each of the next 2 STS) around (48)
Rounds 5: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in each of the next 3 STS) around (60)
Round 6: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in each of the next 4 STS) around (72)
Rounds 7-19: SC+DC in first ST, SK next ST. (SC+DC in next ST, SK next ST) around. (72)
Round 20: SC+DC in first ST, SK next ST. (SC+DC in next ST, SK next ST) around until only 2 STS remain. SC in next ST, SL ST in next (last) ST. (72)
Round 21: CH1. SC in same ST and in each ST around. Join to the first SC with a SL ST. (72)
Change to contrasting color if desired.
Round 22: CH1. SC in same ST and in each ST around. Join to the first SC with a SL ST. (72)
Fasten off and weave in all ends. Add an optional flower for a little more fun! Click here to see the pattern I used.
Love it I can’t wait to make it. My friend ask me to make a lady she knows a chemo cap so this will be it ill just make it in different colors
Hi Rebecca, love your pattern and have made my 2nd “Barb’s chemo cap”, ran into same issue as the first. Was too short and had to add additional rows to lengthen it. Commenter Patti, in 2021, came across the issue as well so perhaps the written pattern should be corrected to reflect NO HDC stitches as currently written. See my comment on your pattern page/Ravelry. Thank you for your lovely patterns; I’ve used multiple several times and will continue to do so.
Hi Kathy,
What I do is use DC in the first 6 rows to make the crown big enough. Then I switch to HDC and SC for rows 7 -21 or so. It’s an easy pattern to memorize and I enjoy using it. Hope you do, too
Patti
Kathy, I do DC the first 6 rounds, then SC/DC for rows 7 on. Not hdc as I said earlier.
Thanks for the beautiful pattern! I’ve made several of these for cancer patients and also for the homeless. I just now noticed that the pattern says HDC for rows 3-6. Is that correct, or should it be DC?
I’m on row 7…. and it doesn’t look like the hat is going to start going down the head yet to form a hat!!
Did your cap turn into a cap after crocheting more rows?
I would like to make this for a dear friend of mine who just started treatment. I have a question about the starting “magic circle“. The pattern says to begin with the magic circle and then chain one. When I watched your YouTube video about making a magic circle it said that you may need to chain 2 first and then start your round of double crochets. But it depends on what your pattern says. Do I start with the chain 1 or 2 and then to 12 double crochets? Many thanks
Honestly it’s really not going to make that much of a difference. But as a rule, as I said in the video, you should always do what the pattern says in case there is a specific reason that the designer has thought of. In this case, the hat is worked seamless so chaining one helps to eliminate any gap caused when you jump up to begin the second round. 🙂
I do not have a website . My oldest daugjter my 1st born daughter has AML Leuikemia .
I literally just finished making this chemo cap and will give it to a co-worker who starts chemo this Monday. Thank you for the pattern. She’s going to love it.
I dont have access to Hobby Lobby.. what weight is the yarn? can i use a substitute brand?
Thanks for another great pattern Rebecca. I am just starting a crafty fellowship group tomorrow night and this is a perfect starting place for learners 🙂
I had C & P’d this in my word ( which I keep in my task bar) and for a nano second we lost power and poof it was gone……so I was so glad to see your post on my FB today so I could get it back. Do a lot of hats for patients.
Thanks for sharing with us
I love doing chemo caps for our cancer unit here in Reno. This pattern is going to be a joy to do. Thank you so much!
Anxious to start making the caps for the women suffering from cancer treatments.
Thank you so much. This will be a new version of a chemo cap and it is so pretty. I belong to HOOKED ON CROCHET OF JOHNSTOWN PA We are a volunteer group that make chemo caps lapghans and shawls for the Cancer Center at Memorial Medical Center. So the pattern is so nice. A big thank you again. Christine Blasko
I love the cap. Wold like to try to make it for my friend with cancer. I’m not an expert @ crochet. Only make simple things. Question is what other yarn may I use? Thank you
very sweet and appropriate ,as my daughter in law has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has had chemo and lost her hair.
I have friends that have Cancer and I would love to make them hats.
Thank you for this pattern! My mother in law has just been diagnosed with cancer and has asked for some headbands.
Thank you for sharing! I love it and it’s a great way to use up small amounts of soft yarn. I haven’t made any chemo caps in a while and wanted to get another bunch together for donating.
I think this pattern will be really useful and would be great for charity groups to raise funds. Thank you