Crochet Cancer Challenge

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Mark Your Calendars! Grab Your STASH!

The Crochet Cancer Challenge is almost here….

October is Cancer Awareness Month and I am excited to host the annual Crochet Cancer Challenge. This challenge is going on its 7th year and has been growing each year. It is always great to see the crochet community team up to make a difference.

Crochet Cancer Challenge

  Each year the challenge is essentially the same with some small changes. The goal is always the same:

We (all the designers participating) are calling all crocheters to pledge to crochet as many hats as possible. Crochet the hats from our newly released limited time FREE patterns that we are offering in exchange for your donation of that hat to a cancer patient or cancer center near you. This will reach so many corners around the world and will touch so many people during a very challenging time in their lives. Help us all make a difference, one hat at a time.

Sound Fun and Want More Details? 

Unfortunately, most of us have all been affected by cancer in some way. It is difficult to see someone go through cancer and/or chemotherapy. But with the support of their community and kindness of others will make the battle slightly less daunting.   The Crochet Cancer Challenge was started to honor of my Uncle Jeff, who lost his battle in September of 2014.

Crochet Cancer Challenge

How does the Crochet Cancer Challenge work?

It is pretty simple and straight forward. I am asking all of you crocheters out there, to help make hats for cancer patients and cancer survivors. The hats can be crocheted for just about anyone:

  • someone you know,
  • someone your friends know,
  • a co-worker,
  • teacher,
  • neighbor,
  • or a complete stranger.

You can make one hat or as many hats as you can and donate them to your local cancer center.

How long does the crochet cancer challenge last?

October

The challenge will begin October 1 and run through October 31. Each day of the month (with the exception on Sundays) there will be a featured designer who will offer a FREE hat pattern in exchange for your pledge to make a hat to donate. We ask that all hats should be made and donated by the end of the year. But, if it takes a little longer, that is okay. Just keep working on them.

Stay tuned and Share your Work

I will be posting the daily hats on Instagram, Facebook and in my Facebook Group. Please follow each of these to stay up to date. AND I ask that you share your work by using the Hashtag #CrochetCancerChallenge in your posts! Call out your friends to join, it not only helps us pledge more hats, but makes it more fun and personal.

Informational Links for the Cancer Challenge

  • What type of hat should I make? What Sizes? Where do I get the patterns? Click HERE.
  • Yarn Recommendations to use for the hats, click HERE.
  • Where should I donate my hats, click HERE.
  • A fun start early project you can add to your hats, click HERE.
  • Challenge others to join and more fun information, click HERE.

This Post Has 44 Comments

  1. Tanya Mullis

    So excited! This will be my 3rd year participating.

  2. Brenda Duncan

    I just dropped off 200 hats to my local cancer center along with some lapghans. Love doing this!
    Brenda

  3. Joanne M Passmore

    What a great thing to do for others.

  4. Dennise

    Thank you for doing this! I am 2 treatments away from completing my chemo journey. Its been a rough 9 months but have little handmade items from my Cacre Care Center when I was too weak to make my own was wonderful and I am so eager to hop into this challenge!

  5. Dawn

    I have been blessed with a free chemo cap pattern from Audrey Friesen and want to pay it forward so count me in! Nice to meet you Christine and thank you!

    1. sandra baigrie

      I would love a copy of this pattern.

  6. Sue Fitzgibbon

    This is a wonderful idea. I just lost my 37 year old son to cancer in July.

  7. Diana P

    Hi Christine! Thank you for doing this again this year. I am part of a church group who knits and crochets for various charities. Our cancer group we have chosen this year is Tenaciously Teal. Looking forward to your cancer challenge!

  8. Linda Roberts

    I await the challenge, and opportunity to give back. My mom did not survive cancer.

  9. Angela Connors

    I am anxious to receive more information regarding this challenge. I live in Las Vegas, NV and if you know of a place where I can donate my hats, please let me know. Thank you.

  10. T W

    As of right now I have 91 hats ready to donate and 5 lapghans. This will be my 4th year participating in this amazing event. I always have fun making all these hats and seeing everyone elses hat. Helping encourage each other and giving back in our community to let others k ow they are loved and not alone. FIGHT STRONG!

  11. Cindy

    Looking forward to doing this.

  12. Marie Bolduc

    Hello: My name is Marie and I am a 16 1/2 yr Cancer survivor. This is my first time looking at your information and I will be passing it along to alot of my friends. I am currently working on preemie hats and blankets for a NICU in Missouri, where my nieces and nephew were born. Thank you for doing this and I hope to be a part of this fantastic group for a long time.

  13. Tonya Naylor

    First time doing this and I’m excited! Don’t have a cancer place here. Need address to send them to.

  14. Carrie

    I’m so excited for this. I think I look forward to this as much as I do Christmas
    I have done the challenge since it started
    I can’t wait to begin

  15. Debra Beckrich

    I have several relatives who have died of cancer and look forward to helping out. Can you send to a specific place in your own location? I live in St. Cloud, MN

    1. SweetPotato3

      Yes, I recommend the hats go local <3

  16. Scarlet Thompson

    This will be my second year to do this. Lost my Mom to lung cancer 4 years ago, have had other family members who have had cancer and I myself have undergone a double mastectomy due to breast cancer 3 years ado. Am only happy to be able to do this to help others.

  17. Eileen

    Look forward to this yearly! Thank you so much for doing this!
    Eileen

  18. Emma

    I’m just about to start my chemotherapy treatment. So I can crochet along and donate to the unit I will be attending. I will get to see them been used.

  19. Angela

    I cannot wait to join this. I will be crocheting in memory of my 8yo sweet boy who we lost 3 years ago to brain cancer. I can no longer make him fun hats so this will revive my fall hat making in memory of him. Thank you for doing this challenge.

  20. Michelle Lupo

    I pledge to do my very best to try and make 31 hats. I was just diagnosed with cancer last week and I hope I will feel well enough during treatment to keep crocheting.

  21. Nikki

    I’m in! I have been wanting to do this but never made the time. I lost my dad to cancer this June, so anything I can do now to help patients, I’m all in!

  22. Daphne Robinson

    This is great! I’m already committed to making things for other orgs, but I will definitely share this!

  23. Sue

    This is such a wonderful cause and anything I have donated in the past is so very much appreciated. I am so glad to help brighten someone’s day.

  24. Dionne

    This sounds like a great movement, thank you so much for doing this! I wonder if you can assist with finding local charities in Canada for donations? I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, and I would love to participate. Thanks in advance!

  25. Brenda Chastain

    Love what you are doing. I would love to crochet hats for those that needs the hats.

  26. Hawa

    I am ready to join

  27. Angel

    Hi, a group of friends and myself are from Singapore, and would love to take part in it too, where shall we send to? Thank you.

  28. Kat

    This is amazing! My husband was diagnosed with stage four cancer earlier this year. His cancer is one of the most aggressive and hard to treat types. It is terminal. It’s been very hard for us. I’m really excited to give back to the cancer center that has given us so much.

  29. Pamela Moore

    I am into my third yr of treatment of cancer. I crochet all the time and love to donate as well…Thank you and keep up the great work.

  30. Tracy

    I lost my best friend to cancer 7 years ago. My father has also been battling bladder cancer. Starting the emerald green one right now.

  31. Diane

    My prayer shawl ministry just completed a bunch of chemo hats that I will be donating to the Dyson Center near my home. Will send count once I have that. How do I get the free hats patterns?

    1. SweetPotato3

      I will be doing weekly posts here on my blog. So, you can check back or sign up for the newsletter. I will also be posting them daily on facebook 🙂

  32. Mirna Carcach

    Muy Feliz de poder ayudar?

  33. Martha Robertson

    I’m late getting started, and have missed some of the hats already, sigh.

    1. SweetPotato3

      no worries, there will be many more amazing designs through the rest of October.

  34. Nadine Z

    I spent most of 2017, all of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 making hats for my Mom while she was going through chemo and radiation treatments, losing her hair again and again. She passed away at the end of June. I’m still having a hard time coming to grips with it all. I don’t know how many times I’ve picked up the phone to call her and realize she’s not there any more. I miss her so much. I’m happy that she was able to live her life to the very end in the home she raised us in and that I was able to be with her until she took her very last breath. I want to do this in her memory.

  35. Susan Kimball

    This is exciting! I finished treatment 3weeks ago, and now a chance to help others.
    Thank You

  36. Diane Loehr

    Love doing this project for the chemo patients. I have a group of women that I crochet/knit with and we are excited to participate in this event. We give our completed hats to the Dyson Center in Poughkeepsie, NY. They are thrilled to receive them. Wishing everyone that is going through Chemo treatments positive thoughts and a HUGE HUG!

  37. Janice Stone

    This will be my second year to participate in the Sweet Potato Challenge. I have continued to make hats all year donating to Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville Tn each time my younger sister goes there – eye cancer – then a year ago my older sister got breast cancer having removed a breast she is doing well. I love doing this challenge and hope all the designers and everyone involved in getting this program to us has a unique blessing everyday. Thank you so much.

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