The 2024 Crochet Cancer Challenge encourages crocheters to create and donate hats for cancer patients. This initiative highlights the power of handmade items in providing comfort and support to those facing difficult times. This event has had such success that it is a highlight every year for so many fellow crocheters and I am honored to host it.
I would love to hear why this event means so much to you, or who you will be crocheting in honor of this year. Leave a comment on this blog post (at the bottom) with any words of encouragement, where or who you will be donating your hat(s) to and any other thoughts you may want to share.
How the Crochet Cancer Challenge Works
The Crochet Cancer Challenge is designed to encourage you to take some time each day to crochet a hat from a featured hat pattern. The patterns are new designs and are given away for free (for a limited time) by the pattern’s designer. However, the patterrns are being offered free in EXCHANGE for your PLEDGE to make a minimum of one hat from that design to donate to a cancer patient.
The Challenge starts on October 1 and will run through October 31. There will be a featured hat pattern every day Monday through Saturday. You can grab one pattern or every pattern! Just remember, if you download it you must make it and donate it.
Crochet Chemo Caps is a rewarding thing to do. As the crocheter you are putting love into every stitch to help comfort someone going through a very difficult time in their life. This charity event is rewarding for the crocheters, the receipients and of course all us designs (which is why we do it every year).
The hat designs are not just cute, but there is a meaning behind each one of them. When a crochet designer signs up to participate, they are asked to design a hat with a specific cancer type in mind or in honor of someone whom they know who has battled cancer. Please take a minute to read their blog post, many of them are very touching and explain why they designed their hat.
Help us spread the word
2024 will mark the 12th year of the Crochet Cancer Challenge. It has grown by leaps and bounds reaching more cancer patients every year. I would love to see it continue to grow so our crochet community can reach even more people. Therefore, I am asking that you share this event with others, especially other crocheters. Here are other ways to help us spread the word.
- Use the hashtag #crochetcancerchallenge so I can see your contribution.
- Share the challenge on social media.
- Tag your crochet buddies and challenge them to join as well.
- Share your finished hats you have made, let us know where you are donating them or who you are giving them too.
Free Printable for your donations
So many of you donate an astonishing number of hats to your local cancer centers. I am in awe every single year by your generosity. With the number of hats you make, it is fun to add another personal touch to those donations. I created these fun tags that you are welcome to add to your hats. There is a space for you to include your name and the size of hat, plus, you can utilize the back of the tag to include a short message or prayer for them.
How to get the patterns
Remember: each design is available for 24 hours only. If you miss a pattern, don’t worry, there will be plenty of others available. To get the pattern for free you will need to use the code “MakeADifference24“ at checkout. Look for this button in each blog post:
Daily Hat Designs
Check back, right here each day through October to see the featured hat. If you’d like to sign up to get daily email updates on the hat designs, click the link below to sign up for my newsletter:
Featured Daily Designs
Remember: each design is available for 24 hours only. If you miss a pattern, don’t worry, there will be plenty of others available. To get the pattern for free you will need to use the code “MakeADifference24“ at checkout.
October 1 – Sweet Potato 3
The Gratitude and Grace Beanie was designed using a stitch repeat that is fun to crochet, creates a thick yet soft fabric and will become one of your go-to crochet hat designs.
The Gratitude and Grace design will be available with the code {listed above} all month long, expires October 31, 2024.
October 2 – Sunflower Cottage Crochet
Today’s design is the Pomander Hat, this lovely design is made in purple to help raise awareness to oesophageal cancer.
Helen’s design is lovely and looks as though it is made in short rows and stitches together. These can be fun especially when making hats in batches.
Code expires on October 31, 2024
Oct 3 – Krissy’s Over the Mountain Crochet
Today’s hat feature is the Blossoms of Hope Chemo Cap and it is sure to be a fun design to work up. Looks simple with a touch of elegance in that cute framed textured section.
The Blossoms of Hope Hat is available as part of the challenge through end of the month, code expired on October 31, 2024.
Oct 4 – Two Brothers Blankets
Today’s hat design is by Two Brothers Blankets and it features a high-contrast rib throughout the hat design. This striking look is a main component in the Tarragon Hat. This design is made in grey to help raise awareness to brain cancer.
The Tarragon Hat will be available for free as part of the Crochet Cancer Challenge through October 31, 2024.
Weekend Bonus – Oct 5 & Oct 6
Weekend Bonus – Straight Hooked
This gorgeous hat is designed by Malena from Striaght Hooked. The gorgeous textures are showcased perfectly through the body of the hat and finished off with the lovely band of the hat.
The Grey Matters Beanie is made in grey to help raise awareness to brain cancer.
The code to get the hat for free is valid through Oct 31, 2024.
Weekend Bonus – OVC Designs
This weekend we have two featured beanies. The first one is the Faith Beanie by OVC Designs. This hat has a traditional look to it but is crocheted in short rows. This is a fun way to make a hat.
The Faith Beanie is made in white to help bring awareness to Lung Cancer.
The Faith Beanie is free as part of the Crochet Cancer Challenge, the code will expire on Oct 31, 2024.
Other Helpful Links
Many of you have participated in past years and know the routine. However, if this is your first year, or if you just have a few questions about donations, yarn, etc-that’s okay. Check out the resources below:
- Information explaining what the Crochet Cancer Challenge is, click HERE.
- 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.
