The cooler weather has arrived and it’s prime chemo cap season!  Delaware Head Huggers and cancer centers across the globe are in need of chemo caps.  There are so many ways you can help and so many people have asked me what they can do to support our mission that I thought I’d do a blog post listing all the places you can find us and how you can help in a way that works best for you.

It doesn’t take much to help.  It can be as simple as commenting or sharing a social media post to raise awareness for the need of chemo caps.  It can be making hats, donating financially or just cheering us on.

Costs are higher than you may realize.  I shipped 2 large boxes of hats out this week, both to cancer centers close to me, and the postage was $62.  Shipping to other areas costs even more. Since we started, I have shipped out over 37,700 caps – to people all over the country.  My family and I do this because we feel it is important and we do it with love.  It’s really a full time job for me, yet I don’t get paid.  All hats ship completely free of charge to any center or individual who needs them.  

My patterns are mostly published free here and then PDF compilations are sold to those who want to support us.  I try hard to design hats for all tastes and to make the patterns easy to understand and follow.  It’s important to have them adaptable for any yarn in your stash, so I add information for different yarn weights.  A lot of work goes into each pattern.  I have over 250 designs out there.  Many thousands of people have used them to spread love and kindness.

Necessary supplies include a tag for each hat.  

Since covid, each hat now gets bagged individually.

Shipping boxes, packing tape, printer ink and paper are also all needed.  Not to mention YARN!

On the home page of the website there is a “Donate Now” button that allows you to donate via PayPal.  

You can purchase my Ravelry patterns and immediately download some new patterns to use.  All pattern sales are put right back into shipping and supply costs.  

Pattern books, both e-book and paperback,  can be purchased on Amazon as well.

I also sell patterns and nature notecards and calendars and DEHH stickers in my Etsy store. All proceeds from those sales go right back into running DEHH.  

If you want to help support us in other ways, please join our Facebook page and see all the beautiful hats that are donated.  Visit our pattern blog.  Follow us on Instagram or Twitter.  Share, comment and like posts to spread the word about the need for chemo caps.  Tell your friends about us.  You never know who else may want to get involved.

Remember, just ONE skein of yarn is needed to make a difference in someone’s life.  I bet you have a skein of yarn lying in your stash that you could use to help someone through a difficult time.  

Operation Bottle Beanies is kicking off for 2019 September 19 – 21!  Once again, Fifer’s Orchard will be selling adorable, handmade little hats for jar and bottles, as well as handmade wash cloths to support Code Purple!  Please have your first round of items to me by September 15 and this will continue until almost Christmas, when Fifer’s closes for the Winter.

Those of you who know me know that I tend to steer clear of “official” non-profits because too often, the money donated goes towards advertising and marketing costs and to paying salaries instead of helping those in need.  Code Purple operates shelters when the temperatures drop below freezing.  Code Purple is run entirely by volunteers and through their unwavering, dedicated work, they help hundreds, if not thousands of people in Delaware stay warm throughout the Winter months. 

#OperationBottleBeanies is community service at is best.  We donate the hats and wash cloths and Fifer’s donates the room in their store and their staff time to sell them and the Code Purple volunteers use that money to purchase whatever supplies are needed to operate the shelters.  We all do a little and those who need it can be helped.  We are all doing this out of love and a shared concern for our community.

We need LOTS of hats!  From olive oil bottles to mason jars, Fifer’s has many different size containers that can wear hats!  They sell apple butter, honey, peanut butter, jams, pickles and so much more.  Themed hats for Fall and Winter and holidays are great, as are any that include bees, produce, animals…….the possibilities are almost endless!

Preemie size hats are about the size for quart jars.  There are lots of patterns for tiny hats online……….wine bottle hats, The Innocent Drink Big Knit project in the UK (which is our inspiration!) and most yarn companies have free patterns online.  We have some free patterns on this blog too.  These hats can be used to decorate the items, put on dolls, hung as ornaments….again, the possibilities are vast!  They make adorable tie-ons for packages!  AND they are helping people!

Washcloth patterns are very easy to come by and they are great ways to try out new stitch patterns too!  Again, the cuter the better……eye catching ones sell first.  Seasonal colors and designs are great!  Washcloths are big sellers too!  Everyone can use some new washcloths and they make great gifts too!

Join our Facebook page and see new ideas as we find them and all the beautiful things people create as they come in.

Of course, we are still collecting chemo caps in all sizes for people undergoing chemotherapy and blankets for children in foster care and those in crisis.  I know it’s asking a lot of people to support all these things at once, but however you can help, it will be greatly appreciated.  Make what you like to make.  Do whatever you can do without stressing yourself.  Every single item helps someone.  And if you can make hats, blankets and bottle beanies, then have it and we will get them where they need to go to help the most!

All items can be sent to DEHH at 202 Acorn Forest Drive, Felton, DE 19943.  If you usually donate by using a Library drop off, please just add your new items to that and I will get them!

#OperationBottleBeanies has been a dream of mine for years………..I’m very happy that it is back and I hope we can see it grow and help more people in the future years. 

If we each do a little bit, in our community, we truly do make a big difference.  Imagine if everyone helped………….

Links to free washcloth patterns:

Washcloth patterns from RedHeart

Washcloth patterns from LionBrand

Washcloth patterns from KnitPicks

Crochet washcloth patterns for all seasons and holidays from Yarnspirations

Knit washcloth patterns for all seasons and holidays from Yarnspirations