Sunday, March 04, 2007

Still going strong...

It's been a while since our last update and the club is still going strong. Our group has completed several more comfortghans.

We met today after church to discuss future projects and discuss our yarn supply. To the surprise of many, we discovered that (through many generous donations) we have plenty of yarn to keep us going. In fact, there was enough yarn to fill a very large hinged tupperware container. We decided to keep the yarn stash at the church so that anyone who wishes to crochet can do so.

Several members are continuing to make 12" squares. One member has decided to try making some mile-a-minute strips for an afghan. Here's a link to a relatively simple granny square style mile-a-minute pattern.

A few members are learning to make hats and will be donating chemo hats to a local hospital. During a visit to the hospital, a chemo nurse mentioned that there is a real need for hats for men. Particularly when the weather is cold. Here's the formula I use when crocheting hats. I find this works well and fits many head sizes. Here's a neat website with sizing information.


  1. I start with a small circle (ring)

  2. In that ring you dc around (I'll often start with 6 dc)

  3. Next round is 2 dc in each stitch around (you'll end up with double the stitches - e.g. 12 dc)

  4. Next round is typically 1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next stitch around

  5. Next round is 1 dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st, around

  6. Next round is 1 dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in next st, around

  7. Continue this way each round until **and here's the magic**, YOU REACH THE NUMBER OF STITCHES THAT CREATE THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF YOUR HAT!! (Note: If I''m aiming for a 20" circumference, I usually stop decreasing around 18" or so since I'm a loose crocheter and I'll make up the extra 2" as I complete the hat.)

  8. Then you crochet in rounds without increasing until the hat is the depth you need. A good fitting adult hat is usually about 8" deep.

This formula produces a nice fitting hat and is pretty mindless crocheting. I can usually crochet a hat in the same amount of time it takes me to knit one 12" granny square.


For a man's hat, I'll often finish the edges with a reverse single crochet stitch. For a woman's hat, I've used a scallop stitch or a picot edge for something more decorative. Here's a website with a large list of stitches.


Here's a photo of one of the comfortghans completed and dedicated last December: