The “Soft Hugs and Love Beanie” is Available As Part of the 2022 “Crochet Cancer Challenge”

This Crochet Cancer Challenge was started 7 years ago by Christine Naugle at the SweetPotato3.com blog.  It was in honor of one of her beloved relative who died from cancer in 2014.  She has continued to organize and run the Challenge ever since.  This year’s Crochet Cancer Challenge runs from October 1st to October 31st, 2022.  Each day during the month of October, at least one designer and her design (sometimes more) will be featured.  The pattern of the day will be free with the Coupon Code (you must go to SweetPotato3.com to get it each day) for that day and many will continue to be free until the end of October!

The way the Challenge works is that different crochet pattern designers create a new beanie design and offer the pattern for free for at least 1 day.  Many offer their pattern for more than one day….some until October 31 or beyond.  If you choose to download the free pattern, you are pledging to make at least one hat of that pattern and donate it to a cancer patient or cancer unit.  Each designer will track how many of her patterns are downloaded and at the end of the Challenge, Christine will total the number of downloads and announce how many hats will be donated.  This is such a worthwhile project that brings a little bit of joy to the cancer patients and to those who create and donate the hats!  I love being a part of this project.  I hope you will join us!!

My contribution this year is a beanie I call “Soft Hugs and Love Beanie”.  And, it will be featured on October 11th, 2022.  With the Coupon Code, it will be available for free on Ravelry.  It is a “One Size Fits Most Women” design.  I recommend it for an Advanced Beginner crocheter.  The “Soft Hugs and Love Beanie” is made with pink/rose yarn which is the color that represents breast cancer.  Breast cancer has touched people in my family…..my aunt, 1 cousin, my mom and my youngest sister.  Here are the stories of my mom, Mary, and my sister, Julie.

Mary’s Story

My mom, Mary Schoenmann, lived to be 88 years old.  And, she died on August 31, 2014.  She didn’t die of breast cancer, it was actually a type of leukemia that took her from us…along with other ailments of old age.  But, she did have a short battle with breast cancer that she ultimately won.  

In her mid-seventies, and soon after my dad had died of lung cancer, a suspicious area was discovered by the doctors and techs during a routine mammagram.  After deliberation, the doctors decided that it was not cancer at that moment but they would monitor the area and watch to see that it didn’t change.  And, it didn’t change for 2 or 3 years.  But, eventually, they decided that the area was cancerous and something had to be done.  The decision was made that my mom would have a mastectomy…..removal of that entire breast.  So, a couple of days before Thanksgiving, the surgery was scheduled and carried out.  It was determined that the cancer had been caught in a very early stage and that the surgery would be enough.  No chemo or radiation was needed.  Thank goodness.  

Of course, there was the aftermath of the surgery, with all of the equipment needed to deal with fluid drainage, etc., but my mom made it through it all and continued on to live another 12 years.  

To find out all of the information about the Crochet Cancer Challenge, be sure to click HERE.  There you will find the designer(s) and pattern(s) of the day and the Coupon Codes to use to get your free patterns.  

Yarn

I used Red Heart Hygge yarn and the color is called Powder.  It is a #5 weight yarn.  When you go to purchase it you will notice that it is a little more expensive that other yarns you might choose.  But, it is available at JoAnn’s and I always use my JoAnn coupons for a discount of 40-50% off of a skein.  And that brings the price down to an amount that is pretty equal to  a yarn that is more moderately priced.  I love this yarn because it is so very soft which I feel is so important to the cancer patient who has lost her hair.  This hat just gives her head a wonderful soft hug.  Of course, you could use another #5 weight yarn but be sure it is very soft.  

The design is very basic but has a lovely feminine edging that I think is quite lovely.  

After getting the pattern Coupon Code from Christine at the SweetPotato3 blog, click on the button below to get to the pattern!  The button will not be active until the day that my pattern is featured, October 11th.  Then when you go there and use the code it will be free until October 31st!