UPDATE: I have finally stopped getting donations, so I am hoping to have this page updated soon with all the donations that have been received. If I haven’t added yours yet, rest assured I have probably received, photographed, and passed it on by now, I just have a huge backlog of photos to upload! 😀
Those of you who have been around here for a while probably know that my Dad has been battling Lymphoma for the past few months.
It’s the first time someone in our immediate family (of Mum, Dad, Nick (my husband) and I) has had cancer, and it’s been one of those experiences that you know will stay with you forever.
I’m going to take a wild guess that somewhere along the line, someone you love has had cancer, and you have some insight into the struggle that is endless hospital visits and stays – as well as the ravages of chemotherapy.
There are SO many charities out there helping cancer patients, which is just fantastic (in fact, I’m raising money for Lymphoma research, too) but after spending time at hospital with Dad, something small caught my eye.
You see, at the Day Oncology Unit at the Royal Brisbane Hospital here in Brisbane, some kind soul has set up a little box.
Inside this box are beanies, scarves and mittens that the cancer patients can take – for free – to warm themselves up.
Dad has taken a beanie or two from there over the last few months, and let me tell you, he practically lives in the things! Not that he had a lot of hair to start with (sorry Dad) but the chemo process has done strange things to his body temperature, which has left him cold more often than not.
A few weeks back, he complained to me ‘there’s just not much in there for blokes, you know?’.
And that got me thinking.
For women going through chemo, there are a number of programs – like the wonderful ‘Look Good, Feel Better‘ program – but is there anything for the men? Sure, perhaps they don’t care so much about losing their hair when they go through chemo… or maybe, just maybe, they do – but they’re too ‘blokey’ and proud to say anything about it.
I don’t know… but what I DO know is that I want every cancer patient that comes through that room to find something for themselves in that box.
Whether it’s a thick, warm beanie; a long, cozy scarf; or perhaps a pair of toasty mittens for their cold fingers.
My goal is to gather together 100 Beanies during July that I can donate to that box in the Day Oncology Unit. In fact – I’d love to have to buy them a bigger box to fit everything I bring in!! And you know what? Why not shoot for 100 scarves and 100 pairs of mittens, too?
So – here’s what I’m asking you.
I’m asking the wonderfabulous crafty community that I am so proud to be a part of to help me reach this goal!
I’m asking you to knit or crochet one beanie, scarf, or pair of mittens (adult size) to donate to the drive.
I’m asking you to create said beanie, scarf, or pair of mittens in lovely, understated, unisex colours so that man or woman would be happy and comfortable wearing it.
I’m asking you to take one of the buttons below and put it on your blog to spread the word.
I’m asking you to share this post on twitter, facebook, instagram and pinterest to spread the word. {Please use the hashtag #100BeanieDrive so I can find your goodness – especially if you instagram your work-in progress!!}
And hey – I know a lot of you amazing crafty people don’t know how to knit or crochet (I don’t know much past how to knit a scarf, myself). To you, I say – why not make this the excuse you’ve been looking for to give it a go? Or, if you know it’s not your thing – could you dig a beanie, scarf, or pair of mittens out of your closet? Could you find one at your local op shop? No way am I going to turn away something warm and lovely that I could give to warm someone’s head and heart.
Can you help?
I know it’s a small, simple thing. You might think it is such a small thing that it wouldn’t make an impact.
You’d be wrong.
I want you to remember this.
For some of the people who wear your creation, it may be the last lovingly-made thing they receive in their life. It may be the very last gift they receive, full-stop.
It may be the thing that takes away one tiny bit of their pain.
Some of them don’t have families or friends. They don’t have anyone to help them. To care for them.
But by crafting something with love – and really, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? – you might just help remind them that someone, somewhere, cares.
Can you help?
If you would like to contribute a beanie, scarf, or pair of mittens to the 100 Beanie Drive, please enter your name (and blog if you have one) below.
As each piece comes in, I am going to photograph it and add it to the bottom of this post, with the name and blog link of the person who sent it in.Â
Click on the blue ‘Add your Link’ button below to enter your pledge.
To get you started, here is a gorgeous tutorial that shows you very clearly how to crochet a beanie.
Update: Here are 4 more possibilities for the knitters out there, thanks to the lovely Sally!
Kami Hat from Foxflat (Katie Schumm) | Simple Slouch Hat from she makes hats (Robyn Devine) | Knit Hat for Anyone by Kathy North | Runnin’ Beanie by Woolly Wormhead
And here’s a video showing you how to knit a beanie using a circular knitting needle.
For those of you who want to knit, but don’t have a circular needle, here’s a pattern showing how to make a beanie with just 2 normal needles! {Thanks to Tara for this one!}
Please post your creations/finds to:
Jess Van Den
PO Box 472
Caboolture
QLD 4510
Australia
Further Information
- Please make sure to post your creation asap. We’re already into winter, and I’d like to get these warm goodies to their new owners as fast as possible.
- If you do donate a pre-loved item, please make sure it has been washed and dried carefully before sending it in.
- If you would like to, it would be AMAZING if you could safety-pin a little note to your garment saying ‘Made by …. of ….(your blog or shop) for the 100 Beanie Drive’. Not mandatory, but would be lovely for the recipient to know who you are.
- If you would like to donate more than one item, you are MORE than welcome!
- All items received will be donated to the Royal Brisbane Hospital Day Oncology Unit within approximately 1 week of receipt. As stated above, I will be photographing each piece that comes in to keep a visual track of donations.
- This is absolutely open to anyone, world-wide! Those of you in the Northern Hemisphere, enjoying your summer – it’s cold down here!
- If you know of an awesome knitting pattern, please do let me know about it so I can share it here!
- For those of you on Ravelry – I have created a #100BeanieDrive Group here!
- Please ensure to use nice soft yarn.
- Here are some guidelines  for making chemo-appropriate beanies. Thanks Christine  for sharing this!
Thank you!!!Â
Here are some buttons you can take and use wherever you’d like.
The logo design is courtesy of the amazing Felicity Case-Mejia. Thank you, Flick!
Please link to: http://EpheriellDesigns.com/100-Beanie-Drive – that will bring people right to this post.
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Contributions
{Mouse over the image to see who the contribution is from!}
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Hi Jess, just checking in to see if you received the hats I sent. Mailed them 3 weeks ago Friday so they should have made it by now (I hope!) Hope you dad is doing well.
Hugs!
Jess, I’m sorry the hats will be late. My kids are dropping them off today(08/06/12), heading your way Priority Mail. I had surgery a couple of weeks ago and haven’t been able to package them up. I hope your dad is doing well.
Dear Rebecca
Just writing a thankyou for the scarf you knitted which i picked up yesterday at the RBH where i am getting a Stem Cell Transplant.The scarf makes me look real classy and keeps me warm.
Cheers
Grant
I knitted 3 beanies and will send them to you next monday;
Hi Jess, also missing a pic of my two hats sent some weeks ago – hope they have arrived though?
I have since changed the color of yarn that I use to a lihgter color. I realize that does not help you see this video any better. I do have other single crochet beanie caps with lihgter colors that may help you see the stitches better.
Months ago I was really touched by this project and my Mum and her friends knitted a swag of beanies from Victoria which we sent up.
I hope they arrived and aree being worn by lots of Dads. Because in a very sad twist my own Dad got diagnosed with a rare but awful form of blood cancer called Amyloidosis, and just eight very short weeks later we lost him forever. At just 62 he had much more living to do but we have received much kindness from the world to support us in our grief and I hope that very small gesture of a beanie or scarf gives someone else the support they need, even if just for a moment.
Oh Claire, I’m so so sorry, that’s such sad news. I feel blessed every day that my dad’s gone into remission (he’s 62, too)… of course, we all know with cancer that there is never any ‘cured’ so I treasure each and every day he’s here with us. Thank you and your Mum (and friends) so much for your wonderful donation. We got SO many donations that we actually kept back a small selection of beanies to give to the hospital this coming winter, too 🙂 We got lots of feedback from the hospital staff about how much a seemingly ‘small’ gesture meant to people in their time of need. Thank you again, and I’ll be thinking of you x