Muppet Heads

I wrote this article for the Windy City Knitting Guild newsletter and figured that I may as well put it up here too.

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At Childrens’ Hospital Boston, which treats kids from all over the world, there is a ward of 10-16 year olds who are undergoing radiation and chemo for cancer who need hats. We’ve all heard about people needing chemo caps before, but this is different. These kids don’t just want hats. They want fun fur. Yes, FUN FUR hats. All of them, girls, boys, teens, pre-teens, want fun fur hats, to wear as their fake “hair”.

A knitter in Boston is organizing a drive for fun fur hats for these kids. The hats are due to her by February 28, 2007, and there will be prizes donated from all over (yarn, stitch markers, more yarn) to people who send in hats. The response has been overwhelming, and I myself have decided to knit at least 10 of these hats. (I bought 10 balls, and they had better not be in my house on March 1!) For more information, go to:
http://minisoup.blogspot.com/2007/01/contest-and-childrens-hospital.html

The kids also like beanie-type hats, as long as they are very soft, since everyday isn’t a Muppet day. If you want to join in the fun, but don’t want to knit with fun fur, you are still welcome.

At the February Guild meeting, I will collect any hats that you have knit and would like me to send with my own. You can also go to the Minestrone Soup blog and get the details to send in your own fun fur hats. Mini will send you some hat patterns, and her mailing address. Having read through the patterns, to figure out the basics for this yarn, here is what I am doing:

Materials: 1 ball of fun fur-type yarn
Needles: Size 9, 16” circular needle
NOTE: I am a very loose knitter, most patterns (and the ball bands) call for a US 10.5 needle or larger. Use your best judgment.
Notions/Tools: darning needle, stitch marker
Gauge: I have no idea, there is no way to measure it with the fun fur, but my hats fit my head.

The pattern:
Cast on 60 stitches loosely. Join in the round, being careful not to twist. Place marker to locate the beginning of the round. Knit around, in stockinette, for 6½”. Your knitting will not curl at the bottom due to the weight of the “fur”.

When you have knit for 6½”, decrease to your liking or as follows:
Row 1: *Knit 8, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times
Row 2: knit around
Row 3: *knit 7, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times
Row 4: knit around
Row 5: *knit 6, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times.
Row 6: knit around
Row 7: *knit 5, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times.
Row 8: knit around
Row 9: *knit 4, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times.
Row 10: knit around
Row 11: *knit 3, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times.
Row 12: *knit 2, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times.
Row 13: *knit 1, k2tog*, repeat from * to * 6 times.
Row 14: k2tog around
Cut yarn, use darning needle to run yarn tail through all stitches twice.
Weave in both ends on the inside.