PI TOPPER CHEMO CAP by Corey Laflamme I felt compelled to design my own chemo cap. I was diagnosed, very unexpectedly, with breast cancer 5 1/2 years ago, when I was just 25. For more than 6 months of treatment, I lived in scarves and hats, including a couple I crocheted or sewed myself. I wanted to take my personal experience and see if I could come up with a simple design that was also attractive and comfortable. I designed it to be snug-fitting around the ears and neck, with a little bit of puff to the crown to hint that there may be hair underneath. I feel it will also make a great sleeping cap (people just don’t realize how chilly a bare head gets at night!) Experience: Intermediate. Size: Adult, one size fits most. Materials: 1 ball elann.com Esprit (98.3% cotton/ 1.7% elastic, 100 yards (relaxed) per 50-gram ball). Needles - Size 4.5mm (US 7) needles – set of dpns and one circular, 16” or 20” long, OR 2 circulars, 24” or longer (I used 2 circulars, then 1 dpn for the edging), or size that creates fabric you like. 1 stitch marker. Gauge: 25 stitches = 4” (Exact gauge is not really important). METHOD: This hat is worked in the round from the top down. The top of the hat is based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's pi pattern. After the initial start, which may be a bit awkward if you are unfamiliar with it, the pattern is simple, almost-mindless knitting with only 4 increase rounds and then a knit-on edging to form the band of the hat. Using 2 circs, or DPNs if preferred, cast on 9 sts and join, placing a stitch marker for end of round. Round 1 - K Round 2 - Double the number of sts by k front&back in each stitch. K three rounds. On next round, increase to 36 sts by k f&b in each stitch. Knit six rounds. On next round, increase to 72 sts by k f&b in each stitch. Knit twelve rounds. On next round, increase to 144 sts by k f&b in each stitch. (If not beginning with circular needles, I recommend switching to them when the number of sts permits). Knit as many rounds as desired until circle is a size that would fit over the top of the head nearly from ear-tip to ear-tip. (I knit 29 rows.) Create wide edge/hat band: CO 13 sts to right needle tip. Continue to use that end of needle and a dpn. Row 1: Turn work and k 12 cast-on sts (placing a marker after this 12th st will eliminate the need to count sts on subsequent rows), K2tog twice. (Note: this will use up 3 live sts of the unfinished edge of the hat.) Row 2: Turn work and knit across (there will be 14 sts on the knit-back rows). Continue to work Rows 1 and 2 around the hat until all the live sts from crown of hat are knit into the edging. Join ends of band: After working last live st (from crown of hat) into edging, k each st on needle to a stitch from the original CO edge, lining them up (there will be 14 sts). Then continue to k every row for 1 inch or desired length of overlap. On front (public) side, next row: k 1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Next row: k. Repeat these two rows until 5 sts remain. Bind off on public side. Finishing: Weave in ends. Attach decoration of choice: flower, pin, button, etc. Donate. Abbreviations: circ(s) - circular needle(s), CO - cast on, dpn(s) - double pointed needle(s), k - knit, k2tog - knit 2 together, kf&b - knit into front and into back of same st, ssk - slip 2 sts separately as if to knit, insert left needle into front of slipped sts, and k slipped sts together, st(s) - stitch(es). Please note this pattern is copyrighted material and the entire contents of this pattern are copyrighted as a collective work under the copyright laws of Canada and the United States. You may print a copy of this pattern for your own personal use and enjoyment, but editing, publishing, transmitting, e-mailing, posting it to a list service or database, or otherwise commercially exploiting this pattern is strictly forbidden. Copyright Elann.com Inc.