— Barbara, a cancer patient who received a Knit Michigan cap
Chemo Caps
Generally, any hat that covers enough of the head can qualify as a “chemo cap.” Caps may be for men, women, teens or children. We frequently hear that more mens caps are needed.
A cancer patient’s head is very sensitive. It actually hurts when chemo causes hair loss. Therefore, your yarn must be soft. If the yarn or cap feels harsh to your hands: STOP. This is not a good choice of yarn. Caps determined to not meet the softness criteria are donated to other worthy local charities.
Caps do NOT have to be machine washable. It IS important that the care label state how it should be treated. We do prefer that caps for children be machine washable and dryable.
Be creative. Would you wear the hat? Some hats can be simple and are used for sleeping. Some can be whimsical, some pretty, some handsome. Cancer patients already feel awful – the caps are an opportunity to help someone feel better about themself.
Caps may be knitted, sewn or crocheted. They may include beads or embellishments as long as they don’t interfere with the inner surface of the cap.
Heads are smaller without hair, but heads come in all sizes.
Since there is no hair to frame the face and soften the hat color, color is important. Some yellows and greens are just not flattering for many cancer patients, no matter the color of their skin. If using these colors, soften them with the addition of other colors to better flatter the face.
Blankets
Please use pre-washed fleece (such as Polar Fleece™) finished with a crochet trim. The entire blanket should be machine washable and dryable. We do not accept knotted edge fleece blankets as they are not comfortable for cancer patients.
Pillows
Pillows can be made of 100% pre-washed cotton or fleece. Please, no decorations or embellishments. They should be filled with polyester fiber fill.
Get tags from any KM Collection Center.
We are in the process of updating our care and content tag. If you send in items without care and content tags, please include your name and the following information on a piece of paper and we will fill out a care and content tag.
Handling Instructions: Handwash, lay flat to dry; Machine wash, lay flat to dry; or Machine wash and dry
Fiber Content: List percentage of each type: Wool, Cotton, Acrylic, Rayon, Superwash Wool, Silk, Poly, Cashmere, Other (Please specify.)
We appreciate your time, money, and effort that you are donating to provide comfort to others.