Crochet Hats for Cancer Patients – Free Patterns!

Each year, roughly 1.8 million people in the world are diagnosed with cancer. Many of them will begin a rigorous treatment that leaves their body effected for the rest of their life. One of the notable side effects of some of those treatments is the loss of hair. Thus, Crochet for Cancer was born. An organization that donates handmade chemo caps to cancer centers for patients coping with hair loss. Today, I have rounded up some free patterns for crochet hats for cancer patients to make getting started easy!

Why I chose these crochet hat patterns

There are hundreds…maybe even thousands of patterns on the internet for crochet hats. Here are the reasons I chose these to feature.

• They’re free! Now, I have no issue paying for patterns when needed, but when you’re donating your time, your yarn, and your hard work, I feel like it’s okay to get your patterns for free.
• The variety. I picked patterns that give you a bit of variety to choose from. You can pick one you like or, if you’re like me, you can rotate through them so you don’t get bored.
• They’re “solid”. Some hat patterns have big gaps or holes. I only chose patterns that cover the scalp.

What to Use for Crochet Hats for Cancer Patients

Choose a soft yarn for these hats. Remember, they’ll be directly on the patient’s skin, so you don’t want anything that could be itchy. Cotton, acrylic, silk, fleece, or a blend is best. Stay away from wool or alpaca as they can irritate the scalp.

What else you need to know

Donated items must be new, clean, and not have animal hair or smell, or smoke smell. From my experience with Octopus for a Preemie, I can tell you that if you’re a smoker, there’s really no way to keep the smell out of the yarn, so this project probably isn’t for you.

Crochet Hats for Cancer Patients

*Note* Many of these patterns are available free on Ravelry. You will need to set up an account to access them. I can tell you from being a member there for over 10 years, they don’t send you spam or anything and there’s never a cost associated with joining. Plus, it’s a great way to organize your patterns and projects, if that’s something you’re interested in. 

Hats for Adults

Survivor Beanie: A hat that is perfect for some fighting cancer!

Elegant Hat: A sweet brimmed hat with a small bow, simply made with mostly single crochet stitches.

Bead Stitch Hat: This pretty hat uses a variety of stitches to create a unique texture. It is made with a pom pom on top, but could easily be made without.

Oakland Chunky Crochet Hat: This hat, made with chunky yarn and a cute accent button looks warm and cozy.

Oatmeal Cable Slouch Hat:  A unique design with vertical cables and a bit of a slouch when worn.

Moroccan Midnight Slouch Hat: Another slouch hat with colors that give a unique, stained glass look.

Divine Hat: This hat’s spiral pattern and shell stitching gives it a delicate look.

Mackinac Beanie: A basic beanie with a subtle cable pattern.

Unisex Celtic Weave Beanie: This beanie has a Celtic weave or basket weave pattern throughout.

Streetwise Brim Hat: A thickly woven hat with a brim – baseball style.

Hats for Kids

Meagan Wants You!: This is “army style” brimmed hat that could be made with different colors of yarn to give different feels.

Jayde Hat: An adorable, small-brimmed hat with cute accent buttons.

Grey Slouchy Hat: A slouchy hat with a wide brim and vertical 3-d stripes.

Princess Hat with Crown and Braids: What little girl wouldn’t want a princess hat? This one has a sweet crocheted crown and long blonde braids.

Owl Hat: A sweet owl hat with ear flaps and braids.

Bound with a Bow Hat: A sweet hat with a ribbon woven through the rim and a bow on the side. Made with soft, chunky yarn.

Earflap Hat for Kids: A basic crocheted beanie with ear flaps.

Boy Beanie V2.0: A beanie with three stripes toward the bottom.

Baseball Hat: This beanie has a fun baseball at the top of the head.

Double Crochet Sport Hat: This pattern has options for a soccer ball, baseball, basketball, or football.

This project is part of the Craft it Forward series. Check it out for more ways that you can help your community through your crafts!