How to Get a Free Hat Pattern

Big Girl Hat #1

I don't always wear my heart on my sleeve here on the blog. I post very few personal items online in general, unless they pertain to my work. So not many people know that I lost a friend to cancer earlier this year. We weren't the closest of friends; Stephanie was my best friend's sister. But we had known each other, through her sister, for about fifteen years and had become faraway friends of a sort, connecting at family gatherings and chatting online.

Anyhow, I don't necessarily have the resources to make a grand gesture in her honor, but there is something I can do: crochet and design. That's where you all come in.

I currently have three different pdf hat patterns available: 

1. The Big Girl Hat #1 which is posted on Ravelry and on the blog for free
2. The Astro Hat which is listed as a men's hat but is really unisex
3. The Simple Earth Hat which is also a unisex style

Now, except for promotions and classes, I normally don't offer pdf's of the Big Girl (or Blog Collection*) patterns because I post them here on the blog at no charge, but I'm including the Big Girl Hat as a pdf for this purpose.

Here's how to get one or all of the pdf patterns absolutely free of charge:

Pledge to make and donate a minimum of two hats as "chemo caps." That's it. It really is that simple. No kidding.

Simply leave a comment below and make sure I can get your email address easily. That is to say your profile will allow me to collect your address or you put it in your comment in a way that a spammer can't easily harvest it. For instance, my older email is BigGirlJewelry at yahoo dot com. Don't forget to tell me which pattern(s) you would like. I will email the file as quickly as possible. Expect an email from downloads at Ravelry dot com within 48 hours.

Simple Earth Hat
on my older nephew

But remember, the first two that you make from the pattern should be donated, preferably as chemo caps, but if you want to give them to a homeless shelter or simply throw them in with your next donation to Goodwill, be my guest. Yes, I will send all three patterns if you request all three, but then I will expect you to make and donate six hats.

And please be honest. After the two hats, your obligation is done. Make a bunch for family and friends...for your Etsy shop...for your cat...

One more thing! I want to see pictures. Email pics to me at the address above. I will do a blog post in the future, probably early in the new year, to show off your handiwork.

But I don't know where to send them! Do you have any recommendations?

Astro Hat
on my younger nephew

I'm glad you asked. Stephanie spent a whole lot of time at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. And an online buddy of mine started the Teal Hat Project a couple of years ago. Why not start there?
Added 9/26/12:  Halos of Hope also provides crafted hats to chemo patients. (Thank you for the suggestion, Jessica!)

But what if this post is out of date?

That one's not going to be an issue for a while, but if you happen to come across this post say, six months, a year, even five years after I've posted it, fear not. I will honor this offer for the life of this blog...unless it outlives me. Further, any other hats I design in the future will be included as well.

Happy Crocheting!

*As I transition away from the Big Girl Jewelry label, you will begin to see my items renamed to The Blog Collection by Laurie Laliberte Designs. Fear not, the Blog Collection will continue to be available here at no charge to my readers.

To reiterate: You are pledging to make two hats for each pattern you request. Four hats are available as of 1/8/2013. If you request all four patterns, I would expect that you would make and donate eight hats, two of each pattern. Also, I specifically request that you do NOT email your requests to me. Leave a comment below in the comments section. Emailed requests are not likely to be answered as this is not my main email account.