Thursday, August 6, 2009

30 Days Are Done

My 30-day chemo cap challenge officially ended today. I started this project on July 8th and posted about it here. The question at that time was whether I could knit 30 hats in 30 days and the answer is: NO!

I made a valiant effort, but the circumstances of normal, daily home life and work interfered with my female super (knitting) powers. As you can see below, I knitted 24 hats (including that one I'm still working on in the picture and finished 20 minutes ago).

That's 80% of my 30 cap goal and I'm certainly satisfied with that. I dream of a day when a cure for cancer is discovered and there won't be any need at all for chemo caps. But in the meantime, I hope whoever gets one of my caps is comforted by the thought that someone hand-knitted a cap to keep their head warm and cover up the hair loss side-effect of their chemotherapy.

Now I'm going to get on with my normal life and work on finishing some of the other knitting projects that have been patiently laying around and waiting for me to finish knitting caps.





23 comments:

Ruth said...

You are amazing. Most people would have set a goal of one or two hats a week. I hope that cancer cure happens soon.

barefoot gardener said...

That is so cool! I don't know how in the world you got that many caps done, but good for you...

KGMom said...

Ruthie--wow--I am impressed. I think 24 is quite credible. You didn't fall short, as far as I am concerned.

Gaelyn said...

Ruthie, you are a marvel. The hats are all beautiful as will be those who wear them. Your heart is big.

Mel said...

My dearest Ruthie,
The beauties that your hands create are just a reflection of your soul.
You are amazing! You know you have a special place in my heart.
Besos,
Mel

Jayne said...

Well heck, Ruthie... 24 is certainly nothing to sneeze at! I am duly impressed, and know that each person who receives one of these will feel the love and blessings contained within. :c)

RuthieJ said...

Hi Ruth,
I enjoyed trying all the different patterns and seeing how the different colors turned out. The amazing thing is that I still have LOTS of yarn left in the cupboard.

Thanks Barefoot. Lots of other tasks kinda slid by the wayside for the last 30 days, so now it's time to get busy again.

Thanks Donna. I don't feel too bad either--especially since 4 of the days I wasn't able to get a hat done was due to classes I took. Education first, right? ;-)

Thanks Gaelyn. I'm glad I can use my knitting talent for something useful to others.

Thank you Mel. And you have a special place in my heart too! XO

Hi Jayne,
I hope that a simple hat would be one small thing that might make a cancer patient's life a little bit better during their treatment. I've seen the effects within my own family and it's not easy.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I am amazed and impressed not only of your knitting skills but of your honesty. I think you are super human in getting 80% of your goal accomplished. You should feel quite proud of this. The caps you finished are a beautiful array of color and form. I know they will be appreciated.

RuthieJ said...

Thanks Lisa. You know, I'm one of those competitive people who sez to myself, "well if So & So can do it then I can too!" I felt kinda bad about not meeting my self-imposed goal, but seeing what I actually HAD accomplished and knowing that others will benefit from it took away any sense of failure.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Ruthie!!!!! Your hats are so beautiful and you made a challenge for yourself.

MOM

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

Way to go Ruthie!
I'm proud to know some one so self-less and kind-hearted as you.

Mama Pea said...

No, no, no, not even a teeny bit of this feeling bad! That's not the least bit applicable here. How you could get all the hats done that you did in 30 days is AMAZING. And all to make someone else have better day. My hat's off (pun intended) to you, Woman-of-Great-Super-Powers! You done good.

Dana and Daisy said...

that is so great ruthie! Awesome! it is so great to give of yourself to others, isn't it?

Bonnie said...

What a wonderful gift you create.

Heather said...

A valiant effort - I'll say! Congrats on all those hats. Such a wonderful thing to give of yourself. You're one of a kind, lady!

Jaime said...

Wow. You have female super (knitting) powers indeed! There will certainly be 24 people feeling the love in each stitch of each one of those beautiful caps. That is quite a bundle of handmade goodness going out into the world. You really are a wonder RuthieJ! Thank you for giving so much of your time and talent to make our world a more kind and loving place. That sort of stuff is catchy you know (kindness, I mean)?

RuthieJ said...

Thanks Mom -- good thing I'm a knitting addict, right?

Thanks Lynne!

Thanks Mama Pea. One of these days I'll show some pictures of my 'garden gone wild' during the 30 days I was knitting all these caps.

Thanks Dana. I don't have lots of $$$ to donate, but I do have lots of yarn and time, so this was the perfect project.

Thank you Bonnie.

Thanks Heather.

Thank you Jaime. I hope that kindness is catching. We could sure use lots more of it in the world right now.

Criquette said...

What an amazing accomplishment! My mom succumbed to lymphoma (actually, the side effects of the radiation)10 years ago. In her honor, I try to always have a chemo hat on the needles, but if I finish one a month I consider that something LOL. But 24 in one month? Wow!

Dawn Fine said...

Way to go! Amazing feat of craftmanship!
and such a wonderful thing to do!

Mary C said...

Way to go, Ruthie! That's quite an accomplishment. So what knitting project are you working on now? Also, how does your garden grow?

RuthieJ said...

Hi Criquette,
I'm sorry to hear about about your mom. That radiation is some nasty stuff--it almost got my dad too. Good for you with the caps knitted in your mom's honor!

Thanks Dawn.

Thanks Mary. I've got a sweater laying by the couch that's done up to the armholes, so I have to knit the arms to finish that. I have the lace edging for the shawl that I posted about a few weeks back, and I've still got one Pay It Forward project to finish.
The garden has gone WILD in the month I was knitting hats. I'll try to post a couple pictures later this week.

Taos Sunflower said...

Congratulations! I would've had to knit stockinette hats to keep that pace, and there you are, knitting patterns, too. Wow...you must knit like the wind! :0)

RuthieJ said...

Hi Martie,
I did a few stockinette hats on the days I was really far behind, but I get bored really easily and the patterned hats were a good change. They all go pretty fast anyway, knitted in the round.