Here’s a Unique Way You Can Offer Cancer Patients Comfort and Hope through Knitting
Help cancer patients in a surprising and genuine way through Ears to You
In 2008, Ruth Crane was diagnosed with breast cancer. The battle against her illness included the usual hardships of chemotherapy and emotional difficulty. Early on, she decided she would try to remain as positive as possible in the face of her illness.
Her friends helped her with funny stories, prayers, and well-wishes. But Ruth found she had been unprepared for the difficulty of losing her hair following her second round of chemotherapy.
Every morning she faced the decision of how to deal with her now-bald head. Should she wear a bandana? A wig? Nothing at all? She didn’t want to be seen or thought of as “the cancer patient,” but rather as “Ruth,” just as always.
The Battle That Led to a Victory
It was this battle to maintain her own identity, rather than one forced upon her, that led to Ruth’s forming of a charity organization called “Ears to You.”
The idea was to help women and girls fighting cancer feel more beautiful and confident by offering them a special gift: earrings.
Eventually Ruth’s group expanded to include men and boys, to whom they offered special hats.
Today, Ruth is cancer-free and more determined than ever to help other cancer patients involved in their own struggles. She is reaching out to those who make jewelry and/or hats and requesting donations.
How You Can Help Ears to You and the Cancer Patients They Support
You can donate either hats or, if you’re feeling adventurous, earrings!
You can make hats for boys and men using any pattern you wish, although you should use soft yarn. (I highly recommend that you use one of the yarns recommended by Knots of Love; you can find a link to their list of “Approved Yarns” on this web page.)
If you choose to donate knitted hats, be sure to check this page for the donation form Ears to You would like you to complete and send along with your hats. (Scroll down the page until you see “Knit Hats,” and then click the button underneath for the form.)
If you’re up to a different kind of knitting, why not try knitting earrings? You might be surprised at how many knitting patterns you can find for earrings! On this page scroll to “Make Earrings” and click on the “Contact Us for Info” button to get involved in this way.
Free Knitting Patterns for Earrings–Yes, Earrings
Here are a few you might wish to try–some lovely and elegant, others whimsical and/or fanciful:
Photo: Sarah Punderson
Coralie: “These earrings are reminiscent of coral found on the beach, twisted and airy, with bits of sea life hanging on,” says designer Sarah Punderson. I, personally, can’t imagine a better way to describe these!
Photo: Jessie Driscoll
Perfect Knitted Acorn (click “free Ravelry download” to get the pattern): Just as it says on the tin, these adorable knitted acorns can be attached to earring-hooks for an adorable adornment!
Bijouterie: This pattern creates earrings so lovely that no one will ever be able to believe they were handknitted.
Photo: Rosemary Hill
Berry Trapezoid (click “free Ravelry download” to get the pattern): You can give some leftover sock yarn or baby yarn new life by knitting a pair of these earrings!
Picot Earrings: I think this pattern is brilliant. Knit up a little picot edging, thread a wire through it, attach it to earring hooks and voila!
Luna’s Radish (or Dirigible Plum) Earrings (click “free Ravelry download” to get the pattern): It’s not possible to get cuter than these tiny veggie earrings. I will hear no arguments on this.
However you choose to help Ears to You, whether it is through knitted hats or earrings, you can enjoy the reward of giving a cancer patient a moment of joy and hope through your knitting. Irresistible, isn’t it?
