Warrior Ribbon Hat Crochet Pattern

The Warrior Ribbon Hat crochet pattern was specifically designed for the Crochet Cancer Challenge 2020.

I have been a part of this wonderful challenge for quite a few years but the past couple years it has taken on a new significance for me.

Why I Chose Bladder Cancer

Last year the Crochet Cancer Challenge turned personal for me. In January 2019 my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC).

Three weeks later they removed one of my husband’s kidneys and they did 4 rounds of chemo.

In May 2020, after almost a year in remission, they found more cancer in 2 of his lymph nodes, and in July they did surgery to remove those 2 as well as 16 others to try to prevent it from spreading any further. Seven of those lymph nodes tested positive, so the drs were glad they took the extras before knowing they were positive. There have been some minor complications from that surgery, but overall he’s on the road to recovery and is going back to being monitored every 3 months for the cancer and every 4-6 weeks to try to keep the complications under control until he’s healed.

Honestly, the last 2 years have been the hardest years of my adult life. I have learned medical terminology that I never even knew existed. I’ve cried so many tears that I didn’t know I could cry anymore. And I’ve had to watch my kids go through this as well. I’d never wish this on anyone, never mind my children.

The flip side….

I have been able to laugh and keep my joy.
My support system has been amazing.
I have taken up running and I just ran my first half marathon last week! It’s the best stress reliever I could have – even better than crochet!
And, while I have no idea what the future holds, I know that deep down, no matter what happens, God’s got me.

So, when Christine from Sweet Potato 3 asked if I would do the challenge again this year I chose the support ribbon for bladder cancer (because UTUC doesn’t have a ribbon of it’s own).

More About Bladder Cancer

UTUC is a rare form of bladder cancer. To put “rare” in perspective . . . .

There will be approx. 1.8 million people diagnosed with any/all types of cancer in 2020.

81K of those people will be diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Only 4K of those bladder cancer patients will actually have UTUC (which is not actually in the bladder. My husband’s tumor was in his kidney).

That’s 4K out of 1.8 million . . . .

Because of the low number of patients they aren’t able to study the aggressive growth and treatment options the way they can some other cancers, which makes it harder to cure/treat. Thankfully my husband has an amazing team of doctors that have done everything that is possible.

You can find the Warrior Ribbon Hat crochet pattern in my shop here, where it is free until Oct. 20th using code CancerChallenge. 

Please remember that if you download a copy of the hat pattern, you are pledging to make at least one hat from it to donate to a cancer patient or treatment center.

Warrior Ribbon Hat Crochet Pattern

PATTERN INFO:

Finished Sizes: Small Adult (19-21″), Large Adult (21-23″)

Yarn: #4 worsted weight
Sample used: Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek in Pale Yellow

Hook: Size I/9 (5.5 mm). Change hook size to get correct gauge if needed.

Notions: Yarn Needle

Difficulty: Advanced Beginner/Intermediate

You will need to be familiar with basic stitches and increases, as well as some knowledge of post stitches. (The post stitches are used to make the cables that create the ribbon.)

The downloadable ad-free PDF is available for purchase in my shops:

ETSY
RAVELRY
LOVE CRAFTS
RIBBLR

MORE LINKS ABOUT THE CANCER CHALLENGE ARE BELOW:

• Information explaining what the Crochet Cancer Challenge is, click HERE.
• What type of hat should I make? What Sizes? Where do I get the patterns? Click HERE.
• Yarn Recommendations to use for the hats, click HERE.
• Where should I donate my hats, click HERE.
• A fun start early project you can add to your hats, click HERE.
• Challenge others to join and get tags you can print for your hats, click HERE.

Happy Crocheting!