# good fiber blends for chemo sensitive skin?



## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

A couple of friends of mine are going through breast cancer treatment and I suck at finding the right words to show love and support. I would like to make them each a hat and prayer shawl or scarf for the winter months ahead. It's my understanding that chemotherapy can make your skin quite sensitive so I'm wondering about good fiber blends for ultra soft and warm.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Good patterns for ideas are awesome too  and thank you in advance everybody


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

I crocheted small rectangles that my friend could put her hands into. I then made a rice bag out of fleece that she could heat up and put into the rectangles if her hands got cold. If I had to change it I would have attached them to a long scarf.

Baby alpaca worked for us, but it's costly.


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

I can't give you advice because I didn't have that when I went through my chemo. I did want to say I think you are an awesome friend!


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

What a sweet friend you are.
My advice would be cotton, silk, bamboo. Bamboo isn't very warm, by itself, but if you could find say a blend of silk and bamboo, or even something with all three in it, it should be very nice.
Alpaca is very warm, but can be scritchy for some, a silk alpaca blend could work..
When my mom was going through her chemo, everything I did was of the silk/bamboo, or silk/cotton variety.


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

I found a page of groups on www.Ravelry.com for cancer support.
I think you have to join, it's free.
It's a wonderful thing you are doing for your friends.

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/search#sort=best&query=cancer support


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I made my Mom pure handspun angora socks, a angora/cashmere shawl(she now uses it for a lap blanket on her wheelchair). But just recently, I made her leg warmers out of a thick chenille type Baby yarn from Wallyworld. She has nerve damage that makes it unbearable to wear most fabric on the fronts of her legs, so it was all I could think of that is delicate and strong.


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## Lythrum (Dec 19, 2005)

I made a prayer shawl for a friend going through chemo out of some Lion-Brand Wool-Ease yarn in a bright, vibrant pink color called Azalea. It was soft and squishy and she said that it kept her warm. It was a crocheted shawl, but the stitches are very basic, don't know if you were looking for knit or crochet. It was a Snapdragon Shawl, crocheted up very fast. I have also made prayer shawls out of Lion-Brand Homespun in the past, because it is extremely plush and soft.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

If you do a google search, or a search on Ravelry for, chemo caps, or chemo hats, you should come up with a lot of hits, there are tons of patterns out there in both knit and crochet. Same with prayer shawl, lots and lots of patterns out there.

As for content, consider alpaca, angora, merino, cotton, cashmere, or a blend of any of them. I agree that you can probably find lots of info on that Ravelry link and there would probably be fiber ideas on any of the patterns.

You are a good friend.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I wouldn't use Lion Brand for a hat. You want to avoid acrylic. Knit Picks makes Aloft, 75% super kid mohair, 25% silk; Shimmer, 75& baby alpaca, 30% silk; Gloss, 70% merino wool, 30% silk. I used the Gloss to knit socks for my sister in law when she was going through it all. I have heard that cashmere and bunny fur are wonderful.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I have made quite a few chemo hats and usually try and find a pattern that fits the personality of the recipient and I generally stick to ultra soft fibers like alpaca or cashmere. If you are going to the trouble of making a special gift for a specific person, it's a good idea to knit a little swatch and ask them to wear it near their skin for a day or so because chemo can make skin incredibly sensitive.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Thank you so much everyone  I have a couple of angora bunnies and live just a couple miles from an alpaca ranch so I'll swing by and get some fiber to practice with. I'll probably go with the knitpicks yarn as I haven't spun any of the slippery type fibers yet. The ravelry site is awesome! Thanks again everyone


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

My fiber stash nylon and merino top row, mohair, tussah silk and kid mohair middle row, and bottom is a pygora sample.

excluding the nylon, the already dyed mohair, and the pygora, I can make 32 oz total weight. It would be 37.5% mohair, 12.5% silk, and 50% merino...how much frustration am I going to encounter if I attempt to spin that? I've only spun coarse wool up to this point and honestly only 2 fleeces or less in total.


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Do you spin with a drop spindle or wheel?


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

I have an ashford 1980ish wheel


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Should spin up pretty good/easy. How are you thinking of blending it?


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

I'm hoping that my drum carder will work to blend it. Gotta swipe it back from it's visit to my mom's house and try putting a little bit through it for a test. The teeth are pretty coarse but the lady at the textile center and the man that worked on it at The Black Sheep Gathering both assured me that it would work for the finer fibers. Have a weight watcher's scale for figuring up amounts per batt.


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

That should work pretty good! I think you can run it through a few times too. I got a drum carder a few weeks back & am in love with it.

Its for medium fibers. Everything off of it so far spin up really good/quick. I love being able to blend different fibers too.

Good Luck, you have a fun project on your hands!


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

Thank you thank you  I'm still planning a raid...um, I mean...a trip to the alpacas with checkbook in hand


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

I must say that that Batt Food looks pretty good!


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

I have made chemo-hats for years and the social workers tell me to make them out of soft acrylic. Make them tighter stitches so there are few holes or a style that is without holes. And don't forget smaller ones for the children. I also do holiday ones that disappear like candy and are appreciated, I'm told. Thanks for doing it.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

www.headhuggers.org This site is devoted to chemo caps. I used the Amelia Earhart pattern for one of my Hats 4 Helmets hats, but larger and in garter stitch.


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/butterfly-hat

In a light sky type blue on one, not sure on the other's color yet but I'm thinking knock your socks off bright for her. The pattern will fit both personalities though I think 










I love this wrap but never taken on cable knitting and I'm after something I can knit nice and fast.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I'd also like to recommend Frazzlehead's very inspiring and meaningful shawl patterns from her inspirational book "Just Keep Knitting".

http://www.applejackcreek.com/thebook.html

Hearts Ease comes to mind. I am spinning for it now. 
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hearts-ease



and Cascade makes an awesome 60/40 acrylic washable yarn called Pacific that is super soft and non-itchy. It is what I use for newborn grandbabies hats.  

http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/library/cascade-yarns-pacific


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## DroppedAtBirth (Sep 23, 2010)

That shawl looks perfect! And the yarn (giggle) the closest shop to me is most of the way to Eugene Textile Center (our most local fiber paradise)...it just might require kidnapping my mom for a girl's day 

Frazzle's book will be joining my collection very very soon (I've got to watch it with the fiber cravings since I still have to finish getting my house ready for appraisal and get financed by Dec 1st).


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