November is pancreatic cancer awareness month and it is a topic that is very close to my heart. In November 2011 I released one of my first patterns, Dianthus, a beret hat that I donated all the proceeds from sales to Pancreatic Cancer Uk. You can read about the original pattern here.
Me & my mum. Apparently I was unhappy at being taken out the bath!
The hat was designed for my mum who sadly died before she got a chance to wear it. She had pancreatic cancer and only survived 12 days from diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst survival rates of all cancers and this has not changed in the last 20 years, compared with other cancers where survival is thankfully much better.
This November I decided I wanted to update the pattern. Initially only available in one size, I have now sized it from newborns to large adults. One size is not great for hats as people have very different shaped heads. It also works well as a kids hat and in the photo below the toddler size is being modelled by Jellica who has just celebrated her first birthday.
Jellica in the toddler version of Dianthus beret
I have also changed the finances for the pattern. Previously I had to send all pattern income to Pancreatic Cancer UK but that is not very practical so I have decided to make the hat pattern available for free to download, but to include a link to my donation site so the money will go directly to Pancreatic Cancer UK, rather than via me. I am hoping this will make it easier for people to make a donation. To go to the pattern page please click here. For the donation page please click here.
Dianthus beret
The hat is an easy knit in the round pattern that has alternating large and small lace holes and an i-cord finish. It is very quick to knit in aran weight yarn and I have made two new samples. I'm modelling the Artesano Aran adult version and Jellica is modelling the toddler version in West Yorkshire Spinners Aire Valley Aran. Both yarns show off the lace pattern well, are soft to knit with and warm to wear. I have not stopped wearing mine since I finished knitting it, especially as the weather has suddenly turned a bit frosty here and it is now hat wearing weather.
Toddler sized Dianthus beret
I hope you like the new pattern and thank you to everyone who has previously purchased it. You will receive an email to update your version for free. Thank you for all future donations too, let's hope one day we can improve the survival of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic Cancer UK is a registered charity (no 1112708) that funds research and supports patients and their families through this disease.