Thursday, July 2, 2009

Chemo Scarf - Or How To Keep Your Cool When You're Not Looking So Cool!

Thanks to chemotherapy I lost my hair last March. My daughter knit my first warm cap and I knit a couple after that. I purchased a couple online so I was set for cool weather. Keeping warm was the issue and the knit caps did the trick.

But when warm weather arrived I realized that any covering, whether scarf or cap, made my head too warm. As in "Sweat". Cap, scarf, wig...all were too warm.

This week I discovered LINEN! I had a lovely linen skirt in the closet that did not fit. I had planned to make a sofa pillow with the fabric. I've done that before and loved the "cool" feel of the linen as compared to other fabrics.

While looking at the skirt I realized there was enough fabric to cut a large square for a scarf. I didn't even hem it, I was so lazeeee. Then I folded the scarf into a triangle as you would a square scarf. I placed it on my head, pulled the ends to the back, and secured them with a stretchy pony-tail tie. I cannot believe how comfortable this is. I wore it for hours and felt cool the entire time.

Then I switched to a very thin cotton scarf and I was sweating in minutes.

You have to try Linen!

7 comments:

Mariclar said...

I'm glad you discovered linen and can stay cool and stylish too!
My mom always loved that fabric, for some reason, I don't remember.
When she went through chemo, she'd wear my dad's baseball caps which usually had a Furnace Co. name on it like Lennox or American Standard, since he was in that business.
When she went out, she'd wear a wig and hated it!

Roxanne said...

Thanks for the suggestion. I have made some scarfs out of silky kind of fabric but like you say they are hot. I will try the linen. Never even thought of that!! I'm getting to where I hate wearing the wig anywhere:)

Daria said...

Good idea ... we'll have to try it.

Debby said...

You can go to the local thrift store and buy up a batch of linen skirts or dresses and make your own scarves for next to nothing. I'll pass this tip along.

McVal said...

American Sewers Guild that I belong to has made these linen and cotton head scarves for cancer patients in Des Moines. They're kind of shaped weird. But from what I understand, VERY comfortable!
If you sew, I'll send you the pattern when I find it.

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

I had several cotton "chemo hats" that I had bought from a seller on Ebay, and liked them a lot. But I was bald through the winter, so it wasn't too hot for me then. But as spring came on, I couldn't take it anymore, and since I was starting to grow hair again, I tossed the hats and boldly went out looking like a marine soldier! The linen sounds wonderful!!!! Great idea!

Debby said...

Sandwashed silk is another material you might try.