CROCHET INSTRUCTIONS FOR CPAP HEADGEAR

 Ok here goes! I have never written instructions before so I hope it's understandable. Refer to the attached picture of the storebought headgear  below, and the picture of the homemade one above.  I made mine starting at the the left cheek, up over the top of the head to the right cheek, then fastened off and made the back strap separately. I used worsted 4-weight yarn and a size 4 hook because I crochet kind of loose. You just have to know chain, single crochet, slip stitch, decrease and increase.

Abbreviations: ch (chain); sc (single crochet); inc (increase, 2 sc in the same stitch); ss (slip stitch)

Un-velcro the storebought headgear from the nasal pillow frame and leave open the velcro of the left side cheek section where it was attached to the frame. Fold and mark the center of the top strap and the center of the back strap. Set the storebought headgear aside.

1. Allowing for a tail for sewing, ch 3 and sc in the 2nd ch from your hook. Sc 1 more, ch1 and turn. (2 stitches across)

2. *sc2, ch1 and turn*. Repeat from * to * until the length matches the opened section of the storebought headgear from the tip to where it starts to fan out, plus or minus what you need to customize the fit. [for me this was 8 rows from tip to where the fan begins]

3. To begin the fan, inc x2 (4 st across)

4. inc, sc2, inc (6 st across)

5. Keep increasing in the 1st and last st of each row for an odd number of rows, until the size of your fan is one row short of matching or nearly matching the fan on the storebought headgear. Getting to this point with an odd number of rows is more important than exactly matching the fan on the storebought headgear. 

6. inc, ss across to the next-to-last stitch, inc in the last stitch. 

7. Turn your work 90° so you are starting on the left corner of the fan you just made. *Sc2, ch1 and turn*. Repeat from * to * until the length equals the top strap of the storebought headgear from the fan to the center mark, plus or minus what you need to customize the fit. Place  a stitch marker in the last row to mark the center top. [for me, this was 10 rows]

8. Work, in reverse from the stitch marker, an equal number of ch2 rows, fan increase rows and cheek rows so both sides match, adding or subtracting if the right side of your head is very different from the left. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. 

9. Now you will make the back strap. Allowing a tail for sewing, Ch 4 and sc in the 2nd ch from your hook. sc 2 more, ch1 and turn. (3 st across)

10. sc3, ch1 and turn. 

11. sc2, inc, ch1 and turn. (4 st across)

12. sc4, ch 1 and turn. 

13. sc3, inc, ch1 and turn. (5 st across)

14. sc5, ch 1 and turn.

15. sc4, inc, ch 1 and turn. (6 st across)

1. sc6, ch1 and turn.
2. sc5, inc, ch 1 and turn. (7 st across)
3. *sc7, ch1 and turn*. Repeat from * to * until the length matches the back strap of the storebought headgear up to the center mark, plus or minus what you need to customize the fit. Put a stitch marker in the last row to mark the center of the back strap. 
4. Work, in reverse from the stitch marker, an equal number of ch7 rows, decrease rows and ch3 rows so both sides match, adding or subtracting if the right side of your head is very different from the left. Finish off, leaving a tail for sewing. Sew the ends to the open corners of the fans you made on the first section. 
5. Thread the tips through the slots of the cheek section of your storebought nasal pillow frame. Put the mask and homemade headgear on and pull the tips to the desired tightness to get a good mask fit. 
6. Take off the mask and homemade headgear. Use the tails and a yarn needle to sew the tips in place.