Photos: Cancer patient enjoys her Knots of Love free hat;  right photo: Susan Devens, Lisa Florez and Cindy Faatz knit hats for others in their labor of love effort.

Knots of Love was launched in 2007 and today the Costa Mesa-based nonprofit and its many volunteers provide free caps to individuals battling cancer or other life-threatening diseases. Founded by Christine Fabiani, her friend who is a cancer survivor saw one of Fabiani's knitted hat creations and casually mentioned how she would have loved to have one of them while she endured her chemotherapy treatments. The idea of knitted caps and charity seemed to click.

>>For the past four years Cindy Faatz has tried to knit a hat per day for cancer patients. She isn't alone--her 86 year-old mother, Gloria, knits hats, too!

>>Lisa Florez began knitting hats last year. She can no longer  maintain the active lifestyle she once knew so she was looking for a way to help out others from home.

>>Susan Devens heard about a nonprofit organization, Knots of Love, and knew she wanted to be involved in helping others by knitting caps to keep cancer patients' heads covered and warm. She learned how to knit in order to help out.

These three individuals dish money out of their own pockets to purchase the yarns for hats they make. They all shop for sales  when buying materials that won't scratch or hurt a cancer patient's head.

KNOTS OF LOVE STATISTICS

• Knots of Love donates caps to 463 facilities in 50 states and Overseas
• Knots of Love provides four styles of caps; Day wear caps, sleep caps, caps for men, women, children and caps young adults.
• Knots of Love donates caps to: Men, women and children undergoing Chemotherapy, burn victims, brain surgery patients, head trauma patients, and individuals with Alopecia.

How can you help? Go to knotsoflove.com/donate  and find out. One of the easiest ways is by printing the bar code to use at Ralph's every time you buy groceries.