LOSING one or both breasts to breast cancer is often a devastating blow to women battling the disease. Enter Knitted Knockers, an international project that offers confidence and healing to survivors of cancer, and it has come to Inverell.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The project is the creation of a prosthetic breast, knitted or crocheted from 100 per cent cotton, easily washable, and filled with a lightweight batting.
Shirley Horwood of the Inverell Breast Cancer Support Group is a cancer survivor. While researching for new ideas to help women, she discovered the project online and downloaded the free patterns to give it a try.
“I thought, ‘That’s amazing. I can do that,” she said.
As a special touch, and to add some weight to the prosthesis, Shirley has buried a small, washed river stone in each, inscribed with a message.
“I thought for a large size, you need a tiny bit of weight, and to have something like ‘hope’, ‘courage’ or ‘belief’ (on the stone), it’s something a bit nice.”
The knitted prosthetics will be available free of charge to women who have lost their breasts. They can be worn safely after wounds have healed and easily inserted into unpadded or light, stretchy bras.
Group president Jan O’Neill said the knitted breasts are a vast improvement over the traditional silicone prosthetics which can be very uncomfortable and costly.
“They’re heavy, they’re hot, they’re cold, they’re everything,” Jan said. She was thrilled when Shirley produced the knitted knockers.
“I thought it was absolutely wonderful, and when I saw them, I couldn’t believe it. We all went mad at the meeting over them.”
The group is inviting those skilled with a crochet hook or knitting needles throughout the community to give the project a try. The yarn and patterns are supplied. Inverell HAAC has made the offer to contribute all the yarn for the project.
“What we want to do is get a heap of different sizes and of course they’ll be in different colours, too, which will be quite fun,” Shirley said.
“If you’re feeling gloomy one day, you can put in a really bright-coloured one.”
Jan hopes to have samples in key spots throughout town for women who have had mastectomies to examine. If they are interested, they can contact the group.
She hoped creative hands around town would take up the project.
“A bit of your time and expertise will give someone a lot of confidence and comfort,” she said.
If you would like to lean more about Knitted Knockers or to get the pattern and yarn, please ring Jan on 6721 0277 or Shirley on 0400 483 280.