I was handed this pattern at last months stitches and hos. Its an initiative to get mothers breastfeeding their babies. You can find out more information about getting help about breastfeeding here.
Please contact Clare Savage directly if you would like more information and when you’ve finished your boobs
Lots of new mothers need support when they start breast feeding. Showing expectant and new mums how to feed their babies can be very intrusive so some clinics use knitted breasts to help them explain.
There is always a shortage of these teaching aids. Any Breast Will Do – big, small, black, white, green or purple.
You don’t need to knit a matching pair (who’s got them!) as they only use one at a time.
So, only if you feel like it, would you “knit a tit for Christmas” ?
Once finished they will go to the Women’s Hospital and other clinics who need them. We will be co-ordinating our efforts through BBC Birmingham.
Knitted Breast Pattern
Double knitting wool – flesh coloured – 1 ball (choose your flesh colour!)
similar but darker colour – 1 ball
Pair of 3 ¼ mm needles/UK size 10
Cast on 71 stitches
*Work st st for 20 rows
21st row: K1, *K2 tog, K5, rep from * to end
22nd and alternate rows: Purl
23rd row: K1, *K2 tog, K4, rep from * to end
Continue to decrease in this way and after 3rd decrease change to darker wool to
make the areola.
Continue decreasing until the K1, *K2 tog, from * to end has been worked.
Nipple: st st 4 rows (see below for amendments).
Break yarn, thread through rem stitches, draw up and fasten off.
Sew sides together.
In darker wool on the wrong side of work, make a draw-string stitch around the
base of the nipple, draw up and fasten off. If this stitch is drawn tightly it makes a
“Page 3” nipple. Drawing up less tightly makes a less prominent nipple.
Experiment to get the type you want. (Wish it were this easy in real life!) NB It is
good to have a variety of shapes and sizes, just as women do (very flat, very
small/large, inverted etc), so they can see that all can work!
To complete: crochet a wool circle in matching wool to fit the base of the breast,
or cut some matching fabric. Stitch half the base in place, stuff the breast with
foam or something squishy (old tights or shoulder pads work well), and stitch
remaining part of base. Different sizes of breast can be made by amending the
pattern, and different firmness achieved by amount of stuffing.
NB colours are not important but flesh colour is more realistic.
I find the crochet base easier to do, as the knitting in the base is tight with the
rapid increasing necessary.
However for those who cannot crochet and would like to knit the base too:
Cast on 6 stitches.
1st row. Knit
2nd row K1 (m1 k1) to end. 11 st
3rd and every alt row to 15th row Purl
4th row K1 (m1 k1) to end. (21 st)
6th row K1 (m1 k2) to end. (31 st)
8th row k1 (m1 k3) to end. (41 st)
10th row K1 (m1 k4) to end. (51 st)
12th row K1 (m1 K5) to end. (61 st
14th row K1 (m1 K6) to end (71 st
15th row Knit
16th row Knit
For the top continue as previous pattern from *.
Happy knitting!
stitches and hos blog 