Breastfeeding Week UK 2008: Knit Woolen Breasts for BLISS and help new mums provide the best care for their babies.
BLISS are making an appeal for people across the UK to make knitted breasts that can be used to show new mothers of sick and premature babies how to express their milk.
The knitted breasts allow nurses and other health professionals to easily show women important massage techniques that let them stimulate their milk production and express their valuable first drops of milk. They are particualary helpful when there are language barriers.
Knitted breasts are also an excellent free alternative to expensive teaching aids that are used by professionals to teach mothers how to express by hand before using an electric pump.
The target is to have 500 knitted breasts by 7th August 2008 (the end of World Breastfeeding Week).
500 knitted breasts will be enough to supply each neonatal baby unit across the country with at least 2 knitted breasts as a teaching aid.
If you are intrested in helping the appeal then get knitting! Just follow our free knitted boob pattern below and send your finished boobs to:
9 Holyrood Street
London
SE1 2EL
Pattern courtesy of Lactation Consultants of Great Britain
www.lcbg.org
1 ball 'flesh' coloured double knitting yarn
1 ball 'nipple' coloured double knitting yarn
Pair 3.25mm needles (UK size 10/ US size 3)
Polyester Filling (toy stuffing is ideal)
Base of boob
Cast on 6 sts in flesh colour
row 1: knit
row 2: k1,*m1, k1* to end (11st)
row 3: purl
row 4: k1,*m1, k1* to end (21st)
row 5: purl
row 6: k1,*m1, k2* to end (31st)
row 7: purl
row 8: k1,*m1, k3* to end (41st)
row 9: purl
row 10: k1,*m1, k4* to end (51st)
row 11: purl
row 12: k1,*m1, k5* to end (61st)
row 13: purl
row 14: k1,*m1, k6* to end (71st)
row 15: knit
row 16: knit
Top of boob
row 17-36: st-st for 20 rows
row 37: k1,*k2tog, k5* repeat from * to end of row (61sts)
row 38: purl
row 39: k1,*k2tog, k4* repeat from * to end of row (51sts)
row 40: purl
row 41: k1,*k2tog, k3* repeat from * to end of row (41sts)
row 42: purl
CHANGE TO NIPPLE COLOUR
row 43: k1,*k2tog, k2* repeat from * to end of row (31sts)
row 44: purl
row 45: k1,*k2tog,k1* to end of row (21sts)
row 46: purl
row 47: k1,*k2tog* to end of row (11sts)
row 48: purl
row 49-52: st-st for 4 rows
Break the yarn and thread through the remaining stitches, pull tightly and secure. Sew row ends together (mattress stitch will give a neat finish), stopping halfway to stuff, continue to close remaining opening.
Tips for Nipple Variation
In the nipple coloured yarn make a drawstring stitch on the wrong side of the work, draw up and fasten off. The tighter this stitch is drawn up the more prominent the nipple will be. Experiment with diffrent nipple shapes such as flat, inverted as its good to have a variety of differnet shapes and sizes for the boobs, just like real boobs.
The charity group Loving Hands (www.lovinghands.org.uk) are also currently running a knitted boob challenge to donate to various UK hospitals and Tommee Tippee in association with the breast cancer society to check their progress and to find out how to join the group see their blog www.charityknitters.blogspot.com