Knitted breasts!!

My group has done the knitted boobs, the twiddle muffs and prem baby hats and coats. Our latest production is the worry monsters. They are all fun to do and it is good to know we are making a useful contribution to society.

What a lovely person you are Whitzend I've had a reconstruction otherwise I would ask you to knit me a couple of boobies!

The world needs more people like you.

Have just git a twiddle muff for a friend and, reluctantly, mailed it. Despite not having a dementia diagnosis I find them very therapeutic- we could all do with calming

I have knitted many 'Boobs' as my daughter is a midwife and was also an unpaid breastfeeding counsellor before that, so when she was at uni I knitted loads for her and other trainee midwives who had no one to knit them for them, I must admit I did always use baby pink and a darker pink wool, they were grateful for them as they were needed for part of their training.

When I visited my aunt aged 110 in the nursing home (she lived alone at home till 109, then had a fall) she fiddled endlessly with sweet wrappers on her tray. I was tidying up the bits of toilet-roll on her knee and chair, she said "Don't take away my bits of comfort". It was heartbreaking to see the beginning of dementia. Wish I'd known about fiddle-muffs, or thought to knit her something myself.

Hi Witzend, are the muffs open, so the hand can slip inside? (I can't tell from the photo.) The reason I ask is that my late mother had dementia and her hands were always cold. I bought her fingerless gloves but no one ever put them on her as far as I know. I don't know if it would have helped but I live 120 miles away, or I would've done it myself! Something to twiddle would almost certainly have helped and, if the one hand goes inside while the other twiddles, the muff is less likely to end up on the floor.

After a mastectomy, I applied for knitted knockers from the charity. They arrived beautifully packaged with a kind message, and I wear them regularly, very soft and cosy. They come with extra filling, or you can remove some to suit your size. One of them is filled with quick-drying soft, netted shower scrub, perfect inside my swimsuit. I wore it five weeks after my operation on holiday at a luxury hotel in Cyprus, and it boosted my confidence no end. The charity made a real effort to deliver them to me within a day or two before the holiday.

There is a charity called Knitted Knockers, they provide a soft breast prosthetic for use after mastectomy surgery as they are soft for use whilst healing. They even provide ones for swimming as well! All free of charge, but donations welcome. I admit, I dont like the name lol, but they have been a welcome item for many. They are always wanting knitters, you can find them easily online if you want to get involved.

My daughter is a breastfeeding counsellor (unpaid) and uses a knitted ‘boob’ for demonstrating breastfeeding techniques. It always puts new mums at ease because it is such a fun piece of equipment.

Well done Witzend - my mum has two twiddle muffs - one I paid a fortune for, and another I bought from a lady on ebay who knits these things with love and affection and it cost peanuts in comparison with the manufactured one. The concept is great, and I love the idea of the knitted breasts as well.

Found this PDF file just now...

www.knitforpeace.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Twiddlemuff-Pattern.pdf

Brilliant idea. I might have a go at crochet-ing some mats.

Yes we are very grateful for these lovelies when demonstrating

I asked my mother-in-law, "If I provide about three lbs of wool, will you knit me a willie-warmer?
He reply was a bit deflating.

Some of my NCT colleagues do knitted uteruses as well. There is something about a knitted item which makes it less scary.

I found a pattern from Oxford University NHS dementia care on the inernet for twiddle muffs.

Any ideas where I can donate wool? I started knitting a jumper 3 years ago but gave up when it got to the decreasing!! I have unpicked what I knitted and have several balls of unused wool which I would love to donate to an organisation that could use it for this sort of thing

I have knitted Twiddlemuffs for the school where my daughter works. The children with additional need often use them. I've done many toys and things for charity but never breasts yet.If you are interested in knitting for charity have a look at Charity Knit Knuts page on Facebook.

It's a great idea. I don't want to put the mockers on this but am I alone in hating the word 'knockers'?
Of course it's funny - we used to have a shop in town which sold 'door furniture' called Knobs and Knockers which always made us laugh.

My Mum has dementia and I think they would have have been wonderful for her and the other residents in the home she was in. My neighbour also had dementia and has gone in to the same home my mum was in. When I visit her I notice she likes to tough different services so I think they would be great for her too. I used to knit back in the 70/80’s so I would love to knit some for the home to give to other residents in the home. I just need a pattern, where could I get one?

I make twizzle mats as well as muffs. My local hospital asked for them as it was easier for some patients just to have them on their lap to fidget with. Just make sure ends are secure and maybe put a fringe round the outside, another texture to feel and play with. My sister makes them with material so if you can sew you are still able to donate even if you can't knit.

DH loves to tell friends I twiddle my muffs while he watches football on TV. They are very quick to knit and great for using up leftover wool and odd buttons bows etc which I have collected over the years. I like to think I am saving the NHS a few pennies. I also made some incubator covers as my DGS used these a lot whilst in NICU I was shocked to discover these cost over £100 from NHS supplier. This is a bugbear of mine I wish large public bodies would ask someone who has raised a family on limited means to oversee their spending budgets?

We were asked to make some in our local knitting group by a local midwife years ago. It was good fun!

You are such lovely people; making all this stuff for the hospitals. Isn't it sad that they are no provided ....

Still plenty of other ideas for odd balls of left over wool, doll size clothes/hats for the prem. babies too. Maternity hospitals are always glad of them.

Jalima Have you looked at the website? The knockers look quite nice, actually. Made of soft fine washable yarn in all kinds of colours. The volunteers knit them (most of them on four needles) and send them to a central address, (so while you are knitting they don't look like knockers) where more volunteers stuff them lightly and sew them up. The responses from the ladies who receive them are full of praise - soft and comfortable, and light to wear, unlike standard issue ones. If I were more into knitting I would have joined them, but I take so long I would not have been very productive.