Knitted Knockers: Knitting & Crocheting for Breast Cancer Survivors

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the United States and around the world, the month that the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has dedicated to “raising awareness about the impact of breast cancer.” We’re using the opportunity to shed more light on a fiber organization that serves to connect knitters and crocheters with breast cancer survivors, Knitted Knockers.

Above: Image source – Getty Images.

Knitted Knockers is a Washington state based 501(c)3 nonprofit made up of thousands of volunteers. By the end of this article, we hope you’ll join the growing list of more than 4,000 makers in all 50 states and 60 countries who are working to support survivors.

How Knitted Knockers Began

Founder Barb Demorest was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011. In a video on the company’s website, she shared the initial embarrassment and shame that accompanied her diagnosis. She hoped to avoid a mastectomy, but ultimately needed to have the procedure. Complications led to a delay in reconstructive surgery and she was looking for a way to feel whole again.

Barb’s doctor suggested she knit a prosthetic in lieu of the “hot, heavy, and expensive” silicone prosthetics. So inspired, Barb went on to locate the Maine-based knitter who developed the first pattern and coined the name. With the inventor’s blessing, Barb has been able to facilitate more than one million downloads of free “knocker” patterns.

Who Benefits From These Fiber Prosthetics

According to NBCF, “1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.” Chances are, you or someone you know may be diagnosed. The most common treatment is surgery to remove tumors, and surgical solutions also include partial and radical mastectomies. It’s those patients who are provided free yarn-made, breast-shaped prosthetics from Knitted Knockers.

Recently, a woman who received donations from Knitted Knockers sent Barb a testimonial. She wrote, “… October 1 will be my three-year anniversary of my bilateral mastectomy. I was 42 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a lot of complications and had seven surgeries afterward. Reconstruction was difficult and painful (both physically and emotionally). I ordered a set of knitted knockers from you all in 2019 and they literally saved me emotionally. “

Related: Crafting for a Cause: How Knitting and Crocheting Can Benefit Charitable Organizations

3 Ways You Can Help

If you’re inspired to help Barb and her band of volunteers, she has shared three ways:

1. Knitters and crocheters, make knitted or crocheted knockers! The organization sends out over 10,000 a month for free to women around the world. Every one of those 10,000 prosthetics is made by hand and that’s only possible because of the volunteers willing to make them. Visit knittedknockers.org to download the knit or crochet version of the pattern for free and start stitching.
2. Share with your friends on social media. Like and share @knitted_knockers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This helps raise awareness both for those who knit and crochet as well as those going through treatment for breast cancer.
3. Donate! As a 100% volunteer organization, Knitted Knockers counts on donations to keep providing their services. Their postage costs alone totals more than $4,500 per month. So, if you have the means, cash donations are welcome.

Related: 5 Tips for Knitting a Chemo Hat

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We hope this has inspired you to knit or crochet a prosthetic for a woman in need—this month and well into the future. If you’ve been a volunteer in the past, please take a moment to share your experience in the comments below. Do you know someone who could benefit from this program? Please share this information with them!

Kerry Bogert
Content Manager, Yarn

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