Breastfeeding knitting challenge

Knitted Breast

Pattern courtesy of the Lactation Consultants of Great Britain www.lcgb.org

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. Tightening of this stitch determines the prominence of the nipple.

Experiment to get the type you want. 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 – we’re happy to have them in any colour you wish!

Some 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!

(Slightly amended from a pattern by Carolyn Westcott IBCLC)