It's No Yarn - Liverpool Hospital Relies on Knitted Breasts

It may be April Fool's Day today, but I'm not pulling the wool over your eyes. Sarah White, About.com's Guide to Knitting, alerted me to a very unusual handmade item that had me in stitches.

Over in the UK, Liverpool Women's Hospital uses knitted breasts to teach their new mothers how to breastfeed. A PDF of the pattern is available, and the hospital welcomes donations from knitters who would like to knit something really useful...aside from tea cozies.

As someone whose yarn stash far exceeds her knitting skills, I constantly marvel at what's possible with a pair of needles. And I love seeing the renewed interest in all things handmade, and the new twists alternative crafters are taking with this age-old skill.

If you want to find out more, Sarah's got links to the patterns and photos of the knitted breasts, suitable for G-rated viewing.

Related article: Alt Crafts and Craft Communities - Creating, Sharing, Buying and Selling