EILEEN ADLER

The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is on Sunday morning, November 3, 2019. They have been so kind in providing a booth for me to donate the Bust Buddies that we have been knitting throughout the year. My goal is to knit one pair per month, but my dear friend Terri Miles knits one pair per week! Awesome! What are Bust Buddies? They are hand-knitted prosthetics for women who have undergone a mastectomy. Filled with polyester fiberfill, they are tucked in a bra to fill out the missing part.

On the guest bed are the colorful pairs that must be stuffed with polyester fiberfill; you can see that I’ve started the process. When they are all stuffed, the Bust Buddies are nestled securely in plastic bags donated by another friend, tied with a ribbon, and then packaged in big white plastic bags each holding eighteen pairs for easy transport to the Race.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, informs us that in the United States, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women regardless of race or ethnicity. Breast cancer is the most common cause of death among Hispanic women and the second most common cause of death among white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women. 

Using my passion, knitting Bust Buddies just feels right, enough said. If you would like to knit Bust Buddies or Softies for women who have had a mastectomy, here are my free patterns.

The San Diego North Coast Knitters Guild: Softies, and on Ravelry Best Buddies. Bust Buddies are designed to be knitting beginning from the center of the back shaping up to the nipple. Softies are designed from the nipple and shaped toward the back. Bust Buddies and Softies have changed lives in untold ways! 

These are pictures from a previous walk. My husband may be my biggest cheerleader and my dear friend Marina has helped me at every walk.  I feel so blessed to have her in my life. Even the dogs get all dolled up for the day. Celebration “teems” for all the survivors. 

This is a close up of my “boob” bead necklace!

To make boob beads, work the Bust Buddie or Softie until there are ten stitches on each needle, then start the shaping. I stuffed this a little with the polyester fiberfill and attached them to a crocheted cord. I added a few flowers just because they make me laugh. According to Frida Kahlo, “Nothing is worth more than laughter. It is strength to laugh and to abandon oneself, to be light. Tragedy is the most ridiculous thing.”