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Jan 30, 2025

Knitted Knockers

Heather Quinn

Photography By

Special to CH2 Magazine (celebratehiltonhead)
...to offer comfort to women after breast cancer surgery

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Boobs, hooters, jugs, titties – and don’t forget knockers!  

The scientific name for “boobs” is “breasts,” but let’s be honest: it’s just not that fun to say. However, though this list of sophomoric slang terms for the female anatomy is used flippantly, the subject matter surrounding breasts is serious. 

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2024, an estimated 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancers were diagnosed among women in the U.S., 16% of whom are women younger than 50 years of age. The numbers are sobering and the true images of the subject matter can be hard to watch.  

Marketing campaigns often focus on pleasant nicknames and soothing colors like pink to evoke feelings of comfort. While this approach helps with promoting breast cancer awareness, the truth is a far cry from what breast cancer actually is – horrific. Beyond the pink, there is a powerful community of women working and volunteering in the breast cancer awareness space. They are a mighty and positive force of women supporting women. 

Rosa McGeehin, a retired R.N. operating room nurse, who has assisted with breast reconstruction surgeries, knows the hard truths associated with breast cancer and is keenly aware of the power of the community surrounding it. She has dedicated her life to bringing dignity to those who have lost their sense of self after going through a mastectomy.  

As McGeehin arrives at a coffee shop for an interview, she is carrying a tote bag overflowing with samples, knitting supplies, and binders. It is clear that this petite woman with a kind smile is fiercely determined. McGeehin takes a seat and immediately gets down to business, passionately explaining her cause to the extent that she completely overlooks the coffee she just ordered at the counter. 

The business she emphatically describes is Knitted Knockers, a national nonprofit organization that provides knitted or crocheted prosthetics to women who have undergone mastectomies, lumpectomies, and radiation. The alliteration of the name fits in line with many breast cancer organizations across the country – a catchy name with a serious motive behind it.

Knitted Knockers Volunteers (from left to right) Front Row: Donna Brownell, Rosa McGeehin,Kim Young, Rumi Prince, Marilyn Moore. Back row: Carol Malazita, Cheryl Stern, Dede Kruse, Nancy Fell, Diane Hoyt 

McGeehin reaches into her bag and begins to pull out round, boob-shaped balls, placing the sample “knockers” on the table. They are soft but firm, colorful, and meticulously crafted. They are shaped to look like breast prosthetic inserts, but instead of silicone, they are handcrafted with yarn and packed with a light, fluffy filling. 

McGeehin, who lives in Bluffton, is a Knitted Knockers provider for South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Her chapter is called KK Hummingbirds, and she works directly with doctors’ offices to provide starter sets. 

“The Knitted Knockers are designed to be used immediately after surgery, in that period of time after the mastectomy and before a woman decides if she will undergo reconstruction,” she said. “This is usually a six- to eight-week period.” 

During that time, having a prosthesis is essential for many women, as it enables them to wear their clothing comfortably while enhancing their self-esteem. McGeehin acknowledged the pain women experience around their lymph nodes during this time.

 

While mastectomy bras with prosthetics have been available for years, Knitted Knockers offers an alternative solution that is fully customizable, lightweight, and made with breathable filling and yarns. Some women may initially choose to wear Knitted Knockers for a short time and then opt for reconstructive surgery, while others may choose to forgo another surgery and use Knitted Knockers as a permanent bra prosthesis.     

Knitted Knockers are handcrafted by volunteers who knit and crochet. McGeehin said each pair requires about five hours of meticulous craftsmanship, each one created from a standard pattern.  Volunteers from Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, and Okatie create the Knockers, which are then distributed to local healthcare providers and shipped to other states in need. 

This service is provided free of charge. McGeehin explained that the process is carefully managed to ensure that women receiving the Knockers do not have to go through trial and error to use them. Each pair of Knitted Knockers is beautifully packaged in a pink organza bag tied with a bow, complete with detailed instructions, and labeled with the appropriate breast size, measured according to strict guidelines for a perfect fit.  

McGeehin hosts monthly workshops for her team of knitters and crocheters, but these gatherings are not the average stitch and chat session – there is important work to be done. McGeehin insists on high standards, measuring completed projects against a universal Knitted Knocker pattern available on the website. “If the stitches are even slightly off, I make them re-knit,” she said. “It needs to be perfect!” 

A volunteer stuffs a pair of knitted knockers at a monthly meeting the group holds at the Bluffton Library.

McGeehin emphasizes the importance of quality. “The yarn must be soft and of high caliber to ensure uniformity,” she said. “We even create ‘swimming knockers’ using an acrylic blend and various types of fill.”

This demand for excellence is not a matter of personal pride; rather, it comes from McGeehin’s years of experience as a nurse in the esteemed Emory University Hospital cancer unit and her passion for giving women who have undergone a mastectomy the dignity they deserve. 

As a nonprofit organization, Knitted Knockers operates solely on generous donations. Knitted Knockers is committed to using only high-quality yarns sourced from a select group of trusted vendors. 

McGeehin manages her KK Hummingbirds chapter with exceptional organization, just as one would run a for-profit business, even though this is a full-time volunteer position for her. Looking ahead, McGeehin is energized and excited to increase the number of Knockers they are able to ship out and deliver. Last year, KK Hummingbirds delivered 90 pairs locally and shipped out 149 pairs to neighboring states. As a result, the most immediate needs are monetary donations and sponsorships for yarn and shipping supplies. 

One might wonder why McGeehin has embraced such a significant undertaking and invested so much time and effort into the cause. Her response is straightforward: “I have two sisters who have battled breast cancer. I do this for them.” 

Want to get involved? To attend a Knitted Knockers workshop contact McGeehin at knittedknockerhhi@gmail.com.

To learn more about the national organization and to donate, visit knittedknockers.org. Donations may be specified to the local KK Hummingbirds chapter.  

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