By Inika Bhargava
January 28th, 2021
In the U.S, more than 100,000 people undergo a mastectomy due to breast cancer. In a mastectomy, a person’s breast or breasts is/are removed because of breast cancer. The feeling of losing a part of one’s body can probably not be described. Even the clothes that people wear start looking differently on them after this surgery.
Crocheting can result in more than just a wooly cardigan from your grandma on Christmas. It can do so much more than just be a hobby to have fun with. A crochet needle and yarn can empower people to help those who have lost a part of themselves, by acting as a false breast so that atleast on the outside they look similar to what they did before the surgery.
Other than being used as prosthetics, crochet can result in a variety of products. When I first picked up the needle and thread I was determined to make a throw blanket by the end of the day. Pretty ambitious, I know! That day I ended up twisting and turning the thread, eventually having to cut my way through in order to detangle the needle. However, at the end of the week, I had successfully practiced two different patterns and even made a scrunchie or at least something that qualified as one.
Modern crochet involves over 100 different stitching patterns, that can be used to make anything from breast prosthetics to fluffy phone covers to stuffed animals. With the bright yarn and different sizes of needles that are available these days on almost any shopping site, the possibilities of crocheting are endless.