Stitch Markers for Breast Cancer Awareness

Every Tuesday a group of ladies meet at Debbie Macomber's A Good Yarn Shop. We have affectionately become the Titty Tuesday Ladies. We meet from 4-6 p.m. and we make knitted or crocheted breast prosthesis for women who have had breast cancer and have had single or double mastectomies. We don't sell the knitted boobies, we give them away. We've had donations of yarn and money to keep it going, and it's so encouraging when women come in to "try one one" and walk away with the happiest looks on their faces.
Next week is the Relay for Life cancer walk. Our little group is going to have a table with a basket or two of our textile breasts. They are in all sorts of shapes and colors in very soft cotton yarn. I had suggested making stitch markers and then the brainstorming began. Instead of using the traditional copyrighted symbol of the pink looped ribbon, we took one of our pinkest balls of yarn and a pair of pointy sticks (double pointed needles) and shot our own version.

Then I took that photo, manipulated it, cropped it, and printed it on Shrinky Dink material, purchased jewelry findings and beads, and set to work. I made 110 stitch markers for our little cause and they will go up for "donation only" at the shop and at the Relay for Life. All proceeds will go toward Breast Cancer research and finding a cure.
This is my first batch. Amber so very kindly began helping me. I would attach our Shrinky Dink art and then she'd string on the beads, and then I'd finish up by putting on the rings.

This is our second batch. They include stitch markers for crocheters and for those who use larger needles.

It really was rewarding working on these. At the time I was doing it, I had just gone in for my own mammogram and then had received a call from the radiologist saying they'd seen several things on the original exam and wanted me back in for digital and ultrasound images. Much to my relief, everything is fine and what I have are cysts. I feel a huge burden off my shoulders, and when working on these little stitch markers had much compassion for all the women who have not been as lucky as I was this time.