Mastectomy Caregiver is the creation of adapted knitwear for women who have experienced a mastectomy.
Mastectomy is the removal operation of the breast(s) that takes place in the case of breast cancer. It is sometimes followed by the reconstruction of the breasts with tissues of other parts of the body. It is a heavy operation that leads to painful scars located at the breasts, the belly and the arm junction.
The sweater acts as a protective shell around the scars, protecting the most vulnerable part of the body at the time. Shaped knits and a play between tighter and looser stitches allow the creation of volume where the scars are located, around the bust and the arm junction. Shaped knitted rolls form the collar and create extra volume on the bust.
An industrial knitting software has been developed specifically to knit this sweater. It knits every part of the sweater into shape, without any leftover thread being wasted.
The sweater is completely produced in The Netherlands, by the company Knitwear Lab in Almere. The material is a high quality lamb’s wool yarn from Italy which has been specifically selected for its softness and friendliness to sensitive skin.
Mastectomy Caregiver was nominated for the René Smeets Award.
Video
The project is supported by the Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie
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Mastectomy is the removal operation of the breast(s) that takes place in the case of breast cancer. It is sometimes followed by the reconstruction of the breasts with tissues of other parts of the body. It is a heavy operation that leads to painful scars located at the breasts, the belly and the arm junction.
The sweater acts as a protective shell around the scars, protecting the most vulnerable part of the body at the time. Shaped knits and a play between tighter and looser stitches allow the creation of volume where the scars are located, around the bust and the arm junction. Shaped knitted rolls form the collar and create extra volume on the bust.
An industrial knitting software has been developed specifically to knit this sweater. It knits every part of the sweater into shape, without any leftover thread being wasted.
The sweater is completely produced in The Netherlands, by the company Knitwear Lab in Almere. The material is a high quality lamb’s wool yarn from Italy which has been specifically selected for its softness and friendliness to sensitive skin.
Mastectomy Caregiver was nominated for the René Smeets Award.
Video
The project is supported by the Stimuleringsfonds Creative Industrie
Photography by Angéline Behr