Knitted Knockers Charities

What Knitted Knockers Charities does

Knitted Knockers Charities, Inc. is an Arizona-incorporated 501(c)(3) public charity that distributes free hand-knitted breast prosthetics to women who have undergone mastectomy. The core product — Knitted Knockers — is a soft, breathable prosthetic breast form knitted from Cascade Ultra Pima cotton yarn that, when placed in a bra, assumes the shape and feel of a natural breast while avoiding the heat rash and weight associated with silicone alternatives. Two free patterns (double-pointed-needle "in the round" and flat on two needles) are hosted on Ravelry, enabling the global volunteer knitter base to manufacture the product without centralized production.

The organization operates an entirely volunteer-staffed model with no paid positions, run operationally out of Tempe Yarn & Fiber in Tempe, Arizona, which receives, inspects, sizes, stuffs, and packages completed donations for direct mail shipment to recipients across all 50 US states. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via website requests, supplemented by healthcare-provider referrals (originating at Chandler Regional Hospital Cancer Center) and licensed international groups in 10+ countries. The Cascade Yarns partnership has supplied the recommended cotton yarn for 10+ years.

Knitted Knockers Charities was created when the movement founded by Chesley Flotten in 2007 at The Knitting Experience Cafe in Bangor, Maine was passed to the Tempe Yarn community project that began in 2010; the effort was formally incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2015. Over 200,000 knitted knockers have been distributed since 2010. The organization is entirely donation-funded, with all products and shipping provided free to recipients, and has publicly announced it will end shipment of knitted knockers in 2026 after 16 years of service.

Name

Knitted Knockers Charities

Legal name

Knitted Knockers Charities, Inc.

Website

https://knittedknockersusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Knitted Knockers Charities is an Arizona 501(c)(3) that distributes free hand-knitted cotton breast prosthetics to mastectomy patients across all 50 US states via an all-volunteer, donation-funded model anchored at Tempe Yarn & Fiber.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Post-Mastectomy Prosthetics and Recovery Support

NAICS

Apparel Knitting Mills (315120), Apparel Knitting Mills (3151)

SIC

Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Knitting Mills (2250)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAAAAAJ

Knitwear & Sweaters Manufacturers

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Apparel Brands & Manufacturing

SECONDARYIMAOABAB

Knitted Fabric Mills

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Textiles, Apparel & Leather Manufacturing/Fabric & Textile Mills (Woven/Knitted/Nonwoven)

SECONDARYCRAAAMAC

Knitted Fabrics

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Textiles, Fabrics & Trims (Inputs & Sourcing)

Keywords

• Breast prosthetics charity
• Post-mastectomy support
• Free knitted prosthetics
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Breast cancer recovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Tempe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Knitted Knockers Charities operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity funded entirely by donations from recipients and the local community. All services and products are provided free of charge to mastectomy patients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Knitted Knockers Charities provides free, hand-knitted prosthetic breast forms made from Cascade Ultra Pima cotton yarn to women who have undergone mastectomies. The organization coordinates a nationwide network of volunteer knitters who use standardized patterns, then collects, inspects, sizes, stuffs, and packages the prosthetics at the Tempe Yarn & Fiber hub before shipping them directly to recipients across all 50 US states at no cost.

Product overview

Knitted Knockers Charities operates as a single-product nonprofit organization offering free knitted prosthetic breast alternatives to mastectomy patients. The core product, Knitted Knockers, are hand-knitted soft prosthetics made from Cascade Ultra Pima cotton that provide a lightweight, comfortable alternative to silicone prosthetics. The organization distributes these products for free to women in all 50 US states. Supporting the core product, the organization provides two free downloadable knitting patterns (DPNs In the Round and Flat patterns) through Ravelry, enabling volunteers to create their own Knitted Knockers. Cascade Ultra Pima cotton yarn is offered as the recommended material for making the knockers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Knitted Knockers Hand-knitted prosthetic breast forms made from Cascade Ultra Pima cotton yarn, distributed free of charge to women who have had a mastectomy. The prosthetics are lightweight, breathable, machine-washable, and shaped to resemble a natural breast when placed in a bra.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200,000 knitted knockers distributed free to women in all 50 US states
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tempe Yarn & FibercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Long before becoming a 501(c)(3), Tempe Yarn championed the making of knitted knockers as a community project supporting a local cancer center. Tordya at Tempe Yarn is the hub of activity where completed donations are received, inspected and packaged for shipment. They provide the infrastructure that allows the organization to operate.
• Cascade YarnscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor the past 10+ years, Cascade Yarns has partnered with Knitted Knockers Charities, providing Ultra Pima cotton yarn. Without their help and support, the organization could not have helped tens of thousands of women deal with the after effects of breast cancer.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Breast Cancer Research Foundation: Major breast cancer research funder supporting scientific and clinical research. Adjacent to Knitted Knockers — same patient community — but focuses on research rather than direct-to-patient comfort products.
• Susan G. Komen: Largest US breast cancer nonprofit, focused on research, community health, and direct patient support. Addresses the same patient population as Knitted Knockers, but at vastly larger scale and with a research/advocacy rather than tangible prosthetic delivery focus.
• National Breast Cancer Foundation: US nonprofit providing free mammograms, education, and patient navigation services for breast cancer. Serves the same patient demographic as Knitted Knockers and operates in adjacent channels (healthcare provider partnerships, awareness campaigns).

Emerging players

• Living Beyond Breast Cancer: National nonprofit connecting breast cancer patients with trusted information, resources, and peer support. Addresses post-diagnosis quality-of-life needs for the same mastectomy patient population served by Knitted Knockers, with overlapping outreach channels.
• Threads of Love: Volunteer-based nonprofit providing handmade clothing and burial items for premature and stillborn infants. Closely analogous volunteer-craft-charity operating model to Knitted Knockers — distributed crafting, free distribution, hospital partnerships — though serving neonatal loss rather than post-mastectomy needs.
• Project Linus: US volunteer-led nonprofit that distributes handmade blankets to children in hospitals and trauma situations. Highly comparable operating model — volunteer crafters, donated materials, free distribution, decentralized production — though serving a different end user.

Direct peers

• ANITA Dr. Helbig GmbH: German manufacturer of breast prostheses, post-mastectomy bras, and lingerie. Operates in the same prosthetic breast form category as Knitted Knockers, with comparable end-customer (mastectomy patients) and comparable product application.
• Trulife: Manufacturer of breast prostheses, post-surgical bras, and silicone breast forms for mastectomy patients. Trulife is a direct competitor in the breast prosthetic category and shares Knitted Knockers' core problem space — restoring shape and confidence after mastectomy — but addresses it through premium-priced commercial silicone products.
• Amoena: Global market leader in breast forms and post-mastectomy apparel. Amoena is the most directly comparable commercial peer — both organizations produce breast prosthetics intended to restore natural appearance after mastectomy, though Amoena sells silicone-based forms at price while Knitted Knockers distributes cotton-knitted forms free of charge.
• Nearly Me: Specialty maker of breast forms and post-mastectomy products founded by a breast cancer survivor. Closely comparable product category and mission alignment with Knitted Knockers, differing mainly in commercial distribution and silicone vs. knitted form factor.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knitted Knockers Charities