Council worker knits hundreds of extenders to make masks more comfortable for key workers

Linda Cochrane has knitted almost 400.
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An Edinburgh Council worker who has been knitting for 40 years has put her skills to use creating extenders to make face masks more comfortable for key workers.

Linda Cochrane, 57, has so far made 360 of the extenders, which sit at the back of the head while each loop of the face mask is hooked around a button, to save the elastic rubbing against the ears.

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She has delivered them to staff at the Royal Infirmary, the Western General, the Sick Kids and several care homes, as well as giving stocks of them to friends who are carers or NHS staff elsewhere.

The extenders make wearing masks more comfortable.The extenders make wearing masks more comfortable.
The extenders make wearing masks more comfortable.

Ms Cochrane, who usually knits baby clothes for friends and family, was inspired to begin creating the extenders by a pattern she found on social media while on holiday over Easter.

“I saw a picture on social media of a crochet version, but I’m more of a knitter so I played around with it until I got the best size,” she said.

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Due to her knitting habit Ms Cochrane had plenty of spare wool available, but initially had trouble sourcing buttons, which must be at least 2cm diameter.

Linda Cochrane.Linda Cochrane.
Linda Cochrane.
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Neighbours from a local WhatsApp group set up to support vulnerable people in the area came to her aid however and began posting bags of spare buttons through her letterbox.

The well-practised Ms Cochrane can knit each extender in 10 minutes, with an additional 10 minutes to sew on the buttons and finish the piece off.

While she began the project when on holiday for Easter, she now fits her knitting in during the evenings and weekends.

“It’s a wee thing that I thought would make people feel a bit more comfortable wearing those horrendous masks,” said Ms Cochrane.

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“I applied to Volunteer Scotland but that hasn’t happened, so this is something I can do.”

She also often adds a tube of handcream for health workers forced to wash their hands frequently to her deliveries of the extenders, or a candle or other small token as a gift.