Lest We Forget

It is that time of year again when we start to see poppies everywhere, in commemoration of Armistice Day. Armistice Day also known as Remembrance Day is on November 11th each year and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning – the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918.

Due to many different issues I have not been able to make poppies to sell this year as I have done in previous years, but I have made a small handful to give to friends and to wear myself, giving a donation to The Royal British Legion on their behalf.

There are many free patterns out there for poppies but I made this one up myself as I was sat with my wool basket at my side and a sleeping kitten on my lap and couldn’t reach the iPad for a tutorial.

If you would like to make your own, the pattern went something like this 

(UK Crochet Terms)

Poppy

1^st round: Ch2, In second chain from hook, dc 11, join last dc to first with a slip stitch (10 sts)

2^nd round: Ch1, *in 1st dc (dc, htr,tr), in 2nd dc 2 tr, in 3^rd dc 3tr, in 4^th dc (tr, htr, dc), ss into next dc* repeat from *to* (24 st)

3^rd round: Ch1, in 1^st st of previous round (dc,htr, tr), in next 10 stitches tr, 2tr, tr, 2tr, tr, 2tr, tr,    2tr, tr,2tr, in 12^th stitch of previous round (tr,htr,dc) ss into next dc.  

In 14^thst of previous round (dc,htr,tr) tr into next 9 st, into 23^rd st of previous round (tr, htr, dc) ss into last st of previous round.

Bind off and sew in ends.

Leaf

1^st row: Ch 6, In 2^nd chain from hook, work 1dc, 1htr, 2tr, 1ht,1dc, ch1 at end of row ss into back of second chain from hook to form picot, turn,

this is where you ss into the back of the stitch can you see where I've placed the needle for clarity?

2^nd row:, working along the other side of the chain, work 1dc, 1htr, 1tr, 1htr, 1dc.

Bind off and sew in ends, leaving a tail to attach leaf to flower.

Finishing:  I added a small circle of black felt with a small 6mm dolls eye as the centre, but you can simply sew a nice black button in the middle.  Using black cotton add the stamen and add a simple french knot at the end of each stamen.

Attach your leaf to the back and tack in place, add a brooch back (or a safety pin) to the back and you are done.

I covered my button and gave it a spritz of spray starch to set it.

As I said I made this up as I went with a paper poppy as a guide but as it is a standard poppy shape it is likely that there are very similar patterns out there, this is my own.

 Please feel free to use this pattern to make poppies for your own use or to sell for charity. Please do not make poppies to sell for personal profit from this pattern.

If you are planning to make yourself a poppy instead of buying one you can make a donation to the Royal British Legion directly here.

The Exhortation

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, not the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

When you go home tell them of us and say,

For your tomorrow we gave our today

Back Soon

n.b. thanks for the feedback I have made an amendment to pattern 06.11.14 Kandi x

Future Knitting Antics

I had a quick shuffle round the charity shops at the weekend and came across these lovely knitting patterns. I am not a knitter as such, I can knit, but have not made anything substantial since I was at school, and even then it was a one armed angora jumper (I got bored).

I plan to get back into knitting sometime soon and I just had to have these when I saw them for 20p each. There was a whole box full of patterns that someone had donated and I wanted them all, but settled for these:

How cool are these, mosters to knit, Frankenstein's monster, mummies and witches:

This is one of my favourites from this booklet, can you see him...

...of course not it's the invisible man!

I got ten of these Beatrix Potter Nursery Collection Patterns, here are just a few:

I checked google and these are selling on ebay for £25 each!!!

And this cushion and blanket pattern:

I got lots of these doll patterns including this one which is similar to a rag doll I had when I was a kid, this is Cinderella:

Who flips to show, Cinderella ready for the ball!

Ain't she pretty?

Some christmas makes:

This one made me think of Char, knitted dinosaurs:

There is a full book of those topsy turnabout dolls:

This little guy bears a striking resemblance to Peter the Disabled Duck from Harry Hill's TV Burp:

I generally find clowns spooky, bit these ones are quite sweet:

Here is another moving doll, here she is sleeping:

and on the other side...

She is awake!

How about a knitted Sunday Lunch, most odd?

These may be a bit ambitious but I will get there I'm sure.

On a different note following my post about getting healthy the other day I have decided to get to grips with the healthy living and have made a start by joining Slimming World. I joined on Wednesday night, I was stunned to see how heavy I was I must have had my head in the sand. Anyway I am up for this and ready to make a change, so I might bleat on about it from time to time.

~ ♥ Back Soon ♥ ~