Poppy knit

I know I've been a bit quiet of late, it's really not because I've got nothing to say. I have plenty of older recipes and cooking experiments I could revisit and share, however, no cooking is currently taking place and I fear writing about and thinking about cooking will just make me focus on the negative elements of the current household. The pictures below show my kitchen a few weeks ago and believe me things have got a lot worse since then...it's not an inspiring environment for culinary wonderfulness!

So my thoughts have turned to other creative pastimes. After a recent trip into Nottingham Lauren became excited by the prospect of learning to knit. We bought some supplies and I started to teach her. Wow, I had forgotten how great knitting was but also how difficult it is to teach someone such an easy task, we were in tears and tantrums territory before we'd cast on our first 9 stitches. It became clear that some work would be needed before she could knit the parrot she had set her heart on.

In the meantime I received the Community update at work that details all the community projects we are involved in as a business and lists volunteering opportunities. Previously I've dug manure for an animal rescue shelter, gardened for an inner city farm, cleared woodland for a country park and supported the World Cerebral Palsy Games.

At the bottom of the mail the following link caught my eye https://www.facebook.com/BBCRadioNottingham where Radio Nottingham detail their Big Poppy Knit appeal. They are asking for volunteers to knit or crochet 11,000 poppies to commemorate each of the 11,000 Nottinghamshire men who lost their lives in the Great War. What a fantastic idea.

Luckily we had just gained a ball of red wool and I already had a set of 3.75mm needles, so off I went. The link has both knitting and crochet patterns, so I chose the easy garter stich one and managed to knit a poppy in one evening in between my chores. I was so impressed with the result, it must be 20 years since I last knitted anything.

If you want to try check out the link, but here's the pattern I followed from the site.

I used a 25gm ball of red and some scraps of black double knitting wool and 3.75 needles, using different sized needs or weights of yarn will give different results.

Body of Poppy

Using the red wool cast on 120 stitches.
Rows 1-4 Knit
Row 5 Knit 3 stitches together across the row (so that you end up with 40 stitches)
Rows 6-9 Knit
Row 10 Knit 2 stitches together across the row (so that you end up with 20 stitches)
Rows 11-14 Knit
Row 15 Knit 2 stitches together across the row (so that you end up with 10 stitches)

Cut yarn leaving a tail of about 20 cm

Thread tail through yarn needle and slip all the remaining live stitches onto the yarn tail and pull tight. Pull around into a circle and then mattress stitch (or use whatever stitching you normally use) to seam for an invisible seam. Sew in ends.

Centre of Poppy

Using the black wool, cast on 16 sts. Cast off. Coil into a tight spiral and sew base to the centre.

Or use a black or green button with 4 holes and sew to centre of poppy.

This pattern is marked for beginners and was quite easy, but 120 stitches filled my needle to capacity so use the longest ones you've got. Also make sure your tension is not too tight as the knit 3 together row made me utter some colourful language and caused some pain to fingers!

This would be a really good idea for raising money for a forces related charity, or you could knit yourself one add a pin and wear it with pride (don't forget to still donate if this means you wont buy a poppy this year).

You could join several together to make a reusable decoration for a community centre, school or church.