Calling all knitters
Calling all knitters
We want to create Britain’s Biggest Purple Poppy to help us launch our 2019 Purple Poppy Appeal - and we need your help…We got the idea from our good friends in Australia and New Zealand who knit purple poppies in their thousands to remember the service and sacrifice of their animals in war, and they are sending us hundreds of poppies they’ve made to get us started. What we will do is sew them altogether to make a giant cloak and we plan to have a very special celebrity wear it for us ahead of our national day on August 23, 2019.Last year many of you shared with us the poppies you’d knitted to decorate your churches, village halls, park benches - and of course your horses, donkeys and ponies, and we hope the you will want to help us again. Just one small change… we will be unveiling our new look pin badge very soon but it will have a silver centre. This simple pattern should make a good number of poppies from one ball of wool or yarn, but if you want to be adventurous we’d be delighted to accept any giant poppies you might want to make. Please send your poppies to War Horse Memorial, 18, Ascot Towers, Windsor Road, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7LG. If you can’t knit but want to get involved then you can make poppies out of purple felt or fabric. All contributions welcome!KNITTING PATTERN FOR POPPIES.For the best finish, knit with a Double Knit yarn.The size of needle you choose will determine how big the poppy will be, but we recommend 3.5mm or 3.75mm (UK9).If you have any problems you will find lots of tutorial videos on YouTube.You Will NeedOne ball of purple wool (one ball will make a lot of poppies!)One silver button for each poppyWhat To Do NextCast on 120 stitchesRows: 1-4 KnitRow 5: Knit 3 stiches together across the row (40 stiches) (or slip1, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over the remaining stitch)Rows 6-9: KnitRow 10: Knit 2 stitches together across the row (20 stitches)Rows 11-14: KnitRow 15: Knit 2 stitches together across the row (10 stitches)Cut yarn leaving a tail of about 20cmThread 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, or leave a length so the poppy can be tied.For the centre of the poppy use a silver button with 4 holes and sew to centre of poppy.