Remembrance Poppies

 

When Co-op Funeralcare opened their new parlour in Wallsend some LDNE's older clients were invited along to its launch, as we are one of the local Co-op's designated charities.  One of the undertakers mentioned they were planning a Union Jack in poppies for Remembrance and Mrs Workyticket landed us in it by volunteering the knit&natter group to do them.  Thankfully other people did some too.

We started work on the project around Eastertime.  My fellow volunteer, Carrie, calculated the proportion of red, white and blue in the Union Jack and the number of 3inch wide poppies required to make one big enough for the window.  She worked out that the best way to make the middle was to crochet a little black circle and sew it onto the poppy, leaving two tails of black to sew the poppy on to the flag.

Only Mrs Workyticket and Mrs Pattern really have the skill to knit poppies, but the rest of the ladies gave moral support.  Mrs Workyticket couldn’t manage the last row of the pattern, or the sewing up, so Carrie and I did that for all of hers.  As well as sewing the middles onto all of Mrs Pattern's, and knitting a fair few ourselves. 

Sadly in September Carrie’s failing eyesight and hand troubles forced her to give up volunteering, but she left me with plenty of black middles to be going on with.

We had planned to deliver the poppies to the Wallsend Co-op Funeralcare on Friday 

28^th October, but storm Babet made it impossible.  So one of the undertakers, Becca, came over to collect them.  Her colleague Karen sewed them all on to the flag.

 

This Friday (3^rd November) the knit’n’natter group were invited to see the end result.   

 

I chauffeured Miss Holly and Mrs Lourdes, as my car’s boot is big enough to accommodate their walkers.  The rest walked except for 84 year old 

Mrs Cannybody who Miss Fundraising pushed in her wheelchair.   

 

We had a lovely time with the two lady undertakers, tea, biscuits, good craic and a laugh and photos with the flag.

However

I never want to knit another poppy.

Seriously, short shrift will be given if I'm asked.

The lass who sewed them onto the flag deserves a medal.