Photos of the Poppy Installation

Museum 'Yarn Bombed'

Thank you to everyone who sent in poppies, we were inundated with 1256 poppies!! Here are a few initial images of installation.  More to come over the weekend.

To mark this years Armistice Day, the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum located in Gloucester Docks has been ‘yarn bombed’ with knitted and crocheted poppies.

Lavinia Drake, volunteer and project organiser, worked with staff to install 1200 poppies from the roof of the museum to the pavement and around the Docks area. The initial target was 500 poppies for the installation, but in just two weeks, the museum received 1200 poppies from knitters from as far as Spain and Germany!

Lavinia had the idea after helping digitalise a first world war diary of the Gloucestershire Regiment. “At the end of each month there is a summary of soldiers, missing, wounded and dead. The numbers of each were shocking, and this was just for one Battalion, it really made me think about the sacrifices these men made. I wanted to do something in a fun visual way, which would make people encountering the poppies to stop and remember those who have died at war.”

Curator George Streatfeild said, “We have her to thank for all the positive reactions we have had from the public. We have involved an audience that would otherwise be unlikely to be interested in the museum.”

The poppies will be on display until the 20^th November, donations to the British Legion Poppy Appeal can be made in the museum shop. The shop is also selling the handmade poppies as brooches as well as official British Legion items, with all donations going to the Poppy Appeal.

The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum has several Remembrance Day displays up as well as telling the stories of soldiers from the county for the last three hundred years.

500 Poppies Project

If you can knit, crochet or sew please help! I need 500 handmade poppies in 20 days time for this exciting project! Scroll down for patterns.

To mark this years Armistice day 2012 I will be yarn bombing The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum in Gloucester, with red poppies.

The installation will be seen from a busy road and pedestrian street, to remind passers by of Remembrance Day.

This art installation is in aid of the British Legion's Poppy Appeal, and hopes to attract a lot of attention. The poppies will then be turned into brooches and sold with all donations going to the Poppy appeal.

To make an impact I require at least 500 poppies, so please send as many as you can! Include your email address so I can let you know they have arrived.

Poppies must arrive by the 6th November 2012.

500 Poppies Project

Soldiers Of Gloucestershire Museum

Gloucester Docks

Gloucester

GL1 2HE

Photos of the yarn bombing will be up as soon as its done! If you're on twitter please use the #500PoppiesProject 

Any questions please email me Laviniadrake (at) hotmail.com


See UK Hand Knitting for more Charity projects

Crochet a Poppy for the 500 Poppies Project

You will need:

Red yarn

Black button, beads, fabric or yarn.

Crochet hook

Ch 3, join with sl st to form circle.
Ch 3, work 9 dc into the centre of the circle and join with sl st.
Work the three petals separately.
Petal 1.
Ch 3, work 1st dc into same st, work 2 dc into each of the next 3 sts.
ch 1 work 2 sc into each st, tie off.
Petal 2. 
work 2 dc into last dc of previous petal, work 2 dc into each of the next 3 sts.
ch 1 work 2 sc into each st, tie off.
Work petal 3 as 2.
Sew all ends in and attach button in the centre.

Felt or Fabric Poppy

You will need:

Red felt or fabric
Black felt or fabric or buttons, sequins, beads
Black thread
Green felt

Poppies can be any size

Cut red felt or fabric into desired petal shape
Cut green leaf shape
Sew black fabric or buttons etc, into centre of red petals.
Attach green leaf to the back.

See images for ideas.

Knitting Pattern for 500 Poppies Project

Quick Knitting Poppy

You will need:
Knitting Needles
Red Yarn
Black Button

This uses a twisting the needle techinique to make the rounded shape of the poppy, but knits up really quickly!
(See photos... Top: once you've taken straight off the needles, the edges will be frilled more on one side. Bottom: Once you put the wool tight, then sew up and add button.)

Cast on 36 stitches

Knit first four rows

5th row Knit 3 then rotate right needle by 360° (turn right hand needle completely round)
Knit 6 – rotate right needle again 360°
 Repeat until 3 stitches remain at end of needle

6th row  Knit 2 tog across all stitches

7th row   As above

8th row  As above

Cast off remaining stitches by pass the thread through the remaining stitches to draw them together.  Sew up seam and attach button.


4 Petals Poppy

You will need:
Knitting Needles
Red Yarn
Black Yarn
Needle and black thread

The needle size and tension is up to you, it doesn't matter what size the poppies are.

Petals (make 4)
Using Red, cast on 7 sts.
1st row (RS) K.
2nd row Kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. 9 sts.
3rd row As 2nd row. 11 sts.
4th row As 2nd row. 13 sts.
5th–8th rows K.
9th row Ssk twice, k to last 4 sts, k2tog twice. 9 sts. 10th–12th rows K.
13th row As 9th row. 5 sts.
14th–16th rows K.
17th row K1, sk2po, k1. 3 sts.
18th row K. Bind off.

Centre
Using Black, cast on 16 sts. Bind off.

Finishing
Sew petals together in pairs, then position one pair over the other in a cross formation and secure. Coil centre into a tight spiral and using black sew base to the centre. Maintain the petals in a cup shape with a small stitch behind pairs of petals.


ABBREVIATIONS / REFERENCES k = knit k2tog = knit 2 together kfb = knit in front and back of stitch st(s) = stitch(es) ssk = slip, slip, knit

Stitch Explanation: Sk2po - Slip 2 stitches as if to knit together, knit 1, pass slipped stitches over