Road Of Remembrance

What is now called the Road of Remembrance was originally called Slope Road. This was the route millions of soldiers marched down on their way to Folkestone harbour, on to the trenches in France and Belgium in WW1.

The community around the Church that I grew up in is joining many others in making hand knitted poppies to line the Road of Remembrance. As well as sending poppies to the Road of Remembrance St Gabriel's Church in Blackburn will be making a big poppy out of many small poppies to place outside the church on Remembrance Sunday. Here's the lady who started it all on the BBC News.

As I have never actually knitted anything, I had completely no idea how to knit, this was a big challenge for me. It took me a very very long time to get the hang of knitting. I found casting on rather easy but after that everything just went wrong. After trying again and again and getting very fed up of casting on I managed to get my knitting to actually look like knitting (I think). Then I had to teach myself how to increase and decrease and man was this fiddly on such a small poppy petal, the piece just kept slipping off my needles... casting on again and again... eventually I managed my first knitted item, a petal. Here it is: 

To be honest I don't even know if it's any good, I guess it looks the right shape.

I would love to say it got easier as I made more petals but that would be a massive lie, perhaps because they are so small and I am such a newbie, I just struggled along. Anyway after getting rather angry at a tiny poppy I managed to finish it. It took me long enough. I though knitting was supposed to be relaxing? 

Here'e the finished poppy: 

I don't think I'll be doing any more knitting any time soon I'll just stick to crochet. Don't let me put anyone off though! Give it a go you may love it, it just doesn't seem to be for me. What better way to learn how to knit/crochet than for a charity? 

I cannot share the pattern for this poppy as it is acquired through a donation to the British Legion. However follow this Link to find some knit and crochet poppy patterns. Feel free to join me and knit or crochet poppies for the Road of Remembrance. Don't forget to donate or ask others to donate for every poppy you make and think of those who lost their lives. All poppies should be sent to Purl Queens, check out their Facebook for more information. 

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