The Poppy project: A collaborative community art display

Every November, the Niagara Falls Museum sets up a display for Remembrance Day, a day where we remember the armed forces who died in the line of duty during WWI. This year the Museum will also be remembering prolific knitter and Canadian Legacy, Elizabeth Lundy. Elizabeth inspired this year’s display through her love of knitting and her great efforts during WWI, when she knit 300 socks for Canadian troops. The display will be a large-scale installation of knit and crochet poppies that will drape over the exterior of the museum during the month of November.

The Niagara Falls Museum wants to get Knitters and Crocheters involved in their Remembrance Day display and help continue Elizabeth’s legacy. You can join in by stitching a poppy and sending it to the Niagara Falls Museum. If you would like to participate by making a hand stitched poppy, the Niagara Falls Museum has provided free crochet and knit patterns! Scroll down for patterns and video tutorials.

The Museum is looking for poppies made with a bright poppy red, worsted weight, size 4 yarn. Yarns such as Caron One Pound in Claret, Bernat Super Value in Berry, or Red Heart Super Saver in Cherry Red, are great options to make your poppy! For the poppy, you will need approximately 17-20 yards of red yarn and 2-3 yards of black yarn. You will also need a size 5mm, US 8 knitting needles or a size 6mm/J crochet hook. Needle or hook size may be adjusted but finished poppy must be between 4-5 inches in diameter.

While the Museum is currently closed to the public, they are inviting anyone to drop off their completed poppies on Mondays between 9am-4pm, under the overhang at the back entrance. Stitchers are also welcomed to mail their completed poppies to the Museum at:

City of Niagara Falls
c/o Niagara Falls Museums – Poppy Project
4310 Queen Street
Niagara Falls, ON
Canada L2E 6X5

Crochet Pattern

Abbreviations
Ch: chain(s) | Dc: double crochet | Sc = single crochet | Sl st = slip stitch | (12) = indicates number of stitches at end of round

Pattern designed by Hania Wojtowicz

With black, make a slip knot with a 10” tail and ch 2.
Round 1: 12 dc in second ch from hook. Join with sl st to first dc. Fasten off and leave a 10” tail. (12)
Round 2: Using red yarn, join into the top of any of the black dc leaving a 10” tail. Ch 3 (counts as a dc). 1 dc into the same stitch. 2 dc into each of the remaining dc. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. (24)
Round 3: Ch 1. 2 dc into each of the next 4 dc, sc into next dc. *sc in next dc, 2 dc into each of the next 4 dc, sc in next dc*. Repeat from * to * 2 more times. Join with sl st into bottom of starting ch 1. (40)
Round 4: *2 dc into each of the next 8 dc, slip stitch between the 2 sc of the previous row*. Repeat from * to * three times. Fasten off and leave a 10” tail. (68)
The 4 tails will be used to attach the poppies to the art installation, so do not cut them off or weave them into the poppy.
Follow along to the video tutorial by Mikey of The Crochet Crowd:

Knit Pattern

Abbreviations
K: knit | P: purl | K2tog: knit 2 together | (Sl1, K2tog, psso): Slip 1 purl-wise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over

Pattern designed by Susan Simms
With red, cast on 52 sts leaving a 10" tail at the beginning.
Work the next 8 rows as follows:
Right side: *K10, p3* repeat from * to * to end.
Wrong side: *K3, P10* repeat from * to * to end.
Cut red leaving 10" tail.
Change to black tying to red at needle and leaving 10" tail before starting with the black.
Next row: K2 tog across
Next row: P across
Next row: *(Sl1, K2tog, psso)* repeat from * to* across to last 2 sts. K2 tog.
Cut yarn about 10" long and thread through the last stitches with a darning needle. Pull tight while removing from needle. Sew sides up with black, then with red using the mattress stitch, or leave for us to sew up. There should be no seam showing. Leave a 10” tail on both black and red ends.
The 4 tails will be used to attach the poppies to the art installation, so do not cut them off or weave them into the poppy.

Follow along to the video tutorial by Marly Bird:

  

While the Museum is currently closed to the public, they are inviting anyone to drop off their completed poppies on Mondays between 9am-4pm, under the overhang at the back entrance. Stitchers are also welcomed to mail their completed poppies to the Museum at:

City of Niagara Falls
c/o Niagara Falls Museums – Poppy Project
4310 Queen Street
Niagara Falls, ON
Canada L2E 6X5

Crochet Pattern

Abbreviations
Ch: chain(s) | Dc: double crochet | Sc = single crochet | Sl st = slip stitch | (12) = indicates number of stitches at end of round

Pattern designed by Hania Wojtowicz

With black, make a slip knot with a 10” tail and ch 2.
Round 1: 12 dc in second ch from hook. Join with sl st to first dc. Fasten off and leave a 10” tail. (12)
Round 2: Using red yarn, join into the top of any of the black dc leaving a 10” tail. Ch 3 (counts as a dc). 1 dc into the same stitch. 2 dc into each of the remaining dc. Join with sl st to top of ch 3. (24)
Round 3: Ch 1. 2 dc into each of the next 4 dc, sc into next dc. *sc in next dc, 2 dc into each of the next 4 dc, sc in next dc*. Repeat from * to * 2 more times. Join with sl st into bottom of starting ch 1. (40)
Round 4: *2 dc into each of the next 8 dc, slip stitch between the 2 sc of the previous row*. Repeat from * to * three times. Fasten off and leave a 10” tail. (68)
The 4 tails will be used to attach the poppies to the art installation, so do not cut them off or weave them into the poppy.
Follow along to the video tutorial by Mikey of The Crochet Crowd:

Knit Pattern

Abbreviations
K: knit | P: purl | K2tog: knit 2 together | (Sl1, K2tog, psso): Slip 1 purl-wise, knit 2 together, pass slip stitch over

Pattern designed by Susan Simms
With red, cast on 52 sts leaving a 10" tail at the beginning.
Work the next 8 rows as follows:
Right side: *K10, p3* repeat from * to * to end.
Wrong side: *K3, P10* repeat from * to * to end.
Cut red leaving 10" tail.
Change to black tying to red at needle and leaving 10" tail before starting with the black.
Next row: K2 tog across
Next row: P across
Next row: *(Sl1, K2tog, psso)* repeat from * to* across to last 2 sts. K2 tog.
Cut yarn about 10" long and thread through the last stitches with a darning needle. Pull tight while removing from needle. Sew sides up with black, then with red using the mattress stitch, or leave for us to sew up. There should be no seam showing. Leave a 10” tail on both black and red ends.
The 4 tails will be used to attach the poppies to the art installation, so do not cut them off or weave them into the poppy.

Follow along to the video tutorial by Marly Bird: