Poppies for Anzac Day

I made several poppies to decorate the RSA building grounds where the Anzac parade/service is held every year. I sewed on the poppies just as dusk was falling the night before Anzac Day. The poppies were still in place for the Anzac Parade at 10.45 am and I heard several people making positive comments about the knitted poppies :-) 

The first few photos were taken immediately after I had attached the poppies. The last five photos were taken on Anzac Day.

After the laying of wreaths and flowers

I used this pattern for most of the poppies and this one for the larger poppy attached to the flag pole. Both those links take you to the relevant pattern pages on ravelry. 

Anzac Day occurs on 25th April every year and is marked in New Zealand and Australia. It commemorates all those who lost their lives in war, and also honours returned servicemen and women. "ANZAC" is an acronym formed from the first letters of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which was the group soldiers were formed into in Egypt before landing at Gallipoli in April 1915. 

Anzac Day was first marked in 1916, and Anzac Day ceremonies are held all over New Zealand. For a little village like ours, we had a very good turn out and everyone was in good voice. As usual the "Last Post" brought me out in goosebumps. . . For the first time ever, Sonny Jim took part in the parade, with the rest of his Cub Scout group, and when the appropriate time came he solemnly laid his poppy on the memorial. As for me, I had already placed my poppies the night before. . .

Some of the crowd at the Anzac Day ceremony

Sonny Jim places his poppy


They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

R.I.P. Rooty caterpillar

You might remember my very first attempt at yarnification, back in February. . . a young caterpillar called Rooty, whose prime purpose in life was as a Health and Safety officer in the hospital grounds, drawing attention to a tree root jutting out into the path.

Rooty caterpillar, freshly hatched

His secondary purpose was to bring smiles to the faces of all who walked his way. Various people told me that he did indeed make them smile, and happiness was mine. . .

Imagine my sadness when I walked along the "Caterpillar Path" to work yesterday morning to discover this sight. . .

Rooty had been taken from his tree root, but that was not all. I could have lived with that, with only a moderate amount of distress. However, in a seemingly pointless act of eco-vandalism, the tree root has been ripped out of the ground on both sides of the path and is now much more hazardous to clumsy or distracted pedestrians than it ever was, even pre-Rooty. Maybe Rooty himself could be described as eco-vandalism, but not in my opinion, obviously! No tree roots were harmed in the hatching of Rooty. . . they just got a bit of protection from the elements and stumbling feet.

Why? Why? That's what I keep wondering. Why would someone rip a tree root right out of the ground? I don't know. The exposed tree root is now approaching 2 metres long whereas it was previously only about 30 cm. In an attempt to give me something positive to focus on, one of my colleagues challenged me to knit a snake cosy for the 2 metre long tree root. I might just do that!

The chainlink fence hearts were also removed in the same strike - I found a bunch of red fluff on the ground nearby, but not so much as a scrap of lime green acrylic anywhere to be seen. Rooty seems to have just evaporated!

I guess I could say Rooty "had a good innings" - 2 months is not a short life for a caterpillar. He had become a bit droopy in later life, but at least he was still cheery!

R.I.P Rooty, you started a local yarny revolution!! Look at this beautiful flowery doorknob cosy, put in place at work by my Accomplice recently. . . if it hadn't been for Rooty, this flower would never have bloomed!!