18.8.09 Knitting a Field Poppy Brooch for Ginette

This Free Pattern is from 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet by Lesley Stanfield, St. Martin's Griffin, 2009.

At the age of 9 to 12, I don't recall exactly when, my grandma taught me the very basics of knitting. I think it was how to cast on, Knit and bind off. I remember to have a big thirst to learn knitting from my grandma which was knitting for us beautiful sweaters. However, I haven't got many attention for this, maybe because my grandma thought I was too young and preferred explaining my firstborn sister. I remember myself knitting during the Summer vacations in France: Sceaux; Bayonne and from time to time in my secret place, in my hot attic room in Jerusalem. I gathered here a picture of all my mostly unfinished knitting projects from that time:
(n.b. the most colorful one at the bottom was a skirt I made for a Barby doll)

A big lesson I took from this, is that I think kids should learn those crafts as knitting, crochet, beading etc... from a very early age. There is no reason why not. But of course, that should be done with pure love and good approach and if the child is not interested - then maybe he will on another day. I just mean not to make these craft lessons mandatory as my grandma had in school (to the point of hating it), but make it a great fun for them enabling them to express themselves in a new medium and acquiring new skills.
For some reason, I couldn't get back to knit for years, now about 20 :-)
In beginning of July 09, I wanted to make for grandma this poppy field and try to relearn to knit and expend my knowledge in this field. That would have been for me another circle that encloses itself.
During the weekend of 3-4.7.09 I made big efforts to learn knitting while making this flower. With these 2mm long needles it was really aching at the fingers' tops. Thanks to Youtube fantastic movies with those amazing women and grandmas sharing their knowledge - I managed to learn while making this poppy. Blessed is the Internet :-)
I finally made the finishes today, sewing the petals, making the central parts, sewing everything together and making it a brooch. I want to give it to grandma face to face and I have no idea when will it happen in the near future.
I am glad to have finished it, it feels strange. However, I am not satisfied with the unneat look of the flower. I must admit that in order to recall all I have learned from these movies I need much more practice - so maybe I'll make a sweater? Now it's too hot to even think about it ;-) and Lion Brand are not shipping internationally, so it will have to wait...

Enjoy the links that were very helpful for me, in case you want to start learning knitting:

How to knit

K - knit

Bind off

yo - Yarn over or yarn forward, bringing the yarn forward between last st worked and first st on left hand needle. (Creates a false stitch).

K2tog - Knit next 2 stitches together.

Sk2po - Slip next stitch, then knit following two stitches together, then pass slipped stitch over.

S1 - Slip one.

k1f&b - Knit One Front & Back

ssk - Slip, Slip, Knit.