Poppy project co-ordinator Alison Jones at the National Army Museum, Waiouru with some of the flowers made for the centennial tribute.
Poppy project co-ordinator Alison Jones at the National Army Museum, Waiouru with some of the flowers made for the centennial tribute.
Row upon row of World War I graves will be represented by row upon row of knitting, in a massive centennial project by the National Army Museum, Waiouru.
Poppies will be made for each of the 18,166 service men and woman who died in the war. The poppies, which havestood for the carnage on the battlefields of France and Belgium for almost 100 years, can be knitted, crocheted, sewn or handcrafted in any way.
The tributes would be on show at the museum "in the form of a cascading waterfall of poppies," said poppy project co-ordinator, Alison Jones. Launched as the Patriotic Call to Yarn, the project mimics the war effort of women in New Zealand from 1914-18.
Ms Jones said patriotic associations were formed all over the country, with more than 5 million raised. Women got together and knitted and stitched items of clothing for the soldiers, including balaclavas, shirts, underclothing, socks and darning kits.
