When three mums started crocheting poppies for their friends, they could never have imagined it would turn into a poppy frenzy.
Three months, 20 balls of wool and £1,500 in donations later, they are ready to do it all again next year.
Sisters Barbara Rumsey and Hilary Morley, and friend Toni Highfield, have spent every free minute since August with a hook in their hand after demand for their product went through the roof.
Barbara, from Linthorpe, works at the Middlesbrough branch of Marks and Spencer and started crocheting last year with colleague Toni, from Normanby.
At the time, they asked for donations from people but did not think to keep track of what they were raising.
This year, they decided once again to make poppies but never expected what came next.
Mum-of-two Barbara said: “I had my poppy on my blouse and a customer remarked how nice it was and asked me if she could buy one.
“The next thing we knew, a friend told a friend who told a friend, and before we knew it, everyone in the shop wanted one.
“People would leave orders in M&S for 10 or 20 at a time and one woman wanted mine off my blouse so much that in the end she donated £10 to have it.”
By September, demand was so high that Barbara asked her sister Hilary to come to the rescue.
Mum-of-two Hilary, 49, said: “I came to the rescue but we had to get quicker to keep up with the orders coming in.
“We have made about 1,000 poppies over the last three months and every single penny is going to the Royal British Legion.
“I haven’t even had time to cook for the last few weeks so my husband Ray has really helped out by making my dinner and bringing me cups of tea.”
Toni, 50, who has two children, added: “I have been crocheting in between looking after my dad who is in hospital, so it has been stressful at times,
“Next year we plan to start earlier so that we don’t get as stressed.”
Each mum has created their own individual pattern and have noticed that while men prefer the traditional poppy, women prefer the more modern look.
Next year the women plan to do it all over again and are currently discussing a new, original design.
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