SHINY!

So, there was a fun twist for the first Quidditch project this term - pick a "real" quidditch team, and make something that embodies the spirit of that team. I picked the Magpies... the only "value" of the team was "OOOOOO, SHINY!"


SO SHINY!!
I think I should get bonus points for managing shiny *and* House colors (we were told that just doing the team's colors wouldn't count).

Nap-Tested

For Quidditch Challenge the First for this month, we had to make something that would keep the sun out of our eyes. Since I'm slowly (well, okay, not that slowly) turning into a night owl, what came to mind possibly wasn't what the coaches were thinking we'd make:


Hooray, I nap-tested it in bright daylight (or as bright as it gets in my house).

It works!!

The Bunny Nugget Army - M*A*S*H* version

The Bunny Nugget Army has (finally) arrived!! I've had Bunny Nuggets in my favorites since October 2009. I love making bunny nuggets, and when I had the idea of a "Bunny Nugget Army", my brain immediately went to M*A*S*H*. So, here are the medics of the BAN:





Here are all the individual Bunny Nuggets:

Margaret	Honeycutt	Colonel	Frank
Radar	Padre	Hawkeye	Sarge

This was insanely fun and silly. Wheeee!!

Freezer Pop Cozies

So, I needed two really fast projects for the end of Quidditch. I grew up loving freezer pops (and still do); and wrapping a paper towel around one just never cut it. Years ago, someone made a Fla-Vor-Ice cozy for fun, and I immediately favorited the project. And now, finally, I have an excuse to make one: 15 Points for Slytherin!!


Seriously, they’re easy, and having rigorously tested it, I can say that it does, indeed work.

My fifteenth and final regular Quidditch project for this term: Another Freezer Pop Cozy! Woohoo!! This one vaguely resembles a bunch of daffodils in a field under a blue sky. Or something. I was really tired when I finished it….


And DONE!! 225 total points for Slytherin (plus 45 for three challenges). YAY!!

Slipper Frenzy (sorta)

So, I needed a few more things for Quidditch. Monday, night, I started them; Tuesday, I started the photos.


We begin.
Tuesday

His

Mine

Wednesday....


Thursday morning....


And now (after lunch):


Those are mine, almost ready (except for a missing soles) ready for assembly. His hexagons will (hopefully) be finished on the train tonight, with soles for all done during the day tomorrow. Whee!

(And yes, I'm making Slytherin slippers for my Ravenclaw boy. It's called "propaganda".)

Well, it's *supposed* to be a lightsaber, anyway

For the final round of Challenge Quidditch this term, the promt was as follows:

Summary: When the spell opens the portal that brings the future selves, they each come through bearing gifts. The gifts are key items to help defeat the Snarfalumps. What was it you received from your doppelganger? Remember, all items must be 25 yards or more, and must be in a Ravelry-approved craft form. You will have 21 days to craft this object. You may start crafting at the sound of the whistle, 12:00 AM PSTon March 1st. All Challenge 3 projects must be posted by March 21st at 11:59 PST.

So, here it is. I've decided that making a red one... didn't quite work. If your mind lives in the gutter, you'll see what I mean; if it doesn't, that's fine, nevermind.


The orignal pattern has a very short, rounded, stubby blade, and I wanted to make a more tapered one - but the original design is REALLY much better, and for the next one I make, I will follow the pattern exactly. And not make it at 2 in the morning, either, which will probably give beter results for the handle, which is also a bit squiffy:


Yeah. So, a way overtired baby sith made this. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Sometimes, projects don't behave well at first.

Sometimes, projects just don't want to cooperate right off the mark. They're fiddly, even if they really shouldn't be, or the yarn just does NOT want to play nicely, or you try knitting cobweb mohair lace on a moving train or something equally silly. And eventually, you sit yourself down at your desk, listen to the projects, and make them happy so you can both get along until they're done. To wit:

Wisp

After doing the same row three times and missing a stitch every time (and having already repaired ONE giant hole in this thing left by a missed stitch), I finally put a lifeline in my Wisp:


Here it is now, well past the lifeline... which probably means I should put another one in.


Entrelac Hat

After casting on, getting through 30 rows of ribbing, the setup triangles and the entire first row of entrelac squares, I decided the hat didn't fit, I hated the edge, and it needed to be frogged. And then the second cast-on didn't quite work. So, third time's the charm, and here's how it looked The Morning After The Frog:


... and here it is actually finished.

It is the warmest, snuggliest hat EVER. I love Feza's Cypus Mohair; I wish it was still available! (Heck, I wish Google could find the Feza site!) OMG!!! http://heavenlyhuesyarn.com/cyprusmohair.aspx appears to have some. Now I just have to decide if it's worth buying out whatever they have left or not...

Gryphon Hat

Using the adult instructions, I at least figured out I should have used the Large Child set for my own hat. (I get a HUGE break on the cost of my glasses, because I can wear kids' frames. And yes, Donna Karan makes kids' frames. The break on the frames is completely offset by the cost of the lenses, so I'm still paying half an arm and three toes, but any savings is good!) So, I frogged back past the last increase row, and started again.


It, on the next attempt, actually got finished and turned into a nice little hat, which I wore at Katsucon for hours on end the weekend before last:


So, if something is going horribly wrong (knitting/crochet-wise, anyway), starting over is usually a good idea if you actually want the finished item!

When I grow up, I wanna be...

For the Second Challenge in Quidditch, we were supposed to answer the question "Where do I see myself five years from now?" I decided my answer was "As a Master Knitter in The Knitting Guild Association!" I'm on Level One now, and have been for two years - because I keep getting stopped by The Dreaded Hat. So, time to get over it and just make the hat once and for all. So, I did!


I haven't measured it for gauge yet. It should be spot-on, but I'll have to do it again (that'll be the fifth attempt, although this is still the first FINISHED attempt) if it isn't. But it looks okay, and it fits well, so it should be good. I also like the way I was able to fold the i-cord loops so each one folds over the next one - sorta Celtic-knot-ish.



But it's done!! I found my swatches; I just need to block everything, finish a few questions, and finish my blocking report, and I... *gulp!!*... will be ready to send it off to the Examiners!!! Eeeeeeek!!!

A spontaneous seasonal dishcloth happened.

Oh, hooray! I found something to make with the almost-the-rest of the giant ball of dark red cotton yarn, and it went into my queue almost a year ago!! And it was really, really fast as dishcloths-with-patterns go, because all the "pattern" is on the front - the back is just edge-purl across-edge.


Plus, it's great for helping make cookies with little hearts on them. It just kinda goes with the theme!!
Woohoo, 15 more points for Slytherin!

TKGA Master Hand Knitting Level I - Take 3

So, the second Quidditch challenge distills to "something representative of where you want to be in five years". Well, in five years, I'd like to be a Master Knitter, so it was time to tackle The Hat for the third (and hopefully final) time. This one is cream and orange, instead of cream and red; maybe that will make the difference!!

Here it is by the end of Saturday:


Here it is by the end of Sunday:


I just need to make the i-cord bow and/or tassle and/or pompom, and figure out how to block it. And then block my swatches, write my pattern, finish my questions and report, and mail the blasted thing in once and for all!!

January Wrap-Up

Time for the January Wrap-Up! Woohoo!! I did actually get a lot finished in January. According to the list, in fact, I finished 9 things!



1. Detention - Holy Hand Grenade of Albuquerque, turned in post #166, accepted post #265, January 1

2. Defense Against the Dark Arts - Trick Hat (Hat Trick #1), turned in post 14, marked complete post 61, January 1

3. OWL - Defense Against the Dark Arts, Option 2 - Tree Skirt Invisibility Cloak, submitted post 409, pre-approved post 580, approved post 865, January 1

4. BROOM - Department: Central Command, Mission: #12 Grimmauld Place - Radience Shawl, submitted post 94, approved post 108, January 3
5. Arithmancy - Honeycomb Hat (Hat Trick #2), turned in post #137, accepted post #176, January 6

6. Muggle Studies - Lobster Trap Scarf, turned in post 319, marked complete 366, January 17

7. Potions - Ruffly Boa, turned in post 524, marked complete post #542, January 17

8. Challenge Quidditch #1 - Time Capsule Cozy, turned in post #1031, January 18

9. Care of Magical Creatures - Slytherin Broomstick, turned in (jointly with PeterRabbitFan) post 392, marked complete post 511, January 20

10. Quidditch 1 of 15 - Blue Feza Entrelac Hat for spouse, turned in post 1561, in queue as of January 23, 2009, submitted January 23

11. Transfiguraton - Ashton Shawlette, turned in post 225, marked complete post #303, January 26

... and started, but not finished yet:
12. Quidditch 2 of 15 - Bunny Nugget, in favorites as of October 22, 2009
13. Quidditch 3 of 15 - Bunny Nugget, in favorites as of October 22, 2009
14. Quidditch 4 of 15 - Bunny Nugget, in favorites as of October 22, 2009
15. Quidditch 5 of 15 - Wisp, in queue as of April 14, 2011
16. Quidditch 6 of 15 - Entrelac Hat for me, in queue as of January 23, 2009

More Bunny Nuggets: This means war!

So, my Snakes are a bit shocky: we came in DEAD LAST in Challenge Quidditch - something unfamiliar to us. (Hufflepuff has gotten FIERCE!) So, I've got to do my part and turn in as much regular quidditch as possible. To that end, a goodly handful of quidditch projects will take the form of Bunny Nuggets. Originally, I picked up the olive yarn because I had lots of it; now, as it turns out, it has spawned an IDEA. I grew up watching M*A*S*H, so the idea of Army Bunny Nuggets was born. Some will hearken to characters from the TV show; some will just be random Army Bunny Nuggets. Pictured here are the bodies of Sarge, Radar, and Padre. They'll look quite different once they have their proper wardrobes on:


I'm not sure how many Bunny Nuggets will wind up being in the Bunny Nugget Army - it will probably depend on how many not-Bunny Nugget projects wind up getting done instead!

Third Hat for January

I've wanted to make this Exact Hat for my DH to match a scarf I made him in January of 2009, but managed to lose the third ball of yarn in the week it took me to make his scarf.


The scarf in 2009
Over the Christmas holiday just past, while attempting to organize the stash, I FOUND IT!!! Woohooo!!


Hat, started Friday
For this particular hat, to make it actually fit DH, I cast on 64 st, then did 8-stitch base triangles and first squares, then 6-stitch squares, then 5-stitch squares, then 3-stitch squares, then 1-stitch "squares" at the top.

He loves it, and actually wore it the second I had finished it. HAT WIN!!

Wisp!

Regular Quidditch has three paths this term: I took Oneiromancy - basically, if it's been in my queue or favorites BEFORE October 1, 2011, I can turn it in for 15 points; if it's a WIP started before Aug. 31, 2011, I can turn it in for 10 points. While I am going to try to finish at least three WIPs, and I have a backup plan of a Bunny Nugget Army of whatever size I need in the end, I'm taking the opportunity to get a few things done that I've wanted to make for a while.

First up is Cheryl Niamath's WISP from knitty.com. Here it is after Day One:


... and here it is the morning of Day Three, when I realized I had a hole in it. Joy.


Yep, a hole in fishnet lace. Yay.
Luckily, 100% invisible repair isn't necessary, which made this a LOT easier. Sadly, the center-pull on my little ball of green mohair (Neighborhood Fiber Company "Loft") wouldn't pull, so I actually had to cut the yarn to get a piece for the repair. (Luckily, few fibers felt-splice quite as nicely as mohair.) I used a crochet hook to weave the stitches to where they should be, then used a 6" length of yarn to tie them in place (yep, TIE), and wove in the two ends of that, one horizontally, one vertically. If you look really hard, you can spot the knot and the extra wraps around the horizontal threads:


... but from any sort of distance, nobody will notice. (And I had enough trouble finding it to take the picture that it won't bother me, either.)

So, disaster averted, and by the end of next week, I should have a lovely green Wisp!

Time Capsule Cozy

The first Quidditch Challenge, in short, was as follows:

"You must make a memento to leave behind for future civilizations that may visit Earth. Your memento may represent yourself, the wizarding world, or humanity at large."

Since I am BOMBARDED with election things (from both sides, on all sides!) and I can see Congress out the front window, I knew I had to do something related to the craziness that's just heating up. (No, really, it WILL get more prevalent as the year goes on.) I had this left over from my American Flag dishcloth binge:


... and I'm pretty good at glass cozies at this point... plus, I can't find my With Flames wool one. So, here's my turn-in post:

Name: CraftyGryphon
House: Slytherin, Sixth Year
Tags: slyqw12challenge1, sqwin12
Project Page: Time Capsule Cozy
Yardage: Approximately 58, because of multiple stranding

I crafted a cup cozy with an actual Symbol as a symbol of our times. The Muggle world in the lower half of the North American Continent is headed into a major election year (every leap year, those particular Muggles choose new leaders, or keep the old ones, depending on who gets the most votes in the "Electoral College", which, I assure you, is NOTHING like Hogwarts). One of the sides in the election four years back adopted a stylized blue-and-red "O" as its symbol, and no matter which side (I think there are three this time?) a Muggle is on, there's really no avoiding that symbol, as it is plastered on Muggle vehicles, clothing, what-have-you, with more and more frequency as the "Election Year" (which really started sometime in 2010) heats up. It isn't often that a symbol is, itself, a symbol of the times, but this one is!!

The image is actually on the cozy twice: the chart I used is on the 'net, for free, here at emileeknits.com.