Thursday, May 20, 2010

May Charms assignment done and turned in!

So, Giant Happy Flying Bunny progressed over the past week. Since I've knitted so many starter wings that when I finally got something I liked, I was shocked into working on another project entirely for a couple of days. (Hey, it happens!) Here he (?) is *last* Wednesday, when I'd managed to cast on the right wing and started to figure out how I was going to construct it.


Can I just say that this would've been MUCH easier if I'd done the wings, THEN assembled the rabbit? I mean, I can make it work, and it'll look fine - it just would've been easier if the instructions hadn't been "knit across, increasing two at wing joint every other RS row, turn rabbit every row, untangle yarn from left wing frame every six stitches, from right wing frame every eight stitches".

And it ended up not working. Once I was near the end of the wing, the frame just wasn't strong enough. So, the left wing will be frogged, and the new, tinier Right Wing will take over.


Except even that doesn't work... so I end up ripping the wing frame out of the rabbit entirely, and knitting frameless wings. Which, the way I'm doing it, actually involves knitting two wings, then carefully stitching them together, right-sides-facing-out. (This could totally be my Potions homework, but It Must Be For Charms.) Here's two wing bits:


Here's a finished wing:


And here, finally, is my completed Giant Happy Flying Bunny!


And, just for fun, here's the turning-in post that goes with it:

When Good Charms Go Not-So-Well
or,
A Very Happy Accident

Background:
Maxwell's Magical Maxim #498: Be sure to clearly visualize the result of your spell; failing to do so can result in some unintended consequences.

Maxwell's Magical Maxim #15: Think first, talk later.
Practical Application:

Accidentally (or purposely, without thinking things through clearly first) uttering "Avi-no, lapi-no, dracon-ifors!" while simultaneously picturing a canary, a rabbit, and a small, white dragon violates both these Maxims and results in a Canary-yellow happy Bunny with white Dragon wings.


Conclusions:

As holding the Giant Happy Flying Bunny actually elevates the spirits and allows one's mind to calm (in three trials on younger family members), I have decided that the Giant Happy Flying Bunny incantation is actually a new development, and a remedy is not required. (I believe the Muggles say "it's a feature, not a bug" - which is somewhat confusing, as this is clearly a bunny, not an insect, even if it does have wings.)

6 comments:

  1. Looks fantastic and a lovely tail to match

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  2. i hate to say this but the wings are on backwards. otherwise adorable and very inventive use of the assignment,

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  3. I love the wings. Could I perhaps have the pattern that you used? I have a bat to knit, and I can't find one.

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  4. Wings *are* on correctly; the "knuckle joint" comes off the shoulder on top (that's the pointy bit). Since it's two faces sewn together, there isn't the traditional scoop between the "fingers". But trust me, they're attached correctly.

    The pattern is make four wing sides as follows: co 15 knitwise, 1 purlwise (two times), then an additional 14. Every RS row, k2tog, knit to last 2 stitches of that panel, SSK. WS rows, purl. The purls are the "finger joints", and you're starting at the trailing edge of the wing. Once you get down to five stitches (k, p, k, p, k), k2tog, k, ssk, purl on the other WS, then s2, k1, s1 back, sl stitch on R needle over knitted stitch, then s1 center stitch over both. Tie off. Take 2 wings and sew together RS facing out, then do the other set. It'd be pretty easy to put a pipecleaner or somesuch in there, but it's a nice, solid wing without it.

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  5. Yay! Thanks, you're awesome!

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