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!!!

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!!

Yay, it's not bronchitis!!!

This has not been a good week, health-wise, but I've been cleared to go outdoors starting tomorrow - in small doses. I expect to be back to work next week, which is sooner than I was worried I'd be allowed back. (Had one of my friends call today to make sure I wasn't dying. Seriously. But it's a warm fuzzy feeling to know I've been missed.)

Anyway, in between bouts of hacking up a lung/sleeping for fifteen hours straight, I had enough energy to lie in bed and knit, so I got a major part of my DADA OWL out of the way. Here's my turn-in post, otherwise known as "everything I've done this week, except for hacking up lungs and sleeping a heck of a lot".

Hello, Professor. This is CraftyGryphon, Fourth Year Slytherin, turning in what I hope will be enough for a 50% OWL for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I had originally stated that "I was going to call the first 50% twelve swatches (because then there is still the hat in the second half), at least 12 completed questions (because at least four questions require finished swatches)." Thanks (??) to a wretched cold that yielded a lot of time where moving my forearms to knit was the extent of my physical activity, I was able to knit all sixteen swatches...



... and start The Dreaded Hat.



I expect I will need to re-knit the hat at least once (in the case that it does not block to the measurements required), and I plan to re-knit Swatch #15, "choose your own cable" swatch to make certain I've written the pattern for it correctly. I expected to have 12 of the 18 questions finished. I have eight completely done, with footnotes, and another two with blanks for citations. Of the remaining eight questions, four are partially completed, and four I'm just staring at with dread (the gauge/swatch comparison questions.)

I have a rough draft of my blocking report; it needs citations, and needs the section written on "how I blocked my swatches" - which isn't written yet because as you can tell from the photo, the swatches are not yet blocked.

Since I finished more swatches (and hat!) than expected, I am hoping this is enough to count as 50% for the DADA OWL. (I figured I would turn in to check, so that if I needed to make changes, I'd still have a few weeks to do so.)

Thanks for reading, Professor, and I hope this is enough work to qualify.

That's it, I'm going back to sleep now. Hopefully, regular blogging - and health - will resume next week!!

OWL Proposal #2 - DADA

Okay, my History of Magic OWL got approved, as did this one for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I need at LEAST these two OWLs to do the lovely full-circle cloak with all sorts of symbols on the edges as one of my NEWTs. This one is really, REALLY wordy, since I'm trying to get across the level of Cruciatus Repulsion required.


RavID: CraftyGryphon
House: Slytherin
Year: Fourth
OWL subject and option: Defense Against the Dark Arts - Option 3: Practice repelling the Cruciatus Curse - knit or crochet an object that is incredibly fiddly and difficult to do OR a large item you have to make for someone else that is excruciatingly painful due to the pattern, color, or yarn selected.

Hello Examiners! [Note]

Identify the pattern(s) you will be using.

The patterns (and other requirements) are in the TKGA Master Hand Knitting Level 1 Packet (pictured below). I am planning to complete my initial submission for The Knitting Guild of America (TKGA) Master Hand Knitting - Level I. This involves a complicated series of steps, beginning with gathering the necessary supplies (ring binder, section dividers, page protectors, label materials, reference books), selecting appropriate yarn (there are VERY specific restrictions as to what makes a yarn appropriate) and needles, doing intensive research, knitting swatches based on said research, blocking and labelling each swatch as appropriate, compiling references, and completing a required project, required pattern-writing exercise, and required report.

Why This Is oh-so-very [ex]Cruciatius-ing: I knit "eastern combined uncrossed" - which is to say I don't actually throw my yarn, but scoop it from my left hand, and all my stitches sit "backwards" on my needles from most peoples'. (Your k2tog is probably my SSK, for example.) Many standard hints for correcting certain knitting problems (loose stitches up the side of a cable, noticiable decreases) do not work for my style of knitting. When answering the questions, I'll have to make notes of both the "standard" fixes, and what I actually do, where those vary. When predicting gauge, I'll have to do a "hat gauge" in the round (almost its own hat!), as my in-the-round gauge is very, VERY different from my knitting-flat gauge. The pattern-writing exercise will have to be translated into "standard knitting" terms, which is tricky for me. And the actual knitting - I am *not* a regimented knitter. I knit very loosely, which can cause my tension to vary quite a bit - and that just WILL NOT fly for this project. I will, basically, be teaching myself to knit from scratch over the course of the next three months!

By the end of the term, I should have completed sixteen swatches and the required hat project, tagged each item properly with appropriate references, answered eighteen in-depth questions and written a report and a pattern, again with appropriate references noted, and then assembled everything in the required format for submission.

Photograph of the yarn(s) and any unusual needles or materials involved.

Here are my materials, as required by the TKGA program. These include: TKGA instructions (printed double-sided, two to a page); research books (including my completed TKGA Basics, Basics, Basics course folder); paper, binders, numbered tabs, top-loading page protectors and index cards (for assembly and tagging of the final submission); four skeins of light-colored un-heathered worsted-weight 100% wool yarn, with one skein in a contrasting color; needles in three sizes (6, 7, 8) in straights and DPNs; stainless steel pins (for blocking); laptop in case.



Two or three sentences describing the planned crafting sequence and analyzing any areas of potential difficulty or new skills needed.

Planned sequence: There is a detailed plan of action suggested in the TKGA Level 1 materials packet. I am going to amend it, somewhat, by completing as much research as possible before beginning any knitting, and writing up as many answers, and as much of the required report, as possible.The questions (and swatches) cover almost every technical aspect of knitting. This includes casting on, knitting, purling, combining the two, increases (various), decreases (various), twisted stitches, simple cables, simple lace, basic color changes, and casting off. For any technique, there are several (if not dozens) of common methods. On the advice of knitters who have successfully completed the program, I will be attempting to document at least two references for each part of each question. I will then knit the sitxteen swatches and complete the related questions. I will then knit the hat project, and complete the report. I will then assemble everything in the specified manner. Photos will be provided of the individually-knitted objects, and of the completed questions and report, and then of the assembled binder, ready for submission.

The 16 knitted swatches must be made to exact specifications with regards to the techniques covered in the research questions. These swatches are supposed to be knit to the best of the knitter’s ability. There should not be curled edges, uneven stitches, ribbing should be uniform, there shouldn’t be loose stitches next to cables, nor twisted stitches of any kind, even in decreases. Knitting 16 highly-specific swatches that conform to the required specifications will NOT be easy. "Excruciating" is actually an appropriate word for it!! The 18 research questions cover almost every technical aspect of knitting (and, thus, are used in the 16 swatches). These includes casting on, knitting, purling, combining the two, increases (various), decreases (various), twisted stitches, simple cables, simple lace, basic color changes, and casting off. In addition to the 16 swatches and 18 research questions, there is a required report. The report should be at least two single-spaced pages, the font size should not be smaller than 12pt or larger than 14pt, and it must be carefully proofread - and include comprehensive references. As that’s not enough, there is a required hat project which must be knit exactly following a specific pattern and instructions. Then there is the required pattern-writing exercise, related to one of the submission swatches. Not counting all the tagging, referencing, and assembly-of-things, that's 37 required things.

New skills: By the end of the project, I should have mastered a wide range of techniques, and actually be able to explain them to myself and to “normal” knitters. (I repeat, I’ll be teaching myself to knit again over the course of the next three months!) These will include: knitting stockinette, seed stitch and ribbing with even tension (heaven help me on that one); accurately measuring gague of different stitch patterns; accurately producing, placing and mirroring several kinds of increases and decreases (including two that make no sense whatsoever, but that's what the research is for); writing instructions for techniques (buh?); following and writing simple patterns (wait - something I've done!), and making jogless color changes (ooh, done that, too). One of the biggest skills I will have to master, though, is time management. I have previously (in 2009) attempted to finish this program and, despite having a YEAR, did not do so. (The packet has since changed, and my previous attempt was long ago consigned to the dustbin, so I am, in fact, starting completely from scratch.)

Photograph of your swatch.
As part of my project is to knit sixteen swatches, this stumped me for a moment, until I realized that the basic stockinette swatch required by the program also had ribbing attached. So, you can tell this is NOT one of my proposed swatches, because it has no ribbing. I find it incredibly annoying that, somehow, it's the best swatch I've ever done with regards to tension - so of course, I can't use it for anything but "here's my swatch!" (which counts for *something*!!).



I hope this Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. proposal is acceptable. (It's actually scaring me, seeing all of it written down.) Please let me know if you need any further information.

And it got approved! Woohooo! I'm going to start the Masters' Monday reports again on, well, Monday. And THIS time, darnit, I'm going to finish!!!

MM - Week Two

Well, I did stuff. I've got about half the questions answered, I've got my report outlined (AGAIN - but I like the way I've set it up this time a bit better). I got more top-loading sleeves - these with little protection-flaps so things don't fall out. (I'm worried that somewhere high over Kansas, my little folder will 86 itself off a transport jet and plummet to earth, scattering my swatches to the four winds as it falls.) This isn't terribly exciting, really; there's not much by the way of pictures to show. Yet - I managed to come up with something:


To compensate, I will now show you THREE spiffy books that arrived in the mail from rockinsticks on Saturday! She had a contest, and I won! Woohoo! I was only expecting one book - and instead, I got three - and CHOCOLATE!!! (Thank you again, J!!!!) Just click on the photo below to see how to purchase one of your own, if you're interested...






Pretty cool, eh? I'm having a lot of fun figuring out what things I can make from each for HPKCHC this term!!

Masters Hand Knitting, Level I - Take II - Week One

Over the past bit (as much as a year, perhaps?) the TKGA Masters Hand Knitting courses have been revised and updated. As I didn't turn my Level I stuff in by my deadline in June this year, I get to start again. Since I'm a much better knitter now than when I first started, this ups my odds of passing without too many re-dos.

One of the cool things in the instructions this time around is a Plan of Action. I love this - it's a really nice hand-hold-as-you-get-started page of common-sense steps to get the Master Knitter-wannabe started. It's only a suggestion (it says), but wow - it's a nice list to have!! Here's the things from it I've done so far (omitting items that I've already done).

1. The first thing up? Read All Instructions. After realizing, well after knitting, that I'd done a k2p2 rib for a swatch that should have had a k1p1, I definitely read all my instructions!!!
    
2. I've noted the date I received the new instruction packet - Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - and put it on my cover letter. I also found the phrase that describes how I knit - "Eastern Combined Uncrossed" - and put that in there, since my style of knitting is one of the less common ones. The reviewers need to know that!
    
3. All my necessary supplies (ring binder, section dividers, page protectors, label materials) are in the bin where they've been since last time. I do need to take all my OLD attempt stuff out of the binder to make room for the new stuff. All my reference books are actually on the shelf where they belong - and, oddly enough, now that I know I knit strangely, my footnotes are going to be MORE interesting. However, there's now a set number of sections: Swatches, Questions, Report, Project and References. And for the swatches, there are Reference Sheets to be tucked in the sleeve with the swatch, so no trying to fit a jillion things on each little card! That makes it easy!
    
4. My yarn is the same as last time: Patons Classic Wool. I'll have to check the ball band to see what size needles are called for (I think US 7s), and make sure I'm using those needles.
5. One new note: before knitting a swatch, look at the questions, so you know what you're going for. Then, after finishing, block & label and answer the questions. For each swatch. This would've saved me a world of hurt last time through!!
    
6. This time, while I will, as suggested, keep notes of how I blocked my swatches as I go, I'm doing the report FIRST, and actually getting it finished, so I block things the way it says to! One of the big comments from the conference was that people will write excellent blocking reports - and then their swatches are blocked poorly, showing that they aren't actually making the connection between what they've learned and what they're applying. I do not want to be one of Those People.
    
7. This time, they ask for a Reference Section, for the full cites for the footnotes, arranged alphabetically by Last Name. That's going to be fun for me, since I do Blue Book citations by force of habit, which isn't what they're asking to see. Sigh.
    
8. I'm going to have to do another hat. At least this time, I know that my hat will grow a LOT when I block it (I had dead-on gauge while knitting, then it GREW). I will knit accordingly!
    
9. And the checklist. *Shudder.* I will not be afraid of the checklist this time. I will not be afraid of the checklist this time!

And this time, I'm starting with fresh new worsted-weight, ecru-colored yarn, size 7 needles required.


Wish me luck!

Not that I NEED a warm hat just now...

Finished something last night. Whee! Since I'm exhausted, here's what I turned in, with extra pictures:

Hello, Professor! This is CraftyGryphon, First Year Slytherin, turning in her Herbology assignment. I should start by saying that I made a version of this for my mother, and it was warm and snuggy, so I wanted one for myself. I also just learned the proper way to start cables from nothing and end them the same way (thank you, Melissa Leapman!), so I wanted to try that. So, once again, I completely winged it, but I wound up with a very snuggy ear-warming hat!



There are three cable panels, and, but for two small seams at the top and the brim, it's all knit as one organic whole.


And yes, I realize I look like something from the 16th century. "And a wonderful morning to ye, Goody Bee; might you have any eggs for sale today?"


Don't care. My Ears Will Be Warm!!

More photos, this time WITH yarn.

Well, OK, more vacation pictures, this time *with* yarn. As I think I mentioned (about a dozen times), I was able to get into the classes I wanted, and they were all amazing. I don't have a lot to show you, but I have some of the little things I made-in-progress. I highly recommend you take the classes, if you ever get a chance to do so!

Arenda Holladay's gauge class was really nifty. And not just because of the free yarn she gave us (courtesy of Caron):


I got some Bamboo!
I learned how to set up to measure gauge on a stockinette swatch, thus:


... and also garter stitch, lace, and cables. She also gave us gauge worksheets, so we could survive gauge calculations once she wasn't standing over us. She's also amazingly prepared. I thought I was ready for class, but, as it turns out, the gauge ruler I brought with me didn't go down to 1/8ths of an inch (just 1/4ths) and my calculator wouldn't allow input past two decimal places (????). She had rulers *and* calculators, just in case. Also some gauge swatches, in case anyone had forgotten/lost their homework (it happens). Very cool!!

Next was Melissa Leapman's Celtic cables class. I finally figured out that I knit strangely. I mean, we all knew that - but really, REALLY oddly. I don't know if you can see it, but the bottom of my little cheerio-of-yarn goes, from left to right, flat purl, flat purl, VERTICAL stitch.


This is *so* not the way it's supposed to be; turns out I have to bring my needle around backwards from what I normally do, and sort of shrug things in the "wrong" direction, which is actually the correct direction, and then my stuff looks like everyone else's.

Then there was Margaret Fisher's amazing advanced finishing class. I can graft now. I practiced in class, then I practiced again. I marked the swatch, then cut it...



Yes, I panicked here.
.... and then managed to get it back together. And this is just ONE of the tricks we learned that will Make Life Much Easier in the long run!


(And did you know? Tubular cast on/cast off actually has little tubes in it!!)


Finally, there was Lily Chin and her Knitting Tips & Tricks. O.M.G. She talks fast, she knits fast, she dispenses knowledge faster than I can blink. And I've already used a bunch of it! I didn't have time to even think of getting a photo, but the Celebration Baby Shrug used two tricks she gave us, the Tilting Tardis Cowl used another, and I've already used more on my Potions & Herbology homework. Srsly! Her books are cool (I have two, autographed...), but her class totally worth it. I'm going to take her Crochet Tips & Tricks next time...!

Oh - she also knows how I knit, to the point where Everything Suddenly Made Sense. It's called "Eastern Combined Uncrossed", and knowing that's my knitting style means there's a quick set of conversions I can do when faced with a chart, and then everything will work out just peachy. It's kinda nice to know that there's enough folks who knit the same way I do that it actually has a name!!

And, while we're at it, let me point out the one thing I wanted that I didn't buy:


I'd have gotten the deluxe...
I didn't get it from:


They totally would've sent them to me, but I was hoping I'd need them before I got home (didn't turn out that way), and couldn't figure out how to get them on the plane.

To close, Mom is NOT in Time Out. She's the only person at the convention, though, that was TRYING to find a warm, sunny place to sit - even if that meant it was 90+ degrees where she was.


Me? I was over in the shade by the fan, taking the picture!

Yarn Vacation Photos - with no photos of yarn.

So, there was this whole spotty-posting thing last week. That's because I was at the TKGA national conference!! Wheee! While I can't show photos of my classes (the teachers tend to prefer no photos, and I'm good with that!), or the Giant Yarn Heaven that was the expo center, Hamish wandered around a bit and got some photos. Mostly of him. But I managed to get some proof that I was there, too.


Proof I'm here


Proof my mom's here
Note: EVERYONE in the background of the two above photos is a knitter or a crocheter (or both)!!! I did finish one of my HPKCHC classes, Ancient Runes, by making bunches and bunches (ok, four) finches for my Dad. The little ones are made using a skein of "Purple Finch" colorway Caron Feathers, and they're very cute & soft & fluffy. I also managed to finish a choker (which had nothing to do with knitting, but was pretty), got most of my Tilting Tardis Cowl done, and started a Warm Hat with Neck for me and the Baby Shrug for my sister's baby-to-be. By the end of the weekend (Sunday, after I'd flown home), I also started a Green Leaves shawl (based on the Frozen Leaves pattern).


Here's where we stayed (because that's where the convention was): the Radisson in Manchester, NH. Our room indicated by red circle.


There was a nice restaruant with GREAT fish & chips on-site, which was really, really important, since it was 100+ degrees F outside most of the time we were there!!


Manchester is an old factory/mill town; the park that was part of the hotel property had a couple of features that incorporated this history. One of the nifty ones was using the actual carved-in-stone names and numbers from long-gone businesses along one side of the walkway.


Oh. Wait. Hamish says it's time to check out the Actual Convention, or at least the setup. Here he is by the Event Schedule. For each "class period" there were probably a dozen or more classes between the two guilds - probably more!


There were CLASSES EVERYWHERE.

classes HERE!!

classes THERE!!!

... Well, except for, you know, Over There.

Ahem. Anyway, after finding some signs, it was time to head to registration.


Hamish wants you to know that he has nothing to do with the photography end of this blog, although he has some choice comments for those who do. (He's the one who insisted on the horizontal shot; he knows that I sometimes miss converting them.) Anyway, we located the Main Pretty Sign...


... and then the Big Welcome Sign.


We looked at all the freebies, and checked out the Class Evaluation box. (I don't know how much help I'll be in evaluating classes; I thought all of mine were fantastic.)


Then it was off to scope out the lay of the land. When we saw how big the Expo Center was, we wanted to check it out!


Sadly, it was closed. But huge. And full of yarn. Lots of yarn. (Photos are forthcoming, as soon as the boxes arrive. Yes, I had to send home some boxes.)


Then it was over to registration. (The Offinger folks did a bang-up job running the whole thing!)


Here, Hamish spotted some pins. Whole collections of pins, in fact... however, they were available to members only.


So, he signed up. He's now a member of the Knitting Guild.


About ten minutes later, though, he thought I'd hoodwinked him, since the Crochet Guild actually had a Dance Party!


This whole thing was a TON of fun, and while some of the reason I don't have a lot of pics of Things Happening is because teachers preferred (or mandated) that photos not be taken in class, most of the reason is that I was just too darned busy knitting or crocheting or chattering with other knitters/crocheters to worry about taking pictures of much of anything!!