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One - I have finally started knitting the swatches for Masters Level I Hand Knitting!! I started last Wednesday, when I desperately needed a break from wire wrangling. It's kinda cool how much my knitting has improved over the last sixteen months, since I first got my Level I packet!
Two - I was wrangling wire. Knitting wire is one of those "needs practice, and lots!" skills. Crocheting wire, however, is actually pretty easy. Easy enough that, over the course of one (long) evening, I was able to crochet up all the wire I had (18.4 meters) into a lovely little wrist cuff, complete with pretty sparkly beads:
It's a very simple cuff: ch 40, sc in 2nd ch then sc across. Repeat, switching colors every so often. Once it's about the right size, with the darker wire, loop the beads every third sc (crosswise, so they stay on the outside of the cuff).
I really like the way it came out. I'm probably going to try doing this again, with both a larger and a smaller hook, to see if I can get something that actually looks more like Crochet Proper.
But for a Spiffy New Thing, I'm really liking the idea of being able to make pretty jewelry with skill-sets I already have! Doesn't hurt, either, that this is my History of Magic assignment - making something that celebrates the traditions of Goblin metalworking. More Points for Slytherin!
This month's projects are galloping apace. The sixth and final Quidditch project for this term (really, I have to call an end to it if I want to finish my O.W.L.!) is a set of Slytherin armwarmers. I'm doing the "second year stripe" this time, due to having a lot more Forest Green Heather yarn than Grey Heather (and I need the Grey Heather I've got for Something Else). I've got the first one knitted, but not finished (needs buttons!), and the second one should be done soon.
For Potions, I'm making two little Owlet ornaments. I found the "actual" eyes used this time, and I really like the effect. (Which isn't to say I don't still love my Fierce Habit-Breaking Owls, but these eyes match the photo in the pattern better.) I found the softest white fluffystuff for the bodies, which are done:
I'm hoping to find some Fun Fur in the storage unit tonight (there's got to be some in there, right?) for the head/beak bits, then I'll put ribbon hanging loops on them. I'm also hoping the Debbie Bliss Cahsmerino I got for my husband's watch cap (aka "Charms Homework") is in there - I can't find it in the house.
Lastly, the Headmistress Challenge bunnies are coming along nicely. The skin of the brown one is done, and I've started on the white. I'm hoping yesterday's Poppy will get me credit (10 points) for a Veteran's Day display, so these will be for two other holidays.
I'm hoping that I'll have the rest of my classes started by the end of the weekend, and have got going on my O.W.L. again. Yay!!
It's Veteran's Day in the US (and Armistice Day and Rememberance Day elsewhere); the Moment of Silence is at 11:11am, so we can think about the War to End All Wars, and be thankful for the men and women who've fought to protect us and our freedoms when that war didn't turn out to be the last one. I crocheted a poppy last night, to wear today:
And here I am, wearing it. (Slightly pre-dawn outdoor lighting and a very small megapixel phone camera make for blurry photos. But that's me.)
I also turned in some homework yesterday:
We had to come up with something that would protect us from Fiendfyre this time, and I've had flame mitts in my queue FOREVER. So... Fiendfyre is actually is partially-sentitent fire, and, as such, can be very difficult for the caster to control. Feindfyre will pursue anything it can burn (including the caster, if they're not careful to maintain control!) for more fuel. It will incinerate *anything*. There is no counter-curse effective against it; but, as my Mama always said, "Fight Feindfyre with Feindfyre". Like all fires, Feindfyre seeks to dominate everything around it, including other fires. Waving bright flames in its face will get its attention (again, be careful here), and give it a target that it will center on and attempt to destroy (unless the caster has the level of control of a Pyromancer First Class - and, well, let's hope none of us ever run into one of those). Once the Feindfyre centers on such an irresistable target, it will keep burning until its target is consumed - or until it burns itself out.
Indestructable Flame Mittens (above) are such an irresistable target. They are most effective when tossed quickly into a (hopefully) stone room containing Feindfyre - you *don't* want to be wearing them when you draw the Feindfyre's attention. While the Feindfyre will burn itself out attacking the mittens - thank heavens for the "only partially-sentient" part - there is a 73% probability that you'll be burned to ash in the process. If you're one of the lucky 17%, however, you'll probably never have to buy yourself a Butterbeer ever again!
Adding this pic again, since it's truer to the Actual Colors. (And yes, thePoppy is made from the same yarn.) Whee! Mittens!!
The deadline for Quidditch entries this term (November 16) is fast approaching. So I added a scarf to my collection of Finished Quidditch things. It's out of Lion Brand Homespun USA, and done in k1p1 rib, it's very thick, and quite toasty.
Quite toasty, which is good, since it keeps being at/near freezing when I leave the house in the morning!!
I have some armwarmers I want to whip up, as well, before the deadline.
Okay, on to this month's classes. I've started Astronomy, Defense Against the Dark Arts and History of Magic thus far. For Astronomy, we have to make something star-like or night-sky inspired. I crocheted three little Star-in-Star ornaments. I still have to pin & stiffen them and tuck in their ends, but they're at least crocheted at this point:
For DADA, I was going to make Flaming Mitts, but I kept going and turned them into Flame Mittens. We're supposed to make something that would help us combat FiendFyre; I figure "fight fire with fire" will work as a concept. And I've never made knitted mittens before; they're pretty cool, actually. And it's nice having them both roomy, yet somewhat fitted - and in wool. I really like that I can wear wool now; thank you allergy shots! I still have one more mitten to knit, as you can see, but hey, 50% done!
For History of Magic, we're supposed to craft an example of Goblin metalwork. I'm going to try knitting a wire beaded cuff. I've never knit with wire before; I got a pair of sacrificeable needles, since by all reports, metal needles are the only things to use whilst knitting wire, and wire will chew them up. I'm using small-gauge beading wire, and it works fairly well - there's a knack to it that I just might have by the end of my cuff. I'm hoping I'll only need 10yd of each color (silver and green, of course!), since that's what I have on hand right now. It's slow going; half an hour got me four whole rows. Also - long tail cast on is the ONLY way to go with wire, IMHO.
The Headmistress Challenge also posted: "Decorate your house/car/cubicle/window whatever for the Holiday (any that land in the last two months of the year count) of your choice. In that decor must be a newly made knit/crocheted/spun decoration." 10pts for each holiday. So, I'm going to make rabbits - hopefully five or six - and some little fittings to go with them. This first bunny is about half-done, and I'll be making some little crochet fireworks to go with him for Guy Fawke's. (Yeah, it would have been nice if I'd managed to finish it before November 5, but at this point, I'll just be happy to finish a couple of them!)
There are five other classes, of course, and I've still got to get my OWL finished. I still haven't decided what to do about the sleeves; we'll see. I'm going to knit up the back, first, and get the fronts & back together so I can start the collar & button band. If I have time after that, I may change the sleeves. Yay? Progress?
