Will Run for TV

At some point over the weekend, my husband looked at me with his beautiful storm-grey eyes (fringed with those unfairly long lashes that guys seem to get), and somehow suckered me into starting my exercise regieme again. He firmly espouses the idea that, if you're indoors working out, it goes a lot faster if you've got something fun to watch on the telly. And he knows most of my weaknesses, such as they are. Thus, he had appropriate bait: Season One of ABC's Castle.


If you're a fan of Stana Katic or Nathan Fillion, it's brillant. If you haven't a clue who either of them is, or what else they've done, it's still brilliant. If you've read either of Richard Castle's best-selling Nikki Heat books (Yes, a ficitional author has bestselling books; yes, I own and have read both of them), it's still brilliant. Can you tell I love the series? Given a chance to watch it, with the limitation that I can ONLY watch it if I'm actually doing real, live, Jillian-Michaels aprroved exercise...

... I will actually exercise. Finally, an exercise bribe that actually works!!

NOT Wizard Chess

So, as it turns out, one can only post 10 points worth of stuff for Wizard Chess to begin with - not Post All The Things, and then try to finish 10 points' worth. Oh well - 10 points isn't enough pressure to actually make me do anything. So, I must create MY OWN PRESSURE!!!

Why yes, I am a tad deadline-driven. Why do you ask?

Anyway, here's the CraftyGryphon List of Potential December Finishes. Each is worth "one EX point" - aka each thing finished is a thing off The List. Remember The List?

Already On The List (Added Last Term):
Thanksgiving Bunny
Christmas Jackelope
New Year's Bunny
Tilting Tardis Shrug
Serpentine Valentine Socks

Newly Added To The List:
Pi Hearts Shawl
Block Eight Castle Blanket Block

Been On The List So Long It's Not Funny Anymore:
Hello Kitty Scarf
Stripe #4 of the Monster Yarn Project
Dragon Illusion Blanket #2
Beaded Mohair Peacock Scarf (still missing, btw)

About To Be Added:
TKGA Level I Master Hand Knitting, take #2
OWL Hat
Trilobite toy
Swatching for Muggle Studies OWL (Whistler Sweater)
Swatching for Ancient Runes OWL (Peacock Buffet Scarf/Table Runner)

There. That's potentially 11 things OFF THE LIST (swatches don't count), which would actually bring me (gasp!!!) into the THIRTIES. Yes, I could actually have UNDER 40 UFOs at the start of 2011!!

Here's my Progress On Things over the weekend:

Pi Hearts Shawl - already out to the "288-stitch" part - just 50 rows, and I'll be up to the 576-stitch rows, and then, heck, I'll be done! (Note the sarcasm. Why did I start something so complicated to "relax"? You don't wanna know how often I've had to frog a row. Thank heavens for stich markers and row counters!!)


A pretty little ball of mohair/viscose Schulana Mosco followed me home yesterday. It's going to be a snowflake-ish smoke ring mobius. I'm cheating the mobius-ness, but since I've gotten really good at grafting things together, and I've figured out how to stage the reversed-side repeats, it should go together, er, seamlessly. Hope to have it done by the end of the week, as it's gotten COLD out.


Yeah. Respond to The List by adding to it... that's how I roll!

Just Letting My Geek Show

These are my new glasses (which I'm still not used to wearing - they're progressive lenses, and are giving me headaches still if I wear them too long).

Yes, they're green on the inside. Yes, they turn my normally grey eyes a pretty shade of green.

Yes, I got them because of Slytherin.

Yes, I'm a geek.

Wizard Chess Tournament!

This announcement went up yesterday at Hogwarts!

For all Students spending their holiday break at Hogwarts we are having a Wizard’s Chess Tournament.
Players choose WIPs they’d like to finish and give them points based on how hard/much work it will be to finish them.

Pawns - 1
Rooks - 2
Knights/Bishops - 4
King/Queen - 5

Any combination of pieces up to a total of 10 points. Players with the most points (for completed WIPs) will be entered into a drawing for a prize.

Before December 10th, create a post listing: your WIPs, before pics, and what piece they represent.
To turn in finished WIPs for points: post pictures of your completed WIPs and a running total of your current score.

Tournament runs until 12:00 noon December 31st POT. (cut off is early because no one should be spending New Years Eve knitting WIPs) All WIPs are welcome. Standard Ravelry crafts (knitting, crochet, weaving, spinning)
Examples of each – these are just guidelines; you are the best judge of how much work is left to complete your WIP.
Pawns – This should be a little bit of work (an hour or two): kitchenering sock toes, weaving in ends or sewing on buttons
Rooks – This should be more than just tucking in a few ends (two to five crafting hours): sewing up a sweater, weaving in ends on a fair isle sweater (cause that’s a LOT of ends)
Knights/Bishops – This should be a fairly substantial amount of work (five to ten crafting hours): finishing the dreaded second sock, second mitten, button bands on a cardigan
King/Queen – This should be a lot of work (more than 10 hours): finishing knitting on a sweater (at least sleeves left), edging for lace shawl

Well, since you've probably figured out I'm motivated by points, here's what I put in for the Tournament:

CraftyGryphon, Slytherin, about-to-be-Third Year - WIZARD CHESS. Calling all my likely possible points; we'll see how many I actually end up with!

Before: (at post #108 [Rav Link])

What: Unfinished HMC Thanksgiving Bunny Needs: Ears, Brightly-colored Tailfeathers Rank, Points: Pawn, 1 Expected Time: Less than 1 Hour
What: Unfinished HMC Christmas Jackelope Needs: Ears, Antlers, Bright Red Nose Rank, Points: Pawn, 1 Expected Time: Less than 1 Hour
What: Unfinished HMC New Year's Bunny Needs: Ears, Diaper, "2011" Sash Rank, Points: Pawn, 1 Expected Time: Less than 1 Hour
What: Hello Kitty Illusion Scarf Needs: Finish Star block, do entire HK block; *carefully* line up and sew back and front together, add fringe Rank, Points: Rook, 2 Expected Time: Approximately three to four hours
What: "Block Eight" Castle Block Needs: Everything but the first row, which is already done Rank, Points: Rook, 2 Expected Time: Approximately three to four hours (due to having to adhere STRICTLY to gauge I must go slowly!)
What: Unfinished Tilting Tardis Shrug (original October Transfig assignment, swapped out for an Owl hat) Needs: pickup of the entire border (600+ stitches), k1p1 for 30 rows, add collar (not sure how that's going to work), cuffs & buttons Rank, Points: Knight, 4 Expected Time: Approximately eight to ten hours - 30 rows of k1p1 is the "fun, easy" part!
What: Unfinished Serpentine Valentine Socks (November CoMC) Needs: Well, an entire colorwork knee-sock, plus another colorwork knee-sock, minus one cuff. Rank, Points: Queen, 5 Expected Time: 20 hours? At least? Did I mention they're going to be KNEEsocks? And sparkly?
What: Hearts Pi Shawl Needs: A LOT. Like, TONS of stitches. Thousands and thousands of stitches. On little eensy-tiny needles, yet! Rank, Points: King, 5. I get this one, I call dibs on CHECKMATE!!! Expected Time: **WEEKS.** If I actually pull this off in a month, I'll be very sad I didn't save it for a class next term!

(The fact that this list seems reasonable to me right now probably explains how I've Ultimate Quested two terms in a row.)

Yes, there was procrastination at the end.

First off, from our fearless HPKCHC Quidditch Coach:

Here they are!
Regular Quidditch High Scorers from each house!
Mauri of Gryffindor
CJCary of Hufflepuff
Pertela of Ravenclaw
CraftyGryphon of Slytherin

Yep, that's right! I was high scorer for my House this term! Woohoo! Go, me!!

---

Yeah, okay, I probably could've finished my O.W.L. a little bit earlier than I did, even with being sick... but during my ill-advised romp into the real world on Sunday, I went to the LEGO store.


A few should-have-been-knitting hours were converted into the Sears Tower, the John Hancock Tower, and, on Monday, Falling Water.



I should've been knitting.

(Or writing. Did not win NaNo this year. Sigh!)