Sunday, May 29, 2011

CRR pages 188-212

SPARTY GOT A JOB OFFER TODAY!!!!!  Very pretty shawl.  Lupingirl got A RING!!!  Congratulations Anne for graduation!!!  Cogratulatios to Jedimeg and Ainn for being new home owners.  True Blood postersHooping 101.  Congratulations Nerdytogether!  Lupingirl gets a present.
Gryffie blanket square!  Baby bumpQuidditch ReportRaffle for next Quidditch match.
A very handsome boy modeling a beautiful hat.  A very lucky baby will be wearing this hat very soon.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Quaffles 2 & 3

Good morning, Gryffs! My sincere apologies for not posting Quaffle 2 earlier, but sometimes life happens! Anyhow, yesterday was the deadline for Quaffle 3, the Animal Crackers Hat. I'm amazed at some of the projects submitted, but before I showcase some AMAZING work, here's the current score!

Unofficial counts indicate that in Match #1, Gryffindor came in 3rd, dropping to 4th in Match #2, and springing back to 3rd for Match #3.  My unofficial observation is that we are SO far behind Slytherin and Hufflepuff that we really need to step it up in Match #4 and the Horcrux/Hallows event!  (Okay, seriously.  Hufflepuff could actually win the Quidditch Cup this term, if they keep at it like they've been doing!)  I added up all current unofficial scores:  1st is Hufflepuff, followed by Slytherin, and Gryffindor in 3rd followed by Ravenclaw.

In Quaffle 2, Gryffindor paired off with Hufflepuff to craft illusion discloths or amigurumi. Here are a few of my favorite Quaffles!

m8land came through with an adorable little dragon:

ShaylaMyst made such a tiny dragon!  It's quintessentially Gryff.  :D

HermioneWeasley swooped in with a nicely done Hallows Illusion Cloth!

Mauri had a great photo of her Snowy Owl!

Green and white were great choices for RayOLR's Illusion Owl cloth.

Hale flew in with an eye-popping Chinese Fireball!

RiverCameron came in with a very Gryffindor Hallows.

I'm in love with CherrySprinkle's little knitting dragon!

Isn't kamilasol's fire-sneezing dragon adorable?

In the 3rd Quaffle Match, we were paired with Ravenclaw and challenged to knit or crochet Ron's Animal Crackers Hat from the movie. Look what a great job everyone did!

m8land's uber-colourful hat caught my attention:

derrickdoll's hat was quite colour correct!

Former Slytherin Jinxsa used only 3 colours and did it brilliantly!

frick's hat was perfect - it could have been used in the movie!


Few people chose to make the crochet version, but StarKnits did, and isn't it amazing?

The Wild Card Round, Quaffle Match #4, is coming up quickly and will start Tuesday the 31st. Have a great weekend, Gryffs, and craft on!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Hooping 101 : Part 1

Since I have started the hooping trend in our common room, I thought it only fair to give you some tutorials and information to help you get started. I hope this will help you and keep you motivated to dance in your hoop!


Questions


Q: Can I use the hoops at my local walmart/target/etc?
A: The answer to this is both yes and no. If you are a beginner and have never hooped as a child you may find those hoops increasingly difficult to use because they are smaller, lighter, and spin much faster than the adult hoops made for hoop dance. They are considered more like 'pro hoops' or for advanced hoopers.

Q: How big of a hoop do I need?
A: An average adult can start with a hoop between 40"-42" and it should weigh around 1.5lbs. The larger the hoop, the slower it will spin, the heavier the hoop, the more you will feel it hitting your body. You should never try to hoop dance with a weighted/exercise hoop.. these are not made to be danced with and can cause lots of bruising and in some cases injury. Your hoop when resting on the ground should fall between your navel and your chest. They do make plus size hoops which are larger and spin slower which may help some of you who naturally move more slowly.

Q: How long will it take me to learn?
A: Each of us are different.. and the answer really depends on how much you practice. If you're easily frustrated and walk away from it often, it will take you longer than someone who practices for 30-60mins per day. Just keep trying and you'll get it! If I can do it, ANYONE can!!

Q: Where can I buy? What do you recommend?
A: Hoopnotica is by far the best hoops I have ever used. They are smooth, beautiful, perfectly weighted, and I cannot recommend them enough. More budget friendly would be HoopMama on Etsy.


In this post, we will not be learning anything except waist hooping and trouble shooting. Please watch all of the videos as every hooper has a different style and a different way of teaching.. hopefully one of these will help you!

Waist Hooping Video Tutorials








Troubleshooting

Problem: My hoop keeps falling to the floor! HELP!
Answer: This is totally natural in the beginning process. Take the hoop and spin it around your body without moving.. just to feel where the hoop hits you.. these points are called your push points. Some people will hoop front to back (having one push point in the front and another on the opposite side on the back) and others side to side (one on each hip). Your timing may be off but continue practicing and you will get it!

Problem: My hoop dips to one side and then falls.
Answer: The most common problem is that one of your push points is hitting the hoop with more force than the other.. put a little more into the side that dips and this should correct the problem.

Happy Hooping!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

CRR pages 171-188

Penny has a good household tip for acrylic washcloths!  Coffee cozy anyone?  My mom would definitely love StarKnits' one.  I found the website LaLa posted for the International Dyslexia Association very interesting.  Online knitting magazine?  Yes please.  CS's baby sweater is super cute!
Poor FF, lace falling off needles (am I right?) is always cause for alarm.  Never fear though she got everything fixed... YAY!!!  Gryffindor Quidditch fingernails!!!!  Snowstorm in May?  Yep at least for FabGrandma.  Harry Potter Cookies!!  Pretty felltone cozy.  Penny shares her successes with feng shui.  Nerdwars recruitmentKnitting dragon!  Check out Sparty's beautiful Fleur Fascinator for HoM!  Another cute dragonZombie Harry Potter?  Harry Potter Cakes!  YUM!  Unofficial Quidditch ScoresJensta needs some prayers and Gryffie love!  JB has done some amazing work in classes this month (as has everyone) but she shared pictures! :-D  Another cute dragon!! (can you tell I have a soft spot for dragons?)

Friday, May 20, 2011

DADA Ideas, Pt. 2~

More ideas for May's DADA assignment:

Option 2: Craft something you might take to the beach

Marketbags seem to be a perfect fit here. Another fast, small project could be a sunglasses case, or go daring and craft a bikini! Want to be really off the wall? How about making your own parasol or beach umbrella?

Option 3: Craft something that represents one of your past vacations

The options here really are endless, and really depend upon your personal experience. But here are a few ideas:

-Do you go to the cabin often? What about a log cabin blanket (for the ambitious), or dishcloth (for those of us who are a little more sane)? You could even split the difference and do a log cabin bag or baby blanket.

-Do you vacation in the mountains? What about a mountain beanie, or one of the other hundreds of patterns that have 'mountain' in the title? Ditto for pine trees. Or make a ski hat!

-Ever been to the Big Apple? Try New York State of Mind, or Empire State Gloves. You can memorialize trips to other states with a sports team logo, or perhaps use the instructions from here to make dishcloths with state shapes. Alternatively, craft something in the colors of a state or country flag.

-Of course, if you picked up some yarn in your travels (and actually haven't used it!) now is a good time to do so! You could also explore traditional stitch techniques native to the area you visited, i.e. Fair Isle, Italian Lace, Irish Lace or Native American designs. Here is a list of sources for patterns from all types of traditions. Some are websites, others are books that may be at your local library!

I hope something here has inspired you!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Ideas for DADA!

Hello Gryffindors!

The theme of this term's DADA assignment seems to be travel! Here are the prompts:

Option 1: Craft a project inspired by Mongolia or Japan, where Kappas are most commonly found.

Option 2: Craft a project that you might take to the beach on your own future vacations.”
vox8 then adds with a wink, “Or

Option 3: Craft an object that represents one of your past vacations. We realize that some of you may not really be the beach type.”

So! Ideas for Option 1, Japan:

-Japan is heavily reliant on electronics, especially the personal kind. Any number of cellphone/iPod/iPad cozies would work, as would bags for laptops, messenger bags, etc. Here is my favorite iPhone cozy pattern: the iPhoodie.

-Design something with a Japanese character(s) in colorwork or double-knitting.

-The Japanese are known for their beautiful gardens; any pattern that is suggestive of vines, flowers, etc would work. Especially something reminiscint of cherry blossoms or koi fish.

-Other aspects of Japanese culture could be explored, such as the importance of wearing slippers in the home like these, or traditional dress such as the kimono (and there are a lot of baby kimono patterns!).

-Of course you can also look to Japan's topography and climate for inspiration: monsoon (bag), rainforest (socks), volcano tea cosy, island dreams shawl.

-No study of yarn and Japan is complete without amigurumi.

-If all else fails, craft something out of Noro! Those beautiful color changes could only have been inspired by the beauty of Japan and her people.


I admit to being a little stumped when it comes to looking for inspiration from Mongolia, because I know so little about it. But here is what Wikipedia tells me:

-Mongolia's flag is bright red, sky blue, and golden yellow.

-The main religion of the Mongolian people is Tibetan buddhism. Plugging buddha into the pattern search brought up a bunch of ideas. My favorite is these monks.

-Much of Mongolia is covered in desert steppes occasionally inhabited by camels. If nothing else, this is a great time to break out that camel-hair yarn!

-If you're looking for a bigger, more complicated project, Mongolia is a cold and windy place where these sweater and shawl projects would come in very handy. If, on the other hand, you would like a yarn-shopping challenge, go hunting for Mongolia by Dynasty Yarns. This yarn is part mohair, all fluffy and soft. And so pretty!

-Last, if you're feeling rather creative, Wikipedia tells me that Mongolia is the number one most sparsely populated independent country in the world. Those of you with artistic leanings can certainly come up with a project that represents this relative emptiness.

That's it for now! Before the end of the week I will be back with more ideas for DADA's options 2 and 3, and hopefully over the weekend I can post on Potions as well.

Happy Crafting! or, if Google Translate is to be believed, ハッピークラフト!

CRR pages 147-170

Clmnj told us about a wonderful yarn store near Staten Island, NY.  Hogwarts wedding cake?  Yes please.  Cake, presents, and kids.... where can we go wrong?  Nesterknitter shares some adorable pictures of her snitch in action!  NK made me very hungry by showing pictures of cupcakes and cute kids.  Speaking of cupcakes and cakes...Thanks Stitchy for the frosting recipe!  TKJ lets us know about a new Ravelry groupBaby Pictures!!  Beautiful sweater.  Our Quidditch Keeper, Covington, reported about the first Quaffle match Firebolt video....LOL  ( I love the last part)  Quidditch Report  Mirror of Erised Badge voting... which will we choose?  Second Quaffle Match has started!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Get Ready for Quaffle Two!

While we're waiting on the results from Quaffle Match One (Gryff v. Slyth) Slytherin won (but we've got awesome Snitches!), so get your yarn and hooks or needles ready for Quaffle Match Two: Gryff v. Puff!

Knitters, you may choose between the Deathly Hallows Illusion Cloth or the Hedwig Illusion Cloth.  Crocheters, craft the adorable Baby Snow Dragon or a Snowy Owl

I'll be making a dragon, how about you?  As before, only one project per student, and any colour goes!  Craft on, Gryffindor!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Quaffle Match One

Good morning, Gryffs!  For the first Quaffle Match, Gryffindor was paired against Slytherin.  Our task - catch craft a Snitch!

Gryffindor came in third overall, with Slytherin beating us all out for first place.  Congrats, Snakes!

There were some awesome snitches turned in by Gryffindors, and here are some of my favorites!

Anne75 turned in a lovely red and white snitch:

kamilasol caught a darling movie-perfect Snitch!

ShaylaMist found a beautiful Gryffie-coloured Snitch. And look at the embroidery!

HiddenTohru surprised us all with her Girliest Snitch!

Look at stitchywitchy's teeny-tiny Snitch keychain! Awesome!

I am in love with Jajigirl's Gryffie Snitch!

Ketronya came forth with her own movie-perfect Snitch!

SavvyKnits caught her Snitch in her mouth!

To be honest, it's not AndiSocial's Snitch I love, but her Cat! ;)

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Astronomy

A word before I start if I am missing an interpretation please leave a comment or message me and I'll be sure to add it into the post (this applies to ComC as well)

From the class prompts:

Option 1: Craft something irregular. Try your hand at freeform crochet or knitting. Spin art yarn. Dye a yarn inspired by the asteroid belt. Imitate organic forms — break away from clean lines and symmetry and let your imagination free.

Option 2: Make a belt.

Once again the dyeing and spinning options are addressed so off to knitting and crochet patterns.

Option 1: Craft something irregular
This could be asymetrical patterns or freeform. Or trying to make a very random pattern using a stitch dictionary and a dice. There is also a great tv/movie crafting game. Most of us watch something while crafting but what if your watching habits dictated what you made? I went online and googled "Harry Potter Drinking Game" and I grabbed a list of frequently occuring things and paired them with a stitch pattern or technique.
Example:
* The full name "Harry Potter" is spoken -switch needle sizes
* Hermione gets angry- switch to a drop stitch pattern
* Twins speak in unison- swich to a slip stitch pattern
* Hagrid cries - start any ribbing
* The word "brilliant" is uttered - do a wrap and turn short row in the next stitch
* Points are awarded to any house- do a series of increases
* Points are taken away from any house - do a series of decreases
This will no doubt end in something very irregular and unique. Bonus for this is you can set aside a specific amount of time and knit only while watching the show you picked. I'm watching Red Dwarf and it takes me about 3 hours per season. Over the rest of the month I may see 3 seasons so my object would be about 9 hours long.This idea is very flexable, the only limit sould be your imagination.

Option 2:Make a belt or waist adornment.

I asked in the class thread if it had to be a belt or a waist adornment. Belts are here but you could also make a corset (I knit this in a day, I still have to put the boning in but I knit it in a day) but also along skinny scarf would work like Dream Swatch Head Scarf or Silver Bullet & Blood Head Scarf.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

CoM Ideas

From the Care of Magical Creatures Class Prompts:
Summary:
Option 1: make treasure
Option 2: make something to keep treasure safe
Option 3: make something that’s a combination.

Spinners this would be an excellent class to make some art yarn combining baubles along with your fiber, or adding feathers to the wool etc.
Dyers you can impress us by using 2 different types of dyes together for example make a self striping yarn with one of the colors being dyed with natural dyes and the other with acid dyes. You could also experiment the effect of different fibers in one yarn and how they take the dye.I must not tell lies-the prompts cover spinning and dyeing better than I can so I'll focus on knitting and crochet ideas.

Option 1: make a treasure both in the traditional sense but also think something you treasure is something that means a lot to someone.

Idea #1 Is there a pattern in your queue that would make a nice gift for someone? I made my friend a colourwork hat he lost it but then recovered it and refused to take it off for 5 days. He treasured it.
Idea #2 Jewellery is a more tradtional type of treasure check out the database of jewellery patterns on ravelry here. My favourites are Infamous Beaded Necklaces and Scalloped-Edged Beaded Necklace. (Please Note: Keep your eye out for necklace and ring patterns you like as you can do them for The Horcrux challenges later this term)
Idea #3 How about a bit of Bling? Beaded patterns found here. My favorite pattern I've done with beads was Annis Shawl and I replaced the nupps with beads. Also there are a bunch of new yarns with sparklies. I picked up a ballof Paton's Lace Sequins it had shinies!

Option 2: make something to keep treasure safe
Idea #1 A bag or box. Any kind kind could keep something safe. Or a cozy. I have a deep desire to make this kindle cozy. More traditionally I thought of making crochet ring boxes.
Idea #2 There are loads of classic stories about treasure. Thinking from Greek mythology there were griffins and dragons. One of the greatest treasures of the classic age was the Golden Fleece hidden away in the labyrinth (link to great dishcloth pattern).
Idea #3 A type of warmer or protector for someone you admire and love. My own project for this class is to make a sweater for my Mum to keep her warm.

Option 3: make something that’s a combination
Idea #1 A combination of knit and crochet. This is wide open. There are so many embelishments to be found on rav for knit and crochet. Knit yourself a little bag and decorate it with crochet flowers, or crochet a little amigurumi with a knitted costume.
Idea #2 Make a project with 2 different fibers. A shawl in a nice smooth merino to show off the lace and a fuzzy mohair blend edging.
Idea #3 A complex numerolgical project like these fibbonacci sequence themed patterns or these adorable mittens

Hope this helps!! Astronomy will be posted soon!!

Friday, May 13, 2011

CRR pages 123-146

LED hoop pictures... very cool CS!!  NK provides us with a Weasley family tree.  Stitchy shares a Super Cute pattern with us (look at  your own risk since it's not free) :-)  Happy Mother's Day!!
Baby Bumps!  Potions might take a bit to be graded.  Feel better Drusilla!
Autumn loves her baby blanket and I love the baby  picture!  Who doesn't love baby pictures?
Ever thought about dyeing but weren't quite clear how to?  Well Stitchy mentioned Kool-Aid and a new group with lots of information about it.  She even mentions how to dye with plants!
HiddenTohru shares another knitter's wonderful luck with us...I still can't imagine her good fortune...
Speaking of HiddentTohru, want to hear her sing?  Here's a link.  We also compare notes on what we watch on Netflix, OWL woes, and baby wishes.

Friday, May 6, 2011

CRR pages 102-122

Looking back on my notes for this CRR, I should name this one the baby and good news CRR. :-)

Amber graduates on Saturday!!  Hermione graduates Wednesday!!!  Check out CS's LED hoop!  (I think it's super cool)  Welcome to Connor Daryl Henrick, Autumn's new little lion cub!  Here's a pictures of Meg's baby Ian... it was just too cute!!!!  (and yes he will hate it when he gets older)
We have an ongoing discussion about tall people.  HiddenTohru I love when you said that when people say "wow you're tall" y'all go "really how did you figure that out?"  Congratulations to Anne who recently passed her NCLEX!  Congratulations OKC on your new title at work!  Congratulations to Lupingirl's boyfriend who just got a great job!!!  Guess who's moving!  Just because this made me laugh.  Enjoy knitting hats?  Want your hats to go to a good cause? Talk to silvakissBaby PICTURES!!!  See if you can identify real life pictures for the HP characters.  Trindles?  I just found out about spindles!  I feel left behind :-)  Ultrasound pictures!!!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

CRR Pages 75-102

Angie stopped in for a visit.  For all of you new to Gryffindor please meet Pomp!  Don't worry he's a sweetie!  CS is an official hooper (she's on a video!).  A new lion cub is about to make an appearance! Congratulations autumnleaf from all of us!!  A young Dr. Who fan tries to go for a ride in the Tardis. 
Lupingirl's bf is really sweet and told her she needs a shawl for a BIG day.  After that we got some really cute stories.  Naturallyknitty and CS, as the wonderful enablers they are, are enabling a sock along.  Congratulations Sparty for getting your braces off!  Adevinelife shares her baby bump and some really cute outfits.  Straayerliz makes a suggestion about the sock along.  For all of us that hated the over- analysis of some literature in school this might bring a laugh.  FlyKytten gives some links about respecting the spindle.  Household chores a problem?  Try Chorewars.  Thanks Sarah!  Derricksdoll's dog tries to make friends with the future baby.  We learn that lupingirl paints and draws (with samples), while TKJ's abilities lie in theater (and fiber crafts and juggling of course).

Until next time!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

CRR Pages 42-75

WOW guys!  We have been talking a lot!!  I was planning on a CRR every week but we almost doubled the page count in less than 2 days!  :-)   So here's a CRR to help everyone keep up.

It's official GazeboGal is a Superhero!  I announced that Osama Bin Laden was dead and the CS, alexist, sparty, and I discussed how he is the Muggle equivalent of Voldemort.  CS posted pics of Straayerliz (who looks great!) getting her Gryffie baby blanket with pictures of Baby Zoe (who is really cute!)  More hotties!  Sparty is getting her braces off!  WooHoo!!  More hotties!  How many does CS have?!  :-)  Quidditch team was anounced!  WOOHOO GO GRYFFINDOR!!!  The Tardis makes an appearance, no sign yet on David Tenant.  First Quidditch Report of the term hit the stands!  CS shares pictures of her nice looking husband's haircut.  Want to play in some sand?  Thank Lupingirl for the chance to do it without having to pay to go to the beach :-). 







That's all for now!

Monday, May 2, 2011

We'll Rule the Pitch!


Good morning, Gryffindors!  FlyKytten, 2nd Year, back as your Quidditch Reporter!  Hopefully I'll do a better job this time!  ;)

First off, let me introduce you to our Quidditch Team.  HermioneWeasley is our Team Captain.  She's a fellow 2nd Year, and your Ancient Runes Professor from House Gryffindor!  Go, girl!  Our Keeper is returning Gryff Covington.  Hurrah!  For our Beaters, we have Ickle Firstie RiverCameron (Yay!) and MindySue (an OWL Examiner!).  Finally, we have my dear friend Aikaterini as Seeker, and YOU'RE ALL CHASERS!

Let's rock 'n roll, Lions!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

CRR Pages 1-41

First of all welcome to this term's gryffindors! Welcome back to those of you who have been in Gryffindor before and Welcome to all the new gryffies! Please read the first 3 messages if you haven't already. Madeleine shared some wonderful pumpkin pasties and asked if there were ways to figure out what year she was and FF suggested a way. Coribug of Hufflepuff brought us some goodies. Lupingirl explained that the Common Room is now in Lion Pride but our table will serve the same function in HPKCHC that the Common Room did last term. Jaji adds some excitement that spills over to many students about the new term. YAY! Madeleine has a new house. CS announced this term's chat schedule. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! There's a new group for charity knitting. Hotties! The Roaring Lion Badge is back! More hotties. Reminder about the hotties. Ron dropped in for a visit. Some of the Sorting Hat's crazy British relations were spotted. OWL changes. Two new Gryffie Staffers! Excitemet over class postings and Quidditch permeated the table! Wildcard classes. Additions to the Library coming soon. Stuartsmom explains this term's Quidditch.