What I did for December Break (part 4)

f1bercat sits on Lily Evan's bed watching the upper-classman unpack her trunk.  The two girls talk about the December Break Theme assignment as Lily waves her wand and her clothes wisk their way from the trunk to the dresser drawers.

Suddenly, f1bercat stretches out her hand, and snags something colorful in mid-flight.  It's a ... hat?

"I know this hat," f1bercat declares.  "James Potter knit it last term.  I helped him pull up the stitches here with a crochet hook, when he dropped one."  She examines the hat more closely.  "Not a bad blocking job, though he could have woven in the ends a bit neater."  She looks knowingly at Lily.  "Best thing you got for Christmas this year?"

Lily, refusing to blush at the younger girl's smart words and knowing look, winks and says, "The amount of time and effort put into handknits makes this type of gift even more special.  I wouldn't want anyone to think that I am not Knit Worthy."

What did the other Gryffindors get as presents?  And what projects did they work on during the December Term Break?

1. What is your favorite project you worked on during December

2. What was your favorite gift you made (if any)

3. What was your favorite gift you received

4. What was the best thing you ate

kmroberton  

1.  The Poppy hat I made for my niece from my own handspun *

2.  Probably the two Dwarven Battle Helmets I made for my Dad & BIL.*

3.  My sister & her family went to the in-laws first, so we’ll open presents on the 28th. But I did buy myself a Spanish Peacock Tibetan Spindle

4.  So far, turkey! But I hope to get our traditional Christmas pudding made for our Christmas celebration with my sister’s family (old English recipe from my Grandma with apples, carrots, raisins & currents.)

katiemc1229  

1.  I think my favourite project I worked on during December would be this little sweater ornament*… pure fun!

2.  My favourite gift I made… ooh this one’s hard!! I loved several things I made. I think I will choose the hats I made for my son, his girlfriend, and her cute little 8-year-old boy. They are all fans of Mississippi State Football so I made the hats in the team colours.*

3.  Oh I really can’t pick a favourite gift I received! Everything was so wonderful… I have the most thoughtful husband and son!

4.   Oooh… the best thing I ate at Christmas was the strawberry cheesecake my brother made… he is famous for his cheesecakes!! :)

LadyJennifer  

1 & 2.  I haven’t completed any of the gifts I started for people, nor have I really made any progress on anything this month :( I was so busy getting ready for the big dinner, and so distracted by our pregnancy that things haven’t really been on track for me.

3.  the best gift I received was a potkukelkka (kicksled)

4.  the best thing I ate was the turkey dinner I coooked for 16 people (because I was so relieved it turned out!)

Mauri  

1.  I pretty much only worked on my NEWT, which is a single-project proposal, a sock-yarn square blanket.*

2.  Haha, I only planned for one…and still didn’t even start it. I owe a friend a Gretel hat, hopefully sometime before it stops snowing here.

3.  I bought a Kindle Paperwhite for myself, but then my dad bought it off me and gifted it to me.

4.  Hmm…I ordered a food gift-set and it was all yummy. Sausages and prosciutto and ham…

craftybooknerd  

1.  My favorite project that I worked on was Tangled River* by Woolly Wormhead :) I was so happy when I got that finished up!

2.  I made a hat for my mother in law and I hope she likes it :)*

3.  I haven’t received any yet :) We are having our big Christmas Saturday with the in laws :)

4.  TURKEY! I love turkey =D

foxpearls  

1.  I made a pair of dark green Cupcake Mittlets for a surprise swap in another group.*

2.  I gave my MIL the Rowan Leaves lace shawl project I made in order to complete a Mission for the OOTP. (She loves it!)

3.  Favorite gift: 2 skeins of fingering weight alpaca from my sister.

4.  Best thing I ate? Hm. Pondering. I think the gingerbread cookies are my favorite. Also pizza the day after Christmas!

Muirgheasa  

1 & 2. The only thing I got to work on or finished in December was the Monster Book of Monsters- I think you know what I am talking about! LOL! No crafting at all got done in December other than the Monster.*

abitknottie  

1) project and 2) gift was a Christmas stocking for my grandson*

3) My daughter made me a Sock Monkey pillow (extra special because I just taught her how to sew this month)

4) Favorite thing I ate - pumpkin soup

PennyIA  

1.  My favorite project I worked on during December was probably my OWL project that I didn’t get finished on time. It was the my Velvet Morning cardigan and I just have one end left to weave in to turn it in on Jan 1st. It is so awesome and I love it to death.*

2.  My favorite gift I made was A’s Mario Transformation hat. It wasn’t necessarily the most fun to do - a ton of duplicate stitching… but it turned out really awesome and every time he puts it on he says “Mario-rific” and I get a smile.*

3.  My favorite gift received (and technically given as I got one for everyone in the family) was the Roku. I’m using it right now to watch Knitting in Circles podcast and really love it.

4.  The best thing we ate was my ‘special’ desert that I bought at the grocery store… it was an enormous fudge brownie that we divided up into four pieces and have been enjoying a little bit at a time.

nanishiori  

1.  toss up….still working on both… lace roses*  &   if the world ends*

2.  Loop scarf:  sparkly yarn!*

3.  Fiber

4.  A holiday apple pie like thing… full of baked apple, pear, and cranberries and cinnamon!

spartyliblover  

1.  A shawl that’s not finished yet!

2.  I love the ducky socks* I made for my mom (although that was during the fall term) and I really liked the Christmas Monster I made for a friend’s 3 year old

3.  I got Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines, which I can’t wait to have time to read!

4.  My grandma’s roast beef

actionhadley  

1 & 2.   My favorite thing/gift I made was my first pair of afterthought heel stripey socks for my husband*

barkNknit  

1.  My baby girl...growing inside me and due in April.  This seemed to be the only thing my body wanted to work on this month. :)*

2. Last year, I knit several people gifts and made everyone in my family a set of coasters with pictures of them and my daughter on them...it was a lot of work and while MOST of the coasters were appreciated, some of the knits were not.  Those people have been put on the no-knit list for the rest of their lives and I decided I would take a year break on knitting people things.  Especially while I wasn't being very productive knittingwise during my 2nd trimester.  I have a very short list of special people who I know will appreciate knit gifts that are on the list for next year...or really throughout the year too. :)

3.  Time with my family for the holidays!  It is my daughters last Christmas as an only child..and next Christmas will be so different again with a new baby that I wanted to cherish the time we spent together this year.  Not that I'm not looking forward to next year too! :)

4.  PUMPKIN ROLL!  My MIL came to town and she made some pumpkin rolls...I had been dreaming about them since she started talking about them at Thanksgiving! I've had it several times with coffee for breakfast and it is so yummy!  I watched her make it and I may actually have to make it myself soon.

naturallyknitty  

1.  I really didn’t work on much… just some last min teacher gifts… my fav of those was the Drop Stitch Cowls *

2.   sweater for my SIL, it was my order mission… and it turned out perfectly, and fit her like a glove!*

3.  I got a new reed for my loom, which means I can now weave with yarn that’s thicker than fingering weight… can’t wait to try it out on some handspun.  I also got some roving!*

4.  well I’d say it was Christmas dinner… it was so unplanned but it worked out wonderfully! We had braised venison shanks on top of mushroom risotto and a side of green bean bundles (wrapped with prosciutto; a salt cured ham) that were grilled. YUM!… and a glass of red wine.

To be continued...

 *Note:  All photos are the property of the House Member in whose update they appear.  Use with permission only

Meet a firstie: Quiltyone

Our third firstie: Quiltyone!

First, feel free to introduce yourself and say anything you’d like to say about you in real life, or by way of introduction for older Gryffs who haven’t met you yet!

In real life I live in the rural Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with my husband and two cats. I am a quilter with a nice big sewing room in the basement and live a pretty crafty life. I have taught quilting for a number of years and taught on the internet since 2000. For a few years I had a retail teaching/dyeing/art quilt studio in a nearby city.

Since September and my discovery of the House Cup, I spend more time knitting than quilting.

How long have you been crafting?

I feel like I have crafted all my life! When I was little, I made ornaments of felt and fabric, did embroidery, cross stitch, any kind of fiber related craft I could find. I have sewn clothing for much of my life.

What crafts do you do?

I used to dye fabric and hand marble fabric and try every new craft that came along, but at some point, decided to concentrate my efforts on quilting only. It is only during the last 4 years or so that I have resumed knitting.

As a quilter, I started out making patchwork quilts, and over time they morphed into very realistic pictorial quilts. Although I have knit for most of my life, knitting took a back seat to quilting until I returned to it a few years ago. I made hats and scarves and mitts, and finally tried socks. The socks sort of took over. I started making them because I found mass-produced socks so uncomfortable. Now I make them because the yarn is so pretty and all the different patterns are so much fun. I also like socks because they take only one or two skeins, which means lots of variety.

The House Cup is helping me to branch out from socks and try new things. I did my first crochet project last month with encouragement from slothmuffin of Hufflepuff, and knit my first lace shawl. I am getting back into color stranded knitting

How did you find the HPKCHC?

I was exploring ravelry one slow, hot day last August and came upon a really fascinating project made by hypercycloid of Ravenclaw for her Winter 2011 OWL. I joined that group and began to learn about the Cup. I missed sorting by a week or two, so played along as a NQFY. I loved my time as NQFY because it gave me a chance to explore, meet people and learn about the cup with no pressure.

Did something in particular attract you to roar for Gryffindor?

My first encounter with Gryffindor was through the Sock Study Thread. Everyone there was wonderfully helpful and friendly. Then, guenevol asked the NQFYs if anyone would like an introduction to Gryffindor. I gladly accepted and somehow found myself hanging around first in the common room, then with the Headless Hats who adopted me and made me feel very welcome. A real turning point for me came after asking the question “why Gryffindor?” I was directed to lupingirl’s August 2011 Welcome to Gryffindor message and was very touched by it and it made me want to be part of the Pride.

Do you have a favorite moment/scene/character/etc in the HP canon?

So many!! I love when Hermione, Ron and Harry meet. Hermione is a favorite character, but I love Hagrid, and Luna, too. There are scenes in the movies that make me cry a little no matter how often I see them. I love the whole series of books for its ability to transport me to a different world.

What project or FO are you most proud of?

In knitting, I am proud of my first Shawl, knit last term as a mission for the Order of the Phoenix.

I have two favorite quilts that I made: one of Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway which hangs over my mantle, and one of the architecture of Flagler College in St Augustine, FL. Most of my quilts take me much longer to make than my little shawl did.

What are you looking forward to most this term?

Getting to know my new house and making new friends, knitting fun projects for actual points, and Quidditch!

Do you have a favorite fiber-crafting celebrity? A movie star crush? A secret love for underwater basket weaving?

I do have a deep, dark secret. It’s something I rarely admit to myself: I like orange! It sneaks into my (quilting) projects whether I want it to or not. It’s probably only a matter of time before I start buying orange yarn.

Also, I enjoy yoga, cooking and flying remote controlled helicopters.

Images are property of Quiltyone; use with permission!

What I did for December Break Part 3

Morning Frost

Sirius Black absently pulls out a roll of parchment and a quill, and stares at the ceiling, the Seventh Floor Common Room walls, the floor.  He has no idea of what to write for his Theme.  He leans over Remus Lupin's shoulder and begins to read aloud, "'My favorite gift I received was enough fingering weight wool to begin my first pair of socks.'"  He stops in amazement.  "What!  you got wool for Christmas?  That is so unfair.  I didn't even dare tell my parents that I had learned how to knit last term." 

Remus smiles.  "I guess I just got lucky.  My parents were fascinated when I showed them I knew how to knit the Muggle way."

The Gryffindors continued working on their assigned Themes:

1. What is your favorite project you worked on during December

2. What was your favorite gift you made (if any)

3. What was your favorite gift you received

4. What was the best thing you ate

Fantasyflyte  

1. My sweater! I was hoping to finish it for my OWL, but I finished about a week and a half late. It still came out gorgeous though! *

2. A skunk for my cousin, because she LOVED it.

3. MY ENGAGEMENT RING!!! *

4. I ate a lot of delicious things.

AmberCort  

1. The pink owl hat I made for a friend's 5 month old little girl.*

 2. a brown and pink owl headband.*

3. a Kindle Fire.

4. Cinnamon Rolls I made on Christmas Morning.

Icejewel  

1.  I haven’t really enjoyed anything I finished in December. I spent all of November and the first bit of December making things out of that cursed ruffle yarn to sell at craft fairs, projects that mostly sold well but I detested the whole process. Other than that, I worked on projects for gifts that I’d been making a long time. Both had been in time out for one reason or another, neither actually got finished, and one has actually gone back into time out--the “Brave” socks I almost finished for dh (pattern by Sarah Bordelon) don’t go up over his heel due to the tight cabling on the cuff. If I ever finish that or the Dangerous Dino sweater for my son, I will be thrilled. The sweater is probably my favorite--I hand dyed the yarn and I love how it’s turning out, but I discovered I don’t like intarsia or seaming. :( *

2. I did enjoy learning a new technique…I made a doll chair cushion for my daughter using entrelac. It was very interesting to finally figure it out, and while I’m not totally happy with the finished product (it’s too small) I did enjoy the challenge.*

3. Money! We moved in November and have been super, super strapped for cash since then.  Plus I just got paid in two gorgeous skeins of Ultra Alpaca light for a commission knit, so it’s all good.

4. This year I fell in love with Puff Corn drenched in hardened, melted almond bark. Sweet, buttery and salty…it’s the perfect unhealthy snack.

jrf1977 

1. thing #1’s dalek . it is just too freakin’ cute for words.*

2. thing #1 & thing #2 daleks. I love them!!! and can’t wait to see the girls in them.

3. my fav gift that I received this year #1 were the bath sheets that my parents got me and #2 was the tin of Joy tea from Starbucks (it is my favorite tea) that Londonaftrdark from slytherin got me.

4. probably the tipsy cake that I made for christmas day.

quirkyhime  

1. The Couple Cuffs (still a wip, but still fun to make) *

2. Refer to #1

3. I got 4 skeins of variegated yarn in a hexagonal yarn carrier with a prayer shawl pattern book.

4. Pumpkin fluff.

Cillaspins  

1.  Animal Crackers which is my Grandson’s sweater. This sweater will became a January Detention project instead of a Christmas present. I had to make several visits to the frog pond while making his sweater, but my grandson will love it even if it is a week or so late.

2. My DADA OWL Fall 2012 was my favorite gift. I was so glad that I completed my second OWL and that the Green Bay Packers Granny Square Afghan would go to its new home on Christmas.*

3. Knowing Christ is always with me and being with my family.

4. Prime rib with all of the trimmings.

puffygriffinclaw  

1. Tough call, but I think it was the Zuzu’s Petals that I made for a friend, my first hands-on with MadTosh.*

2. The cardi that I finished for my DS20 as part of my Detention OWL.*

3. DS20 on his own found a “Keep Calm and Knit On” mug on the internet.

4. This year’s Christmas Morning Buns were the best ever.

knitsNhikes  

1. Still working on it- crocheted ornaments from purl soho. pattern is Snowflower Ornaments*

2. Pair of fingerless mitts* for my brother-in-law. he was pretty impressed with my crafting (they were very plain k2p2 ribbed fingerless mittens) and wore them around all day!

3. Fiber and a drop spindle from my dh. I told him I wanted to learn to spin and he really came through!

4. My mum’s homemade spaghetti. So many good memories are wrapped up in that meal.

Pyai  

1. & 2. My favorite projects I worked on this December were my 2 Owl hats I made as Christmas gifts.* 

I’ve been plugging away at a baby blanket I haven’t yet posted to my projects page - but that’s rather tedious. I much prefer shorter projects!

3. a strummed dulcimer (aka a tiny three-string guitar) and knitpicks gift cards!

4. chocolate chip cookies. I ate them everywhere and in huge quantities. Definitely my favorite.

neferkatie  

1. I enjoyed making a few mini ornaments for the tree, and working on a few projects from the Gryffindor Advent Calendar. *

2. I made my sister a set of winter-wear: a matching hat, mobius scarf, mittens and coffee cup cozy in her favorite purple. It (accidentally) matches her new coat. *

3. Ooh, toughie. I love the yarn bowl my DH bought me, and I’ve already been using it a bunch! I also love the fact that we get to spend two whole weeks with my family, which is really the best gift of all.
4. I made some pretty kickin’ ginger snaps. Also cranberry sauce, because I love cranberry sauce season. Noms.

intallcotton 

1. It’s a toss up between fish, coat of many colors, and my checkerboard scarf!

2. I loved them all!! Well, favorite would be the Tudor Rose mitts I made.

3. I got a handmade shawl from my cousin who taught me how to crochet. She took first place in shawls at her county fair with it!!!!!

4.  My favorite was prime rib with roasted potatoes and gravy and lemon-garlic broccoli.

PurpleSnowdrop  

1. The only things I managed to get finished in December were the scarf/cowls,* they were gifts, for my friend to give to her daughters

2. My favourite things I made as gifts were my nameless dogs,* they came out of my brain, I gave them to my granddaughters, they loved them.

3. I got some lovely gifts from my children, but the one that made me smile the most, is my purple toaster from my son. He also go me a lovely pair of purple mittens.
My daughter had a poster framed for me, its 25 reasons why chocolate is better than men.

4. Christmas dinner was lovely, but my favourite thing is, cool mint matchmakers

Scoutharps  

1. & 2.  I’m working on a sweater that is to leave the country by New Years! It is the coordinating sweater for Martina’s sweater that was my OWL. Justin’s sweater*  had 2 sleeves--I promise! Only one disapeared. Now I am trying to make up for lost time, and lost yarn.

tacolove  

1. The project I’m currently working on right now, an ‘In Threes’ itsy bitsy baby cardi! It’s so fresh on the needles the completely finished project will be January’s WIP the first. *

2. Two hats for an old coworker of mine. I technically made them in oct/nov and turned one in for November Detention, but he received them just in time for Christmas, so I’m counting them as my Christmas knitting. (‘Alabama Hat the First’ and ‘Alabama Hat the Second (done right!)’ are the projects). He looks rather dashing in the colorwork one~ *

3. Yarnz. I bought it all on cyber monday, but I was a good girl and waited until Christmas Day to even pet them!

4. The clearance candy I bought today! A local candy store puts all their holiday candies half price the day after said holiday, and their eggnog cream candies are to DIE for…

slmoses  

1. I made a pair of fingerless gloves with some hand-dyed yarn for my secret santa!*

2. My secret santa gift!

3. My sister got me a sewing machine!!

4. I made a delicious caramel apple pie!

RattlesnakeKate  

1. Aurora Expanse hat*

2. I’m making 3 February Baby Sweaters for a friend’s niece’s triplets -- that’s the only gift knitting I’ve done this month

3. Winning a spot in the Goth Sock Yarn club!

4. OMG, I ate all the things. Maybe strawberry cheesecake or chicken fried ribs. Or the pizza(s) my husband made. I love snacking :)

EmilyMartis  

1. A queen-sized quilt for my husband!!! But then my sewing machine broke… so it didn’t get finished. This was pretty much the only project I worked on, until 2 days ago and then I started the Maine Morning Mitts.*

2. My favorite gift I made was some miniature pillows, blankets, furniture, rug, and photo frames for my niece’s doll house she was getting for Christmas. They were adorable…

3. My favorite gift was a set of blocking mats!! This was a total surprise from my husband and I didn’t expect it at all. (I also got a set of interchangeable needles in size 9-15 from him… but I picked those out so it wasn’t a surprise.)

4. Everything!!!

To be continued...

 *Note:  All photos are the property of the House Member in whose update they appear.  Use with permission only.

January Class Round-Up

A new term has begun, January classes have been posted, and Gryffindor is rearing and ready to win back the House Cup! 

http://pottermorehousepride.tumblr.com/post/11377197692/gryffindor-pride

The easiest way to accomplish this is for all of us to push ourselves to finish as many classes as we can this term. Our professors have made it easy for us this month, providing lots of options for each class. Hopefully there's something for everyone's queue!

Here's a quick summary of the month's classes:

  

Flying:

Option 1: Craft a go-to item, dye your fallback color, or spin your favorite kind of yarn.

Option 2: Dream big! What would you do if practicality were not a consideration? Go gonzo with gusto!

Option 3: Design and craft part of your own robes. Published patterns are not required. 

Herbology:

Option 1: Weave, knit, crochet or spin something that just screams-- whether it has colors so hot or bright they could stop traffic, or an item that is excessive in fussy details.

Option 2: Represent the hissing sounds of an adolescent mandrake and craft something that hisses. 

Option 3: Knitters and perhaps weavers or crocheters: steek something!

Defense Against the Dark Arts:

Option 1: Pick an approved wizard rock song and craft something inspired by it!

Option 2: Craft something in house colors to wear or bring to a wrock concert. 

Divination:

Option 1: A craft inspired by Cats Claw Bark. You can choose cats, claws, bark, the yellow flowers, or anything else you find out about the plant. 

Option 2: Craft something useful in preparation for a task. 

Option 3: Show your understanding of hallucinations. Use a technique or fiber which changes the item's appearance when looked at from a particular angle or light.

Muggle Studies:

Option 1: Fulfill a broken promise

Option 2: Celebrate Ditch Your New Year's Resolution Day

Potions: 

Option 1: Craft something with multiple color changes.

Option 2: Craft with a variegated or self-striping yarn.

Option 3: Craft something that requires concentration and focus.

Care of Magical Creatures:

Option 1: Craft something using the colors of the Unicorn in their growth stages.

Option 2: Craft an object of comfort or something that gives strength.

Charms:

Option 1: Make something that helps you grip objects more easily by protecting your hands.

Option 2: Make something to cover objects themselves to help with the grabbing of them (pot holders, cozies, etc.)

Option 3: Spin a grippy fiber such as BFL, Corridale, or Shetland.

Option 4: Dye using super saturated, bold colors.

Over the course of the next 4 weeks, we'll be coming up with suggestions, scouting for awesome projects that people are working on, and doing our best to help you brainstorm ways to eek in some extra classes this term! 

Which classes are you most excited for this term, Gryffindors?