Quidditch, Round 1

Wow, it's almost time for the first Quidditch match of the term! I think I'll be able to play tomorrow, although I'm not sure it will do much good. I had a ton of beginner's luck when I first tried Quidditch, but since then I haven't caught a single Snitch, nor even helped my House find one. So I guess the Quidditch prep is the least I can do:

1. What momentous event was the reason that the members of the Order of the Phoenix felt it necessary to move Harry out of the Dursley’s house?
d. Harry’s upcoming birthday

2. Who revealed the actual date of Harry’s transfer to Voldemort, despite the misinformation the Order had been spreading around that the move would occur on the eve of his actual birthday?
b. Snape

3. With the use of Polyjuice Potion (and to confuse any possible attack by Death Eaters), six member of the Order were disguised as Harry and escorted out of Privet Drive, along with the real Harry. Which member of the order did not survive that night?
a. Mad-Eye Moody

4. Who informed Harry, Ron and Hermione of the bequests left to them in Dumbledore’s will?
d. Rufus Scimgeour

5. During the wedding celebration for Bill and Fleur, Kingley Shacklebolt sent a Patronus to tell the guests that the Ministry had fallen, Scrimgeour (the Minister) was dead and the wedding celebration was about to be attacked by Death Eaters. What form did the Patronus take?
a. A lynx

6. Escaping from the wedding to London, our three friends found themselves confronted by a pair of Death Eaters, disguised as workmen. This close brush impressed on them the need to find someplace to hide. Where did they decide to go?
b. Sirius Black’s house

7. Kreacher’s animosity towards Harry, Ron and especially Hermione (a Mudblood) was well documented in book five, “The Order of the Phoenix.” His initial interaction with them showed that his attitude had not changed. How did they win him over?
d. By giving him Regulus Black’s old locket

8. Who did they eventually find was in possession of the locket/Horcrux?
d. Dolores Umbridge

9. What did Harry find embedded in the door of Umbrdige’s office?
a. Moody’s magical eye

10. After retrieving the Horcrux, they tried to return to their safe place but they were pursued (actually Yaxley tagged along when they disapparated). This meant that the Death Eaters knew their hiding place and they had to go somewhere else. Where did Hermione take them?
d. To the site of the Quidditch World Cup
Picture Scavenger Hunt

Mad-Eye Moody

Nymphadora Tonks

George Weasley

The Dursley's House

Kreacher

HUZZAH HUFFLEPUFF!!!!!

Moebius Magic

I'm not very good at magic for putting things away. I can't do an Undetectable Extension Charm, and I've never found a Mokeskin pouch for sale. If I try to use magic to put things back in my trunk, they wind up in a tangled heap. And my Monster Book of Monsters is still hiding under my bed, because I haven't been able to calm it down enough to get it back on the shelf.

But if there's one thing I can do, it's knit - and a little bit of magic thrown in makes things so much more interesting. So here's my latest project. It looks like an ordinary basket, right? But if you pick it up, it turns out to have just one side - no inside or outside - and just one edge. Even so, somehow it manages to hold some things - they sort of stay put, even though there's no real inside.

It's really too bad there isn't an O.W.L. in Knitting, isn't it?

Quiz #2

I've been procrastinating on all kinds of homework this week, but here's my second quiz:

1. Do you knit or crochet? How long have you been at your craft?
Both, but I knit a lot more than I crochet. I've been knitting on and off for 25+ years, probably crocheting occasionally for 20.

2. Do you spin? What type of spinning do you do?
A little. I have a drop spindle or two. I've only made one thing from my handspun.

3. Are there any other crafts that you participate in?
Many of them. Lampwork, embroidery, tatting, sewing, cooking, origami. Is that enough? I tried pottery once, but I'm really, really bad at pottery.

4. What are your favorite yarns/fibers?
I like natural fibers the best - a soft wool is my first choice for almost any project. I love cotton in fabric - knitting with it is a little harder, but I'm hoping to find a cotton yarn I love. I'm pretty fond of Tofutsies' soy silk, too.

5. What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fiber?
I don't like synthetics, although I'll use a blend when it's appropriate. I usually don't use mohair yarns, although I'm not sure why I haven't enjoyed them. And I learned the hard way that bamboo isn't much good for winter, although I'm not ruling it out for non-winter-sock applications.

6. Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven’t gotten a chance?
Nothing leaps to mind, but I'm always happy to find a new yarn someone else recommends. I'm not adverse to trying out some of the weird fibers.

7. What are you currently working on?
A wedding shawl and my Kauni Cardigan are the two big projects. I have plenty of smaller things going, but they will change quickly.

8. Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn?
Sometime I should sit down and learn the two-socks-at-once thing.

9. Do you have a yarn winder and/or a swift?
No, I just wind my yarn by hand.

10. Where/how to you keep you needles/hooks?
My DPNs are in and outgrowing a nice fabric case. My circulars are going into a binder, as I find them, although I'm not convinced it's the best storage system. Hooks and spare tools go in the pockets of a suitcase that once held most of my stash.

11. Do you like sweets? What are your favorites?
Every now and then. I don't like terribly sweet stuff, usually. I like vanilla, and fruit. I like pastries. I really like nuts or mint in my chocolate. I tend to go for quality over quantity, especially with chocolate, since it's a potential headache trigger. But I'm not giving it up just because of that!

12. Are you having a birthday during this swap?
No, my birthday is in June.

Quiz #1

Wow, it's not enough that we had the first homework assignment - now we have a house quiz! We really are turning into a bunch of Ravenclaws. I'm sure I shouldn't complain - to be honest, the Sorting Hat really considered putting me in Ravenclaw - so maybe I'm just getting the best of both Houses, here. But still, homework in the first week?

So here's the question: "When did you first learn to knit - who taught you, how did you learn, what was your first project?"

To take the last question first, I can't remember what my first project was. I think I started a lot of random squares of knitting. The first thing I remember successfully making was a pair of slippers from sewn-up rectangles.

How did I learn? Not very easily - it took me three tries, and longer than that before I got good. I remember they tried to teach us in Blue Birds. I think I tried again at another point. But it didn't really stick until my crazy Muggle aunt (everyone has one, right? Mine was great!) figured out that I was trying to do things left handed. It was really weird - she'd been trying to help me with the knitting, and there was a lot of frustration. Then we were playing a game with a spinning top, and she noticed I was spinning it with my left hand. So we tried to accommodate that in knitting, and it worked - I remember I made a little bitty rectangle that very night!

The funny thing is that I'm not left handed. I do everything - eating, writing, wand-work - with my right hand. But often, when I'm trying to learn to do something, I'll start with my left hand, and have to remember to switch to my right. It helps a little, but I'm not really good with either hand. I think I'm ambisinister.

And when did I learn? Sometime in primary school, long before I was old enough to come to Hogwarts. I think I was 7 when my mother gave me a box of needlework material she'd bought and never finished, and there were knitting needles in that. I've had various periods where I've paid more attention to other hobbies, so this last knitting obsession has just been going on for a few years now.

Because I am a Hufflepuff, and very earnest, I'll even mention that I already answered the second question, some time ago, here.

7th Term

Wow, I can't believe it's time for the next term already. The holidays just seemed to fly by. My boyfriend and I spent some time traveling together, but now it's back to school for me and back to the Muggles for him.

I was quite surprised to get a letter from our Head Girl, Lavender, saying she's moved to Slytherin House. It's hard to imagine such a thing! I wonder what our new Head Girl will be like?

I almost wonder if she's really a Ravenclaw at heart - thanks to her, we're the first House to get homework! We're supposed to create a wish list. This is always hard - I have to do this for the Muggle families for when my boyfriend and I get married, and I'm having a terrible time deciding what we need.

But my Ravenclaw tendencies are showing, too, because I already have a Wish List here. I already have some knitting-related things on it, like this adorable peacock. I'd also love to have some jewelry that marks me as a knitter - there's only one example on this list, but I know there's a lot of neat stuff out there.

What else??? Hmmm... can you believe I haven't read The Tales of Beedle the Bard yet? Somehow those old stories have become all the rage in the Wizarding community again, but I've never read or heard them. And everyone who sees me walk around the grounds knows I love 100% wool sock yarn, because then I can wear my Birkenstocks through the snow. But then again, all yarn is good, right? I'm always happy with new project bags, too - you never have enough of those! And I love gadgets - even Muggle ones - the tinier and more ingenious, the better. The Weasley boys say their father is absolutely fascinated with Muggle substitutes for magic, and I have to admit I feel the same way. Who wouldn't love a cleverly designed little thing?

So there's the start of a wish list. I hope all of our homework will be this easy!

Daisy's Delivery

Wow, today was an exciting day for all of us. A thumping at the door proved to be a delivery from Daisy, Amethyst Aurag's owl.

Much to everyone's surprise, there were two packages. The dogs always get excited when there's Post, because they like the company. They were even more excited to discover that one of the packages was addressed to them. (You can't see it very well here, but the package actually says "Bad Dogs.")


Oscar's excitement was somewhat misplaced. He kept trying to investigate the packaging, rather than the contents of the package.


But he was excited when he finally figured it out. And Max was really excited, because Pepper and Rascal, who are cats, decided to get in on the goody-exchange business and send some doggy treats. Oh, happy doggy day!


Daisy and her helper had a package for me, too. When I took off the paper, I saw this nifty small trunk....


..and opened it up to see all sorts of goodies waiting inside.

This is where the dog treats proved to be a gift for me. With the dogs content and busy, I had time to go through the box, and enjoy everything.


Just look at what was inside! There's a handmade knitting-needle holder, that can roll up or hang on a wall. There are two Christmas ornaments - one for Syracuse University (I wonder if any Hogwarts students wind up there?), and one that looks like a basket of yarn. There are handmade stitch markers and wine charms, some people treats, and a sandalwood-scented bar of soap with a raven on the label (Amethyst is in Ravenclaw). There's some beautiful blue fiber for spinning. And don't forget the YARN!!!! Sock yarn, in the "Half-Blood Prince" colorway, and some handsome ebony needles for knitting with it. I hear there may be a Hufflepuff Sock Knitalong between terms - I know what I'll be knitting.


Thank you so much, Amethyst! And the doggies thank you, too!

Crackers

I had an interesting package delivery yesterday.

Lavender Ackerly sent me a package for our Hufflepuff Cracker Exchange. I don't know if her owl was busy, or if she lives someplace very cold - but this package was delivered by PENGUINS! How neat is that?

I thought it was a big package for a cracker, but it turned out to be a really big cracker - with a Hufflepuff wrapper, no less!

And while our wizard crackers don't bang when they're opened, this one was still pretty exciting. I got the traditional hat, but with a twist - I'll be knitting it myself! Then there was this really pretty knit bag, which looks like it will hold a lot of yarn. And some candies, which you don't see here because I hid them from the dogs right away.

Thanks Lav! I can't wait to start knitting!