I got my kit!

I got home from visiting my friends and family back in NY, and found Mystry's owl Twitchee wating for me on my porch. Inside were a bunch of parcels wrapped in Ravenclaw bronze and blue, very pretty. (I forgot to take a picture after unwrapping the ones in white paper, but they had the bronze paper, too. They just needed a little extra padding.)

I got some warm cozy mitts in Ravenclaw blue and silver (and haven't taken them off since!) The ruffle is so pretty!

Here's the whole kit.

A beautiful coffee mug that will be going to work with me for my use-it-every-day-all-day mug. A skein of Araucania Itata yarn, which is a blend of super-wash wool, silk and bamboo. It's totally yummy, and in my all-time favorite colorway of blue and purple. A box of See's candy. I squeed when I saw it, because I haven't had See's in forever. Yes, I've eaten some of it. A small and clever tool box with lots of compartments. A snitch kit, with snitch and a sticker book with house emblems. A set of owl salt and pepper shakers. A soft handled crochet hook, which I'm desperate for. 2 very cool post cards from California. And a copy of Handwoven magazine, which I will be slowly savoring this evening.


Here's a close-up of the snitch, and the tool box opened up:

The owl salt and pepper shakers:

Yarn

Tomorrow is the big day!

I'm going to see the movie! I'm going to see the movie! In Imax! Tomorrow morning! Yay. I've been reading the books and watching the movies all week. I'm watching The Half-Blood Prince right now, and will be all set. Time to get out the radish earrings.

Oh, yeah, my kit is finished, and going out in the mail on Monday. Yay! :-)

Week 9 pop quiz

1. To which prison was Gellert Grindelwald sent after he was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945? Nurmengard
2. Who is the first casualty in The Deathly Hallows? Hedwig
3. What does Draco Malfoy name his son? Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy
4. Before Harry gains control of it, who is the master of the Elder Wand? Draco
5. Severus Snape’s Patronus takes the same form as which other character’s? Lily Evans Potter
6. Where do Ron, Hermione and Harry apparate when Death Eaters invade Bill and Fleur’s wedding? Tottenham Court Road
7. Who does Harry send to search for Mundungus Fletcher and the missing locket? Kreacher
8. Who destroys Salazar Slytherin’s locket? Ron Weasley
9. What does Hermione use to destroy Helga Hufflepuff’s cup? A basilisk fang
10. Following the death of Lord Voldemort, who is named temporary Minister of Magic? Kingsley Shacklebolt

Anagrams

Holy cow this was hard. It took me all week to finish!


1 SPARSE VENUES Severus Snape
2 GO UNLOAD LOVE Luna Lovegood
3 A MOTH SEDAN Dean Thomas
4 FLUSH CIGAR Argus Filch
5 SLICK AIRBUS Sirius Black
6 DUMB ANALOG Ludo Bagman
7 A DRY MOO-CALF Draco Malfoy
8 UNSNAP THE SKI Stan Shunpike
9 PIT-A-PAT RIVAL Parvati Patil
10 AN OLD JEER Lee Jordan

Blah. Just blah.

I have had the wonderful luck of coming down with a Muggle disease called shingles. It hurts and itches and it's driving me crazy. Madam Pomfrey said that since it isn't a magical malady, none of her cures will work, so I just have to wait it out. Luckily I was already planning to have next week off work, to paint and set up my weaving studio. Hopefully if I pace myself, I'll be able to finish, or come close, and still feel enough better to go back to work. On the plus side, if I have to spend a lot of time resting, that means a lot of knitting time.

Rhinebeck

Rhinebeck was awesome fun, but was a bit of a bust for yarn for Lizzie's kit. So I'll default to plan B, ordering it online. But I have found something so seriously awesome for Lizzie's kit, and I found it by accident. I will post it on the family blog, though :-) Ok, shortie post this week, because I worked crazy hours this week, and spent today visiting with cousins.

Week 5, matching

Instructions: Please match up the wand (wood and core have been listed) with its owner. Each wand/ name of owner will be used once. Please use the web, books, each other for answers. Post answers to your blog for this week’s activity.

1. Vine wood and Dragon Heartstring: i) Hermione Granger
2. Walnut and Dragon Heartstring: k) Belatrix Lestrange, then Hermione who got it when Dobby rescued her and the others from Malfoy Manor
3. Hawthorn and Unicorn tail hair m) Draco Malfoy
4. Hornbeam and Dragon Heartstring d) Viktor Krum
5. Ash and Unicorn hair g) Cedric Diggory . Also, a) Ron Weasley’s first wand, which was a hand-me-down from his brother Charlie
6. Rosewood and Veela Hair l) Fleur Delacour
7. Elder and Thestral Hair b) Albus Dumbledor, then Tom Riddle
8. Mahogany and an unknown core j) James Potter
9. Elm and Dragon Heartstring e) Lucius Malfoy
10. Cherry and Unicorn hair c) Mary Cattermole
11. Yew and Phoenix Feather h) Tom Riddle
12. Holly and Phoenix Feather f) Harry Potter
13. Willow and Unicorn Hair a) Ron Weasley’s second wand

This one wasn't in the original list, but since it was used by 2 of the major characters, I thought I'd add it in :-) Chestnut and Dragon Heartstring: Peter Pettigrew, until Ron took it from him at Malfoy Manor.

Week 4 homework questions

1. Why does Harry accuse Remus Lupin of being a coward? For leaving Tonks alone while she was pregnant.
2. Who is R.A.B.? Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius’s brother
3. According to legend, what would a person become if he could assemble the Deathly Hallows? The Master of Death
4. What is Ariana Dumbledore rumored to be? A squib
5. What is written on Harry’s parents’ gravestone? “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
6. Why does Krum want to fight Xenophilius Lovegood? Xenophilius was wearing the mark of the Deathly Hallows, recognized by Victor as the mark of Grindelwald, who had killed Krum’s grandfather.
7. Why does Voldemort seek the Elder Wand? He thinks it would make him undefeatable.
8. Where did Dumbledore’s family live? Godric’s Hollow
9. Whose eye does Harry see in his magic mirror shard? Aberforth Dumbledore
10. What item does Harry steal from Gringotts? Helga Hufflepuff’s cup
11. Where does Rita Skeeter get her information about Dumbledore? She gives veritaserum to Bathilda Bagshot.
12. What is inside the Snitch that Dumbledore leaves Harry? The Resurrection Stone
13. Why does Dumbledore leave Ron a Deluminator? It would guide Ron back to Harry and Hermione.
14. Why has Hermione not read The Tales of Beedle the Bard? She grew up in a Muggle home, and it was a kids book in wizarding homes.
15. What is Dumbledore’s greatest regret? His relationship with Grindelwald
16. Whose mail did Snape open? Petunia Evans Dursley, Lily’s sister.
17. What form does Snape’s Patronus take? A doe
18. Why can the Sword of Gryffindor destroy Horcruxes? It’s goblin-made
19. What name is given to wizards who help Mudbloods? Blood traitors
20. How do Harry and his friends enter the Ministry of Magic? Using polyjuice potion to create disguises, they enter through the phone booth visitor’s entrance.
21. Who made Harry’s wand? Mr. Ollivander

Week 3 - Word association

Slightly late, but here it is:

1. Pumpkin – juice
2. Owl - post
3. Leaf -fall
4. Weasley - Ron
5. Quaffle - ball
6. Hallow - Deathly
7. Mad - eye
8. Dragon - breath
9. Crystal - ball
10. Trees – Ents (Sorry, wrong books.)
11. Hermione - granger
12. Hogwarts -school
13. Burrow -Weasleys
14. Dobby –house elf
15. Horcrux – Harry
16. Ministry – of Magic
17. Magic - wand
18. Sirius -godfather
19. Apple -pie
20. Juice -orange
21. Candle -light
22. Ghost -white
23. Snake -Nagini
24. Wand -magic
25. Invisibility -cloak
26. Tent - camping
27. Spell -book
28. Umbridge -meanie
29. Dursley -cousin
30. Prophet -daily

5 things to take camping

Hmmm, 5 things I can't live without.

1. My Kindle. There is no way I can spend any time at all without something to read, and my Kindle means I can have plenty of reading material with me, without much weight or bulk.

2. A knitting or crochet project. Something small, like a sock. Preferably something that has a pattern that's pretty simple to remember, so I can work by fire light.

3. Chocolate. Seriously, there's just no point in going camping if there aren't going to be smores.

4. Air mattress or pad. I'm just not as young as I used to be, and sleeping on the ground isn't fun anymore.

5. My camera. I actually have 2, not including the one in my phone. I've got a serious digital SLR Nikon with several lenses, and then I've got a smaller Nikon Coolpix. The Coolpix is more practical for taking places, because it's so small, but I really like taking pictures, and get better results with the big camera. Sometimes when I go somewhere, I bring the camera bag instead of a purse (Hmm, maybe I need to bling out my camera bag a little bit.)

Week one homework

1. Someone with the same crafts as me: Hermione Bagnold does a lot of the same crafts: knit, crochet, beads, cross-stitch. She doesn’t mention weaving, but there aren’t that many of us weavers around.

2. Someone born in the same month as me: Bella Shacklebolt and Manticora Crimson

3. Someone from a different country: Emma Wigsworthy

4. A new HSKS family member: Caradoc Brocklehurst is here for the first time. Hopefully it won’t be his last time!

5. Someone who has been in 3 or more HSKS swaps: Andromeda Finch-Fletchley. She’s been here since HSKS3!

6. Someone who has a bigger stash than me: I’ve only got 6 things stashed right now, so just about everyone’s stash is bigger than mine. Cassandra Crimsonchin has 55 things stashed, so she’s definitely got me beat.

7. Someone who both knits and crochets: Celestina Pettigrew

8. Someone with the same favorite color as me: Poppy Pluot loves purple so much, she used it as the background of her blog!

9. Someone who has the same favorite season/holiday as me: Ambyr Phoenixfire loves fall, like I do.

10. Someone who has the same favorite fiber as me: I haven’t found anyone who said the exact same thing as me, which is a blend of wool with either bamboo or tencel. But Lizzie Wychwood said that wool is her favorite, so that’s as close as I’m going to get.

A little bit about me

What crafts do I do? Weave, knit, crochet, cross stitch, bead, a little bit of embroidery, and a little bit of sewing. I'll really try my hand at anything.

I was born in June.

I’m fron the US.

This is my 6th HSKS swap.

I don’t know how big my stash is. Most of it isn’t up in Rav, and it’s mostly still packed up from my move. Most of it is weaving yarn, though.

I do knit and crochet.

My favorite color is purple, but I also really like blues, teals and greens, basically cool soothing colors. Of coures, I like fall colors in their place, too, so I guess there really aren't that many colors I don't like.

My favorite season is fall, hands down. I love the leaves changing, and when the air gets crisp and cool. I love getting ready for fall and winter holidays. My favorite holiday is, well, I’m really not sure. I love Halloween. I love dressing up (and we are encouraged to wear costumes to work!) I love decorating, and I love handing out candy to the kids. But I also love Chanukah, too. I love seeing my family. I love shopping for presents, and wrapping them, and seeing people’s faces when they open them. I love lighting the menorah, and making latkes (potato pancakes). And I decorate for Chanukah, too.

My favorite fiber is another tough one. For weaving, I really love working with perle cotton. It makes a great warp, comes in a gazillion wonderful colors, different sizes, it’s just really versatile. For knitting, I really like working with wool and bamboo or tencel. They’re warm, soft and drapey.

I got my kit!

As usual, I get so caught up in sending out a kit, I tend to forget I'll be getting one! So it's always a lovely surprise to come home to a package from Quietus. And this one was lovely right from the start! Waiting on my screen porch was an owl with an ivy wrapped package.




Inside were many bundles wrapped in pretty green tissue paper, along with a pattern to knit a leafy, lacy scarf called Branching out.

There was a pretty little tin covered with leaves, that held stitch markers, row counters and a padded grip for crochet hooks. I've only just recently started crocheting, and don't have many tools for it yet, so the padding will definitely come in handy. The stitch markers have pretty leaves on the, so Quietus is really rocking the nature theme with this kit. There's an exploding frog soap, which is peppermint soap on the outside (yum! so refreshing!) and a cherry bath bomb inside. How fun is that?

I also got a Windmill bag, which is a pattern I love. I've done it before for someone else, but somehow never got around to making one for myself. And now I don't have to!

I got some great yarn, one ball of SWTC Terra, that's 50/50 bamboo and cotton, and 2 balls of Patons Angora Bamboo, which is a blend of bamboo, angora and wool. To top all that off, I got some of my absolute favorite chocolate treats, Ghirardelli squares, and a bar of Lindt dark chocolate. I'm keeping that in the freezer so that I eat it nice and slowly. Quietus even remembered my kitties, and sent catnip mice, which got 2 enthusiastic paws up.

Here's the whole kit and caboodle:

Pepper enjoying a hit of the 'nip:

And Rascal partaking as well:

Daisy is on her way

My owl Daisy is on her way to Celestina Pettigrew. It's a long flight for her, and I sort of overloaded her, so it's going to take a week or so for her to get out there. I hope she enjoys the trip! Next kit, I have to try to get lighter stuff! I had a lot of fun making the _____ for the kit. I was wondering how I was going to ship appropriate picnic food without having to worry about it melting. So I was very happy to find ____ flavored ____ ____, and ___ ____ flavored _____ _____. But my best find was the set of ______, _____, and _____. I liked them so much, I bought some for myself!

Down to the home stretch

I'm going to be working like crazy to get my spoilee's hand-made item done for Friday. I've picked up some great little items that fit my theme, so I'm pretty happy with that. I've just got to finish my stitching, and do a little bit more shopping. It will be tight, but I'm confident I'll be done on time. Then I get to start planning my trip to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Yay!

Scavenger Hunt, Etsy style, part 1

Campfire



Pine Cone



Bowtruckle



Candle

Scavenger Hunt, part 2

Muggle Trash



Water Balloon



Edible plant



Creature that lives in the lake

Scavenger hunt, part 3

Feather



Yarn



Hogwarts Pride



Bathing Suit

I got Wingo!

Straight across the second row:

W: Catriona has seen every HP movie in the theater.

I: Emma Gorodok dyes her own yarn.

N: Lexie Lovegood is a HSKS newbie.

G: Genevra has 3 siblings, plus some step-siblings.

O: Hermione has way more things in her queue. 621 to my 50!

Wingo

In the interest of helping out my fellow campers, I've got some info about me :-)

I worked at a YMCA camp in Western NY for 5 years.

I've been on the train a bunch of times. I like riding trains. My longest trip was riding from Alabama to NY and then back for Thanksgiving one year. I even got one of those little sleeper cabins. That was lots of fun.

I speak a smidge of Spanish and Hebrew. Can't really converse in Hebrew, though, just read and understand prayer.

I've dyed my own yarn a bunch of times. My old guild always had a dye day every summer. But I can't really say I do it regularly. Not more than once or twice a year.

I have 3 siblings, to brothers and a sister.

I've got 50 items in my queue.

My patronus is a hawk.

I collect cats, and I collect sheet music that has the name Amy in the title (Amy is my muggle name)

I do make stitch markers, but usually just for swapping. So I don't have any of the ones I've made.

I live in Central Mass.

My favorite sweet treat is dark chocolate.

I played quidditch last term and in the earlier HSKS swap that was a whole season of quidditch. I've played seeker and beater.

I do own all of the Harry Potter movies, and all of the books.

This is my 5th HSKS swap.

I've done a 3 day, 2 night camp out, at Rhinebeck a couple of years ago. It was so cold!

I play the piano.

My birthday is in June.