C's Harry Potter B-day Gift

Merlin would be jealous 

Hogwarts First Year Kit

As many of you may remember from C's Wizard Pillow Christmas Gift, my niece is almost as big a Harry Potter fan as I am.  With this birthday being her 11th, I knew that meant I had to do something super special.  This particular gift has been in the works for almost a year.  I started planning last year just after her birthday and started acquiring pieces and supplies in October.  I can say without a doubt, this is the most expensive and most time consuming gift I have ever given.  But she's worth it, even if I'll never be able to top it.

Hogwarts Letter

Every Harry Potter fan knows the first step to being a Hogwarts student is getting your letter.  Traditionally sent via OWL post, C will have to settle for it coming in a box full of supplies.  This was one of the easier parts of the gift.  I simply copied the text from The Philosopher's Stone and printed it on some Hogwarts parchment I purchased on my first trip to Potterwood.

Text Books

After a uniform and wand (which my mom made for C for Halloween a few years ago), the next thing on the Hogwarts supplies list is the text books.  This was the original jumping off point for this gift and then the scope grew from there.

I started with 2 composition books, 2 drawing books, high end papers, spray adhesive, glue stick, and printable address labels.

Let me say here, that rotary cutters are the greatest thing ever.  If you don't have one, I suggest investing in one.  I use them for everything paper and fabric.  I used the spray adhesive for most of the papers, but used the glue stick for the spine covers.  I also use some stamping inks on the edges of the printed labels to take some of the edge of the whiteness.  The end product turned out pretty well.

Interior papers

Potion Ingredients

This is a fun part.  I ordered plastic test tubes with caps from Amazon (yes, they do sell EVERYTHING).  Then I headed to the craft store and dug through my own stash of crafting supplies to find fun things with which to fill them.

Because C has two much younger siblings that need basically constant watching/supervision, I was aiming for crafting items that C could use mostly without needing help and that would be easy for her to get out and put away on her own.

A slew of crafting Supplies

Along with the items in the test tubes, I also purchased a couple of glue pens.  They can be found in the paper crafting isle and are one of the greatest crafting inventions.  The idea is, of course, that C can glitter and stick things to her little heart's content without ending up with glue all over the place.

The beading was a little trickier.  I didn't want her to have to have a lot of special tools or tiny pieces to keep track of.  I ended up buying some very thin twine that she could easily tie off, magnetic clasps with loops through which she could tie the twine, and some beading needles to make the whole process a little easier.

Filled tubes

I also purchased some self-adhesive labels in the papercrafting section.  It was about $2 for 30 labels; totally worth buying them rather than trying to make them myself.

Woo cheap labels!

The last thing was to match up the crafty items with some Harry Potter potions ingredients.  This is a fun little exercise.  I got some help from one of my HP yarnies.  There is a great list here on the Harry Potter wiki.  What I ended up with was:

Glitter = Powdered unicorn horn
Dark oil slick beads - Black beetle eyes
Purple beads = Ashwinder eggs
Green beads = Bezoar
Buttons = Sopophorous beans
Paperclips = Fairy wings
Brads = Leeches
Flowers = Nightshade
Clothes pins = Dragon claw/Griffin claw
Beading needles = Billywig stings
Twine/clasps = Goosegrass/Runespoor eggs

Bottled & labeled Potions Ingredients

Hogwarts: A History

This part was an impulse.  I hadn't planned to make it until I saw the book-shaped paper mache box on the shelf.  It just needs some basic supplies - box, 2 fabrics, spray adhesive, white glue, gold glitter, and fabric markers or sharpie.

I used fabric markers to draw on the cover, but I think a sharpie would work just as well for this.  You can choose whether or not to "gild" your pages, but I think it gives the project a little whimsy.  And what's Harry Potter without whimsy?

For all the Hermiones out there, of which I am one.

Dragonhide gloves

These were a fun little add on item.  As I looked over the list of supplies required for First Years I noticed Dragonhide Gloves on the list.  I couldn't resist making some for her.  This pattern was quick and fun and the end prodect is super stretchy so she'll be able to wear them for a while (if it ever gets cold enough in Florida).

I added a tag from Slug & Jiggers apothecary attesting that they are 100% Ukrainian Ironbelly Hide and voila!

Quill

This was another quick & easy one.  I knew from the start that she would need a quill, so I ordered a feather pen from Amazon.  It came in a lovely box so I simply removed the Muggle stickers, added some silvery gray ribbon I had lying around, and added some fun Labels from Scrivenshaft's.

Never-dull-tipped quills are best used with Scrivenshaft's Ever-refilling ink wells.

Trunk

Every Hogwarts student needs a trunk to pack their goodies in.  I used a paper mache box and mod podged on some wood grain fabric.  This wasn't my best job ever, but it will do what it's supposed to.

Stickers

I figure Hogwarts students must be like tweens and teens everywhere, needing to express themselves.  Over at Redbubble.com, I bought C plenty of stickers she can use to decorate her trunk, or whatever.

Other Odds and Ends

In addition to the above, I also bought her colored pencils to use with the drawing books, a small plastic cauldron, and a chocolate frog and some Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans to have as a snack on the train.

Wizard Pillows

For those of you in the know about my crafting habits, you know that April, August, and December are "off-months" for yarning (i.e. no points to be earned).  I decided that this August would be Sewing Month.  I've had a lot of sewing projects on my list for a long time and it's time to suck it up and get them done.  I started off with 3 baby gifts that I will show off once all recipients have gotten them, later in the year.

Next on my list: CUUUUUTE pillows.  Last year, I saw these on etsy.com.  I fell in love with them, but knew I wasn't going to pay that much for them and promptly forgot about them.  Then I saw them again at LeakyCon and thought, "I can totally make those myself."  And I decided they would be a great Christmukkah gift for my niece.  After much plotting, planning, and a few false starts and lessons learned, I give you:

The Chosen One

The Red-Headed Menace

The Know-It-All

The Golden Trio

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the way they turned out and I think C will really like them, for a few more years yet if I'm lucky.  In addition to those three, I decided to splurge and make something for myself, since all the items on my To Be Sewn In August list are gifts.  These are completely my own design but in the same style as the others.  They are:

Snake Face

My Favorite Potions Master

Again, I'm pretty happy with them.  I should've put Voldy's eyes a little lower, but he still looks plenty evil and snakey.  For those of you wondering, YES, I have plans to make more, but they're all still in my head and need serious design and planning work.  So, keep your eyes out for Bellatrix, Draco, Lucius, and possibly some others next year.

Hanging with their new buds in the guest room:

Happy Fishiversary to me!

Today marks the 1 year anniversary of working on the Fish Blanket of Crazy.  You may remember this project from my post last year One Fish, Two Fish.  If not, the short of it is, I need 800 of these little guys to make a queen size blanket.  I originally budgeted just over two and a half years to finish the project (knit all the fish, layout the design and seam them all together).  I'm pleased to announce that at the 1 year mark, I have reached 400 completed fish!  That's 36 days ahead of schedule.

What does 400 fish look like, you ask?  Well, a little something like this:

Or maybe a little like this (roughly):

4800 Yards of yarn

14400 Feet

4389.2 meters

2.7 miles

1200 g

42.3 oz

2.65 lbs

.0012 Metric Tons

Either way, I'm enjoying a cupcake in honor of my 1 Year Fishiversary.

Knitting & Crochet Blog Week - Day 2!

Woo!  I made it - 2 days in a row!

Okay, today is all about a project that represents your house mascot (see yesterday's post).  Not in the literal sense, though I'm sure I can find plenty of knit and/or crocheted monkeys, but more the spirit of the thing.  Monkeys are all about the challenge and learning.  So, what do I find challenging/what do I need to learn?  Lots of stuff.

Color work, of any kind really, but I really like these Kissing Koi Mitts.

Steeking - cutting one's work after it is complete is CRAZY, but still something I would like to try.  I think I'll stick to something small, like a Steeked Cup Cozy.

Double Knitting - I'd like to start with these Hogwarts House Scarf Bookmarks (Surprise - HP made this list!)

And someday, I really hope to make myself a lace weight sweater - I've got my eye on you Wisper Cardigan

But before all of that, I'll be tackling the Katharina shawl - knit and crochet, fully charted.

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 1: Declare your house!

So, it's the 4th Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week, organized by the lovely Eskimimi of eskimimimakes.com.  Each day is a different topic (check this out if you're a crafter who wants to join in the blogging fun).  You all know how great I am about blogging, but I'm really going to try and stick with it this week.

Today's topic: Declare Your House!  Think Harry Potter for yarn crafters (you know what I'm talking about HPKCHCers).

I'm a Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

Here's the thing...I like to be prolific.  But the reality is, I'm a learner.  I always have been (sort of a Slytherin Hermione).  I enjoy the challenge of learning a new skill and it will keep me entertained until I before proficient.  Then it's time to move on to something else.

The House Cup has really been a great place to me because of this.  The lovely, wonderful crafters I've met there have pushed, pulled, and cheered me to new skills, yarns, and crafts.  I wouldn't be the yarn crafter I am today without them.

Here's a small selection of some of my more challenging projects:

There are a few more in the works, which will be shared in time.  Probably.  if I actually keep up with my blog...

Freezer Cleanout Week

On Sunday, I excitedly bought almond meal/flour to make macarons, my dad's favorite French cookie, knowing that I could make the sandwich part of the cookie week ahead of time and freeze them.  Then a few days before my parents arrive for Christmas, I could thaw the cookies and fill them.

Then I got home from the grocery store and inspected my freezer.  It was full.  Like, packed. (I'm sad I didn't take a "before" picture).  I decided I need to spend the week eating through all the food to make room to freeze baked goods.  It sounded like a perfectly reasonable plan.  Until I started doing it.

By popular demand, here is a sample of the meals thus far:
Pasta with marinara
Chili
Black bean, corn & barely soup with a side of broccoli
Chicken breast with mixed veggies
Bratwurst and broccoli
Suprise! Shepard's pie (I forgot it was back there)
Beef soup surprise (I really don't remember making this, but there it was, in a container in the back of
the freezer).

Beef Soup Surprise!

Still left to go:
2 chicken breasts
1.5 bags of mixed veggies (one mixed, one stir fry)
4 booze pouches
2 tubs cat food (those stay)
Many, many otter pops
1 breaded chicken breast
Coffee (which I don't drink and I can't honestly remember buying)
4 Pint glasses
2 emergency ice packs

WiPs and BiPs

I've been priding myself on the fact that I have so few partially finished yarny projects sitting around.  Then it was pointed out that, although my yarn WiP (Work in Progress) count is low, I have several other kids of half finished projects.  Additionally, during a cleaning of my room, I realized just how many books I was on the middle of reading.

I've decided that it's time to start being more project monogamous and book monogamous and get some of those things finished up.  To help me with this, I'll be using this space for my own accountability.  My goal is to update my progress quarterly with the number of WiPs and BiPs I currently have going.

WIPS (9):
New Apartment Afghan (crochet)
Venus Shawl (crochet)
Sunbonnet Sue Quilt repairs
Fishbowl Quilt - finish
Bug Jar Quilt - finish
Jenn & Russ' wedding cross stitch
Chris & Laura's wedding cross stitch
Mom's gift cross stitch
Slytherific flannel PJ Pants

BIP (10)s:
Basin & Range - John McPhee
The Ancestor's  Tale - Richard Dawkins
Harry Potter à L'école des Sourciers - JK Rowling
Death Comes to Pemberley - PD James
Pirouettes - Marcel Pagnol
HP Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling
Ten Ways to be Adored when Landing a Lord - Sarah MacLean
Breath of Magic - Teresa Medeiros
Lucky you - Carl Hiaasen
The Lost Continent - Bill Bryson

Sigh.  That hurts a little.  I solemnly swear I will not start any new books until I have finished at least 8 of those on my current list.  I would love to say the same is true of my WiPs, but we all know that would never work.  So, I'll just say that I will stick to Stringless Sunday and WiP Wednesday in a serious effort to decrease that list.