Treesh’s Weblog

Ravelympics

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:50:49 -0500

Playing for Team Fantasia:

• Skelegurumi: Giant Acorns to represent Fangorn Forest

 

• Labyrinth Weaving: Scarf to represent The Secret Garden  

• Scarf Super-G: Woven Silk Scarf  

Playing for Team Puff Quidditch Cup:

• Flying Camel Spin: Laceweight Silk Skein           
• Bag Jump: Everyday Bag           
• Free Dance: Sock Resize         
• Platter Lift: Coasters!        
• Aerial Unwind: No More Giant Feet.        

Fall term at Hogwarts

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:12:45 -0500

I mentioned before that I was part of the Harry Potter Knit Crochet House Cup on Ravelry. It was a lot of fun and I did a lot of knitting and crocheting and a little bit of spinning.

Here is a compilation of my projects. And there are stories behind each one.

September Classes:
Charms (Aguamenti - Hyperbolic Reef)

Transfiguration (Blocking - Mini Invisibility Shawl)

Care of Magical Creatures (Nifflers - Niffler Nest)

Herbology (Plant Based - Hemp Basket from Handspun dyed in Turmeric)

Potions (Pepperup - Socks)

Defense against the Dark Arts (Battling evil - Cucumber Invasion)

October Classes
Transfiguration (Cross Species - Lavender Yarn) 
Charms (Engorgio/Reducio - Hot Pad and ?) 
Divination (Astrology - Gotland Yarn) 
Herbology (Garden Pests - Super Goggles for detecting tomato hornworms) 
Defense against the Dark Arts (Necromancy - Aviatrix hat)

Arithmancy (Binary - Dancing Shawl and Necklace) 

November Classes
Transfiguration (Human Transfiguration - Turtle)

Charms (Protego - Protect the Table)

Defense against the Dark Arts (What would Quirrell wear? Dislodge the Dark Lord) 
Herbology (Weeds - Get rid of that Lion Brand Homespun) 
Astronomy (Ancient Stargazing Cultures - Sopdet) 
Potions (Amortentia - Duncan)

Miscellaneous Knitting
Peeves Crazy Hat Challenge

And of course there was Quidditch

That's a LOT of yarn

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:55:53 -0500

I finally spun up all the Gotland that I got several years ago from Southwest Trading Company.

I started spinning this in earnest in May 2009, in order to make this sweater. But other things took over and my spinning slowed down. I thought I was nearly done this fall, but the more I spun, the more I still had to spin. Finally my roving was all gone and I pulled out all the skeins I had spun.

I really could not believe it. I have 27 skeins of yarn. No wonder it was taking me so long. I will have NO worries about running out of yarn.

Yarn skeined up, ready to be washed.

Washed yarn freeze drying on the line.

You are such a knitting geek

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 16:26:57 -0500

Those were the words Pete said to me last week as I excitedly told him about my latest knitting projects.

But why a knitting geek?

Well, it all has to do with why I am doing the projects I am doing. And that also relates to why I have neglected the blog for so long.

On Ravelry

I've gotten involved in a fun group: very fun group ...

It's the Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup.

It part social, part role play, all crafting of various sorts.

There are three month terms. The fall term started in November. Each term we sign up for attending Hogwarts. We get sorted into houses. And then we have classes. Each month there are six classes which have various assignments. For example, this month, in Herbology, we're studying Weeds, where a weed is defined as something we don't want. But a weed to me might not be a weed to someone else. Our assignment is to take a weed from our stash or WIP and get rid of it by making something with it.

And then there is Quidditch! This term is the Quidditch World Cup. There are something like 25 teams, seven players on each, with the teams composed of people from all the various houses in Hogwarts and from different years. Each team is crafting for a charity of their choice. This weekend is the Fox Trot Challenge with a representative of each participating team crafting for a two hour block with the rest of us cheering on.

Geeky? For sure!

Fun? Absolutely!!

How can I help but have fun! I'm knitting and crocheting up a storm, and getting rid of stash. And I'm play-acting. I've always liked to play "pretend" since childhood.

The other, quite unexpected part, is that I am having fun making up stories to go with our projects. I talked about the infestation of cucumbers for September's Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA),   and how I had to contain it by using the "Canify" spell,
 about the scared little niffler that needed a niffler nest to hid in for Care of Magical Creatures,

about needed special goggles to spot the tomato hornworm for October's Herbology class,

about Duncan and how he smells like a freshly washed stuffed animal for November's Potions class.

about trying the Aguamenti charm on sea water and getting a hyperbolic Coral reef for Charms.

I had to somehow link a project to my astrological sign for Divination, make something inspired by a (dead) historical figure for DADA, make two things that are meant to go together for the study of "binary" in Arithmancy, block a project to experience Transfiguration.

So yes, perhaps I am a knitting geek. But then I believe that, even adults, need play in their lives.

Pumpkinvine Ride

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:13:44 -0400

Saturday, June 20, turned out to be a beautiful day to enjoy doing the Pumpkinvine bicycle ride. Some members of Pete's family joined in riding the 26 mile route to Middlebury and back. Noah and I rode the 48 mile route to Shipshewana and back.

Here we are at the start of the ride,

and at the SAG stop in Middlebury.

Mike even was immortalized in an Elkhart Truth article:

There are two photos of him

We ended the day with a barbecue in our backyard.