And this is what I sent!

And here are the goodies I sent to my partner in the Harry Potter Crafts 2011 March Swap. We both chose the Weasley family and my partner Jen, said she liked Ron best. So I decided to send a care package from Molly to Ron at Hogwarts. 


Brown paper and strings of course. 





Inside the larger package was Ron's Hogwarts trunk.  If you look closely at the scene in Philosopher's Stone, just when Harry meets the Weasley's, on platform 9 3/4, you can see that Ron's trunk is very weathered and shabby.  





Inside his box, there were two packages.





Of course, I had to send a little Weasley sweater. She sent me one too, funny! And Jen said she liked my Tunisian crochet book scarf, so I made her one of those too.  I tried to fit Susan in the box, she's been climbing the drapes of late, but she wouldn't fit.





The inside of Ron's trunk has taken quite a beating.  Ink spilled in the corner and I don't want to think about what else.  Poor Ron, all his things are so shabby.  But he got Hermione in the end, so I imagine he's got no complaints.





This was such a fun swap.  K wants me to teach her how to paint a trunk.  I think I'll get her all the bits for Easter.  Shh... don't tell her.

And I almost forgot my favorite part!  Jen is a scrapbooker, so I wanted to send her something scrapbookish, is that a word,... is now.  Anyway, I wanted to make her Molly Weasley's wonderful clock, so Photoshop Elements away!





I found some images of the clock and removed all the hands, then I found images of silver spoons and cut them out.  Printed them all on photo paper and there you go, a DIT Weasley clock!  Just add your own Family Photos, a background page, I can't wait to see if she can use it.

I've done some reading and I think a real Weasley clock, using a twitter feed and robotic drive, might not be all that hard.  Hum...

Harry Potter Bookmark Mania!!!!

K and I have been making bookmarks for the Headmistress Challenge in the Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup on Ravelry. The bookmarks are going to be sent to J.K. Rowling and K is totally Squeeful over the idea. She has made about 10 and is sending her best 4, one from each house.

These are Chevron pattern Friendship Bracelets, slightly altered and elongated into a bookmark. We are calling them Friendship bookmarks. K learned to make these at VBS this summer and has been churning them out ever since.

I'm making tunisian crochet bookscarves.

I'm a Hufflepuff, and yes, I finished the Slytherin first. *hangs head in shame* I have the Ravenclaw almost done, just needs fringe, and I will finish Hufflepuff and Gryffindor today.

And... I have learned to cable!!!!! It is so easy, I would never have thought. I've finished one test pair of Rose's fingerless mitts from Doomsday for K and I to share, and have started another that I am going to trade with Dragonsinger for a Mrs. Weasley sweater. I'll post picks when I finish. *does a little happy dance*

HPC Bookmark Swap!

Harry Potter Crafts had a bookmark swap, just a small swap, I like those. For my partner, Puppetmaker, I wrote a note in green ink on parchment paper and folded it into an envelope. I wanted to put a seal on the back but my hot glue with a pound coin and sharpie technique just wouldn't work for me that day. So no seal. I wrapped her bookmark in brown paper and tied it up with string, one of my favorite things, and added one of Tiffany Vincents Owl post stamps and a Flourish and Blotts label I made from a sign I found online. And I slipped an origami Squid into the folded envelope, just cause it's so cute.

My bookmark was a Gryffindor bookscarf made in Tunisian Crochet and pearl cotton. I really liked the way it turned out. And it's the perfect size for Barbie! Or in K's case, her garden gnome.

The front side of this type of Tunisian crochet looks like knitting, but the back looks kinda ridgy and almost knotted. And after blocking, it lies smooth and flat.

And Puppetmaker made me...Two Monster Book of Monsters bookmarks!

The ravenous little beasties attacked before I could stop them. K suggested we tie them up to prevent them doing further harm. It's a really cool idea, I am just going to have to run with. Well, it does have eyes, how could I resist! Thanks Puppetmaker!

Tunisian Crochet Hogwarts House Book Scarf Pattern

Tunisian Crochet Hogwarts House Book Scarf

What you will need:

crochet hook size 1 2.75 mm

1 skein Pearle cotton in Scarlet

1 skein Pearle Cotton in Gold

Row 1: Cast on 10 stitches of the Scarlet using a two strand knitting cast on. Yarn over and pull through the first stitch on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through the next two stitches. Continue to yarn over and pull through 2 stitches until you have one stitch remaining on the hook.

Rows 2 - 5: If you look are your work, you will see vertical threads, or bars, running along the length of the row you just finished. Pass your hook behind the first vertical bar in the row, yarn over and pull through, leaving now 2 loops on the hook.Repeat for each vertical bar until you have 10 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through the first stitch on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through the next two stitches. Continue to yarn over and pull through 2 stitches until you have one stitch on the hook.

Repeat until you have completed 5 rows of crimson and have two loops left on the hook.

Row 6: Now, drop the Scarlet and pick up the gold, leave a gold tail to weave in the ends and yarn over the gold and pull it through the last two loops on the hook. Pass your hook behind the first vertical bar in the row, yarn over and pull through, leaving now 2 loops on the hook. Repeat for each vertical bar until you have 10 loops on the hook. Yarn over and pull through the first stitch on the hook. Yarn over again and pull through the next two stitches. Continue to yarn over and pull through 2 stitches until you have one stitch on the hook.

Row 7: Drop the gold and switch back to the scarlet and repeat row 6.

Row 8: Drop the scarlet and switch back to the gold and repeat row 6.

Remaining Rows: Drop the gold and switch back to the scarlet and repeat rows one through 8, until your book scarf is as long as you need.

You will need to cut and start the gold after the second gold bar, and weave in the ends. Or I guess you could carry it up along the edge by twisting it with the scarlet at the end of each row. Either way would be fine. Finish by slip stitching in every vertical bar then tying off and hiding all your ends. Add fringe at the ends, Scarlet at the edges alternating with gold, two strands of Pearle cotton per fringe and you're done!

If you find errors, please let me know. Thanks!

Another summer at Hogwarts.

It's funny how every summer, we go back to Hogwarts. I know that's the plan, either a movie or a book release or something each summer, just to keep us interested, but we seem to go back to the books each summer of our own accord. Just when I think K's moved on, to some new book or interest, summer comes around and she pulls out Harry out and off we go. I think K read the whole series again, and we made some cool crafts, thanks to Ravelry and the House Cup. I, well we, were Hufflepuffs and our house lost, but we had such fun. Planning to sign up again any day now. Anyway, summers for us are always more than a little Harry.

Some of this summers Harry Highlights:

Harry Potter Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry, no pictures allowed:

Ravelry Hogwarts Knitting and Crochet House Cup: Finger Knitted House Scarves

Madame Trelawney's china cup, with the blue flowers, her favorite

Hufflepuff Wristies

K's new Ginny skirt for the premiere: Got to get a picture of that.

Tunisian Crochet Book Scarf

K and E interviewed at the pre premier party for the news:

Can't wait till next Summer.

Last week of summer :(

Can you believe there is only one more week of summer!?! One more week and we send K off to Hogwarts. Actually, she's off to middle school, but she keeps telling me she got her letter from MacGonagall on her birthday in the spring and she and her friend E are going to Hogwarts September first. Our ickle firsty *sniff*, oh how we'll miss her.

Until then we are having fun buying school supplies and getting new glasses, uniforms and shoes. And books. Our copy of Deathly Hallows was in 6 pieces, one more and it was gonna get dangerous, so we bought a new paperback copy. And I made her a book scarf for her new book using Tunisian crochet!

I have been trying to make a book scarf for years using 5 tiny knitting needles in the round and just couldn't get it to work. But Tunisian crochet is soooooo easy and I love the result. If you haven't heard of Tunisian crochet, it's also called Afghan stitch and it's kind of a cross between knitting and crochet. You work only on one side and don't turn the work. It does stretch on the bias and lays a little curled, though not like stockinette. Maybe if I took the time to block it,... but I'd have to get it back from K and that's not happenin.

I've posted the pattern in a separate post, you can find in here, Tunisian Crochet Hogwarts House Book Scarf. Have fun and if you make one, let me know, send me a picture, I love that kinda thing.