Time flies

Well I feel like I'm falling behind in everything. I was in Richmond for my yoga teacher training this past weekend. It was sooo much fun. Exhausting, mostly mentally, but fun. I met some really nice people and learned a lot. I am going to sign up for the december training, which will be nice. Unfortunately I missed snitch hunting because I was in a yoga studio all day lol.

Anyway, I won my duel against Molly Crookshanks. The duel was fun and it would have worked out for our house either way, we are both Ravenclaws. I'm glad I get to keep competing though. I love the whole dueling thing!

On my needles now I have a pair of the dueling socks for my friend Hermione. She liked the yarn I used so much I offered to make her a pair. So I have the first sock at the foot now. I am a little scared about how much its going to cost to send these socks all the way to Italy.... I am also changing my mind about my cousins socks and I believe I am going to make her some Baudelaire socks instead of the Twisted Flower Socks. I like to try new patterns and as I have already made the Twisted Flowers for myself it seems like more fun to try something new.

I think I am going to try to put my cruiser bike back together so Adrienne and I can bike the battle fields. They rent cruiser bikes but I think she would like mine more because it's not a P.O.S. I want her to see where J and I like to bike on the weekends. We are going to the post office today because she needs to ship all of the chocolate and wine she bought during her trip to Kosovo. Too many suitcases that weigh like 90lbs. lol.

My friend is still staying with me. She watched my furry children while I was gone this weekend, which was nice of her. I can't wait for my husband to get home though. I miss him soooo much. :)

Quidditch Round One!

Trivia and pictures must be posted to your blog before the Snitch is release in order to receive House points. The Snitch will be released on Saturday. Time is still to be determined.

1. At the beginning of the book, Cornelius Fudge is talking to the Muggle Prime Minister. Which member of the Order of the Phoenix has recently been found dead?

c. Emmeline Vance

2. What animal does Bellatrix Lestrange kill when she and her sister, Narcissa, are going to see Professor Snape?

b. Fox

3. What time does Professor Dumbledore collect Harry from Privet Drive?

b. 11 p.m.

4. What did Professor Sluhorn transform into when he was trying to hide from Harry and Professor Dumbledore?

a. An armchair


5. What grade did Harry get for Herbology?

a. E – Exceeds Expectation

6. Herbert Chorley, the Prime Minister’s Junior Minster, has been entertaining the public by impersonating which animal?

b. A duck


7. What is Professor Sprout’s first name?

d. Pomona

8. What is Dumbledore’s idea of ‘a few words’?

d. nitwit, oddment, blubber and tweak

9. Who is Marcus Belby’s famous uncle?

b. Damocles

10. What is Snape’s mother’s name?

b. Eileen Prince




Pictures
Post pictures to your blogs or link to the pictures from your blog post.

Narcissa: http://www.allmoviephoto.com/photo/2008_harry_potter_and_the_half_blood_prince_023.html

Snape: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.harry-potter-movie-buzz.com/uploads/uploadForumPhotos/medium_Snape%2520Treaching%2520Occlumency-7skeyb77.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.harry-potter-movie-buzz.com/photos/316/alan-rickman-as-severus-snape.php&h=300&w=400&sz=15&hl=en&start=7&usg=__a9wjRNbSF7yqjpkSbLCgIp72KlU=&tbnid=rHrmtzQKbBsT3M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dseverus%2Bsnape%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

Bellatrix: http://www.helena-world.com/blog/wp-content/20070610_bellatrix.jpg

Professor Sprout: http://www.hogwartscharacters.co.uk/images/professor_sprout_trans.gif

Professor Dumbledore: http://www.theculturebeat.com/wp-content/photos/Albus_Dumbledore.jpg

Dueling Socks!

I present my crushing blow to my competition. LOL. That is if my socks make it to her before hers make it to me. I tried to find the fastest owl in the owlery. I do have a confirmation number though! I sent out 3 parcels. So we shall see what happens. My RAOK should be receiving her gift soon...lucky girl. My hat attack partner is just getting the yarn from my failed hat attack project. Oh well. I think she will enjoy it more than I did. :)

In other news my friend Adrienne, from Beaubaxton School, is coming to visit. I believe she and Fleur are cousins. Anyway. She has decided to spend a week and a half studying abroad at Hogwarts. So we shall have great fun in the Ravenclaw tower getting into trouble. I'll be meeting her at the castle gates at 11pm tonight! I can't wait. I think I'm going to help our house elf straighten up the common room for her arrival. :)

I look so good!

I'm the really attractive one on the left LOL. My DH, J is on the right. He's so pretty! :)

I stole the Puff quiz!

Mwahahahaha I am taking a Puff quiz and you can't stop me!

1. Do you knit and/or crochet? Knit. I'd like to learn to crochet someday
2. How long have you been at your craft? About 5yrs...
3. Do you spin? If yes do you use drop spindle or wheel. No but again its another aspect of fiber I would like to learn and indulge in!
4. What is your favorite color? Probably green and blue. I seem to be partial to earth tones
5. Do you have any other hobbies? I camp, hike, bike, swim, do yoga, hang out with my dog and cat, drink coffee, read and basically try to get out and do as much as possible.
6. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? No favorites really. I enjoy sock yarns a lot. I do have this yummy alpaca yarn in my stash which I am very partial to. I just have to find a good pattern to work it up in.
7. What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers? mmm depends on what they are being used for. Im not a huge fan of itchy yarn. My skin is sensitive so it just makes me slightly crazy. Other than that I tend to stick to natural fibers.
8. Are there any yarns that you’ve been eyeing and wanting to try? I'm pretty open to anything at this point. I love to try new things and I think my fiber experience is pretty limited for what you can find at the lys.
9. What are you currently working on? I am a project whore. I have a hard time sticking to one thing unless I am completely consumed by it. I am about to cast on for a pair of socks for my cousin, I have a guitar bag to sew together, I'm making adjustments on my koolhaas hat, i'm making a shawl, prepping for my dueling socks, i'll be starting my spoilees gift, and oh man i'm sure there are more buried away...yikes thats a lot
10. What is your favorite Finished Object? (Pictures are welcome.) ummm good question. I don't know if I have a favorite. I guess one of the last things I finished (yeah i know i'm shocked too) the twisted yoke cardigan or was it the tangled yoke cardigan...well either way my mom stole it so its gone lol.
11. Are their any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn? maybe making two socks on circulars or something like that. i do enjoy learning new things!
12. What is you favorite type of book or movie? Comedy and light romance. Anything fun. I have a hard time watching really violent movies and horror/scary movies. So other than that I'm good. I can only watch intense drama if I'm in the mood for it.
13. Who is your favorite person at Hogwarts? If you are asking about book people I couldn't tell you. I love the witty one liners of the books and a lot of characters have a quirky appeal. As far as Hogwarts swap I would have to say that I love all my Ravenclaws and everyone in the other houses seem really nice. I love my spoilee too!
14. Favorite class and/or subject at Hogwarts? Lol good question. From what I've read in the books I think I would really enjoy DADA, transfiguration, herbology and charms. I would like potions but i'm afraid it would be like all of my experiences with science...tragic lol.
15. How many family members do you have? including me its 4. My husband J, my dog bob and my cat ziggy. and no we didn't name them after the marleys. they both came with names which they both knew so we kept them lol.
16. What is your favorite Fall activity? camping, knitting, hanging out at the coffeeshop or anywhere with J.
17. How many projects do you have on your needles/hook? See question 9
18. What is your favorite type of footwear? flipflops, sneakers, my earth shoes are nice and many others. I like my shoes!
19. What is your favorite beverage of choice? Coffee! and water.
20. What is your favorite park of Half-blood Prince? good question. i have a lot of favorite parts mostly the one liners and i liked ginny and harry getting together and dumbledore talking about knitting!

RAOK

OMG I went to the mailbox today hoping to get the stuff for my RAOK in the mail but I got a different package. Esme the sweetest person ever gave me a RAOK! I got this yummy fall colored yarn, candy and a cute drawstring bag! It was such a good feeling to find that in my mailbox. So thank you Esme, you made my day!

You know its bad when

You know its bad when you are suppose to be swatching and doing other things in a day but can't because you are trapped relentlessly in front of your computer reading Harry Potter and checking for updates on forums. With that being said I really have to go and be productive now...wait for it...wait for it. Ok and go! LOL

So much going on!

So many exciting things happening. Tomorrow is the beginning of hat attack. I have yet to knit a swatch for it...ooops. LOL. Oh well what can you do. Thats the plan for tonight at least.

I got my roommate assignment today! Yay for my fellow Ravenclaws Andromache and Fiera. I think we are going to have a lot of fun getting into trouble together. Other than that I am trying to work out what to make my spoilee. I have ideas but im not sure what she would like more.

J leaves thursday for cali. He has work out there boo. I'll miss him but I think I'll be able to visit, he'll be gone 3 weeks. My friend Adrienne might be coming to visit me while he is gone though. She's back in Ohio but she is planning to fly out. Hopefully she can make it to keep me company!

In other knitting news, I have made good progress on my shawl. It really is the furthest I have ever made it in this project. So I remain hopefull that there is an end with a very pretty shawl, if I do say so myself, which I do! I hope to add pics soon. Now I am off to get my knit on! :)

Everything you want to know and more....

Potter Name: Minerva Wood

Rav ID: Yogaknot

I am allergic to: nothing i'm aware of

Pets that I have: dog (Bob) cat (Ziggy)

My favorite yarn: sock yarn i don't have a favorite brand per say

If you are a Ravenclaw, do you prefer the film colors or the book colors? film colors

My favorite flavor: pumpkin or dark chocolate

My favorite holiday: Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas probably Halloween

I would like to receive a: (Sock kit, scarf kit or yarn dyeing kit) sock kit please!

List your favorite brand of needles or hooks, including size and length: brittany sock needles! i use size 2's a lot but i dont have any 0's, my 1's broke and anything below 0 i've never owned

Is there a brand that you are dying to try?: not dying to try but ive heard nice things about lantern moon pretty much anything wooden

I've participated in HSKS: (How many times have you participated in HSKS swaps?)this is my first swap! i wish i would have known about it earlier!

Do you have a birthday during this swap? If so which day? nope i wish though lol! May 30th!

::Edit::

Wisteria did it so now being the good Ravenclaw I am I must add the "extra credit"

Favorite colors: blue, green

Favorite seasons: Autumn and Spring

Favorite Disney character: I dunno about character but I always liked Sleeping Beauty growing up

Favorite time of day: early morning

Favorite snack: currently I'm going to have to say goldfish...so salty mmmmm

Ravenclaws Newest Resident

I think we should name her Ness. It kind of mixes fantasy and the simplicity of JK Rowlings elf names. Plus I think its a cute name! :)

Apparently Ness worked for Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks. She started making deliveries to the castle, fulfilling orders from teachers. There she fell in love with a fellow house elf, Norbert. Madam Rosmerta noticed a change in her work and her excitment at returning to the castle. Eventually she learned all the sordid details and allowed Ness to move to the castle. Dumbledore found her a position straightening up Ravenclaw tower. That is how she came to be with us! :)

Preppin for the train ride!

Wood type: apple Length: 11½ inches Core: Phoenix Feather get your own wand!

Not what I was expecting

Your result for The Harry Potter Husband Test...

Mrs. Harry Potter

Your perfect HP man is Harry Potter.

You like a guy who's not afraid to fight evil when evil picks a fight. There's a lot to say for bravery in the face of overwhelming odds, even if it does come with a prejudice against people who don't fit into his conception of "good guy" and a penchant for hurling objects across rooms when he gets angry. But in fairness, for an orphan who's spent the better part of his life being hunted by the most evil wizard in existence, he's turned out pretty well. Just be prepared to name your kids after everyone he's ever lost, because he's got a bit of an obsession about the past.

(Fanart by hito 76 http://hito76.deviantart.com/ Used with permission.)

Take The Harry Potter Husband Test at HelloQuizzy

Click Click Click

Ha Ha that is the sound of my needles working furiously on some projects. I'll try to get them out of the way before I start my Hogwarts work! On the left is my "finished" Koolhaas Hat. Or so I thought before I brought it to my barista buddy. Apparently he has a big head. So while it fit me and my husband (apparently we have small heads, maybe we just made use of all the space and didnt need more?) it wasn't long enough for him. I was afraid that might be the case but oh well. So now I am going to rip it back to before the decreases so I can do another pattern repeat. Oh well its a fast knit so I'm not worried.

After I "finished" the hat I started my triangle shawl from the Gathering of Lace book. It's fun but also my 4th attempt at this project. My wonderfully loving cat (pictured below) chewed through the stitches on my needles on my third attempt. The first and second attempts were lost because the stitches came off the needles. I really need to get those needle point covers to keep the stitches on. Anyway its going really well this time (fingers crossed) so I hoped to make a lot of progress and maybe finish it quickly.

I signed up for Hat Attack before I joined the Hogwarts swap so I need to get prepped for that. I'm not too worried about it interfering with my house projects because I will probably be killed off in the first wave LOL. I didn't read the instructions well enough because I ordered two balls of the same color when I needed two different colors. dur. Go me! Hence the killed off early part lol. Oh well I learn slowly but surely. Thanks to my neighbor I have become hooked to the Firefly series. So that has become my knitting companion. There is only one season because it was cancelled and only had one season and a movie. I find this very unfortunate

because its a really good series and I think it had a lot of potential. Joss Whedon is hilarious and writes the best one liners! Anyway theres my update!

Books to Read

Let’s see how many you have read from this list. This is what you do:
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own Blog

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Ravenclaw!!

Yay I joined Ravenclaw for the HSKS6 (see logo on right). I actually made it into my first house choice! My name is Minerva Wood. I picked the name based on two characters I like. I think Minerva is amazing. She is probably one of my favorite sassy characters. I really like Oliver Wood. He was so cute in the movie :)

Well the family has left today. It is sad but kind of nice to get the house back in order. Ziggy didn't take too well to another dog in the house. He'll survive though. It was a really quiet weekend even with family out here. The weather sucked Friday evening, when they arrived, and it rained almost all day Saturday. Thankfully they were able to stay late today and enjoy the pool and hang out, outside of the apartment. My MIL enjoys crafting and brought her cross stitch. We started cross stitch projects together last year when they helped us move out here. She and I have yet to finish them but I am making a lot of progress on knitting. :) I need to finish the stocking I started for my step dad last year. Maybe I'll add pics of that. I have made a LOT of progress on the Koolhaas Hat. I will hopefully finish it tonight. Then I can see how well it fits my barista and hopefully I'll have pics. Thats it for now!

Yay for another FO

Pattern: Knotty or Knice Socks Interweave Knits Fall 2008

By: Chrissy Gardiner

Yarn: 2 skeins Universal Yarn Pace

Colorway: 19 (yellow)

I finished my Knotty or Knice socks from interweave fall yesterday! I only made two mods. The first one being the yarn. I used 2 skeins of Pace, which left me with a good chunk of yarn in the end. The second is right after the heel on the back of the ankle of the sock. I didn't put the pattern there. It started as a mistake and after checking it I realized no one was going to see it anyway so I just left it. The socks were really easy to make and after the first pattern you don't have to carry the mag around with you. They are my first toe up sock and I'm going to have to say I enjoyed toe up. Especially the part about trying them on as I made them. The cast on confused

me at first but after I figured it out it was super easy.

I finished these babies at the dog park yesterday. I let my dog out to play with the neighbors dog and I had been working on the socks so I had them in my hand. My neighbors dog jumped up and stole it from me! I freaked out a little b/c of my precious wooden needles and also because I was soooo close to the end and I was afraid the dog would pull it to pieces. Fortunately I got it from him before he could do any damage. He's a puppy so he is really, really fast and I was definitely not expecting that. LOL. No harm, no foul.

Ziggy is helping me prep for my next project, the Koolhaas Hat. I found this yarn but I'm not sure if its going to work or not. I've never used it before. I'll keep everyone posted though! For now I had better start cleaning before my in laws arrive. They are visiting us for the weekend. They are bringing their dog too which I think will be funny. Ziggy may not take too well to the weekend arrangement but I think he'll survive. At least Bob, my dog, will have someone to play with. My hubby comes home tonight! It should be a good weekend. Hopefully the tropical storms don't ruin it! I'll update with pictures probably sunday or monday! :)

Actual Knitting!

My hubby left for California today so I am left to photograph my knits on my own. Did I mention I have no photography skills? Well I tried...

My first FO to share. I made my mom some socks that she has been waiting for forever. My stepdad got a pair first and she has been jealous. She has however received a sweater AND a cardigan but that is beside the point.

The pattern is from Charlene Schurch's book Sensational Knitted Socks. It's a 3x3 cable moss stitch pattern made with Opal Magic 1040. They were fun to make but I'm glad they are done. She will probably get them for christmas...

Blogger is being dumb and won't let me upload any images right now so I guess the rest of my pics will be uploaded later. There aren't many more. I have some pictures of my Knotty or Knice socks from the fall 2008 Interweave. I am finishing up my second sock. I'm excited to be finishing another project (I am forever starting new ones before I finish others) I bought the yarn yesterday to start my Koolhass Hat from IK Holiday 2007. It's for one of the baristas at my coffeeshop. He seems pretty excited about it so I can't wait to start.

I'm a blogger...twice over!

This is my second blog. I started one for the PSPCA and I have been wanting to start one for my knitting and crazy life here. So please stop by and see what I'm working on and read about the fun things I do or try to do lol. I just joined ravelry for all of you ravelers out there. So check it out! :)