Slytherin House Quiz #1

Our first assignment was to answer some questions about our knitting likes and dislikes. Piece o' cake. So far, I'm not seeing why Olive acted like getting good grades at Hogwarts was such a big accomplishment.

1. Do you knit and/or crochet? I knit. I would like to crochet, but thus far I've only managed to confuse myself.
   
2. How long have you been at your craft? I've been knitting since about 2002, but constantly knitting since 2006 or so.
   
3. Do you spin? Nope. Don't have time (or space!) to add another hobby!
   
4. What type of spinning do you do (drop spindle or wheel)? No spinning for me.
   
5. Are there any other crafts that you participate in? I scrapbook and do some sewing. I also love to cook and bake.
   
6. What are your favorite yarns/fibers? I'm open to all kinds of yarns/fibers, depending on the project.
   
7. What are your LEAST favorite yarns/fibers? I tend to dislike yarns that split easily. I also don't do a whole lot with novelty yarns.
   
8. Are there any types/brands of yarn that you are dying to work with but haven’t gotten a chance? I've never worked with any Noro. Almost all of my yarn is bought online, so I tend to stick with what I know. I'd love to branch out and try what other people love!
   
9. What are your favorite types of projects to knit/crochet? I love making myself sweaters! I also do a lot of baby stuff, and 2-at-a-time socks.
   
10. What are you currently working on? A Clapotis for a birthday gift, a February Lady Sweater for myself (just the sleeves left!) and as soon as the yarn arrives, a pair of thrummed mittens.
    
11. Anything you plan to start this autumn? Some gift knitting...I want to make the Malabrigo slippers, a hat, some mitts, etc. And I'll probably sneak something in for myself too!
    
12. What is your favorite Finished Object? (Please, post a picture if you would like.) I have a feeling I am going to love my FLS when it's done. But so far, my favorite FO is my Minimalist Cardigan. (ravelry link)
    
13. Are there any knitting/crochet techniques that you would like to learn? I would love to be better at finishing--I'm not entirely confident in seaming or even in weaving in ends! And as I said in the 1st question, I would like to be able to crochet without frustration!
    

Evanesco, Olive!

I have a feeling that my "dear" sister Olive put some sort of charm on this magic diary of hers. While I managed to change the colors (thankfully! all that bronze was making me nauseous!) Olive's portrait refuses to budge! I'll have to do some creative spellwork...but as this is my 1st year and of course Olive is too much of a goody-two-shoes to break any underage magic outside of Hogwarts rules, it will require a lot of time & effort...and cracking open the hand-me-down textbooks. I also need to remove the Ravenclaw crests...stat!

Time for Change

Hey everyone, if you're here to see Olive, you're out of luck. I'm Olive's little sister, Jade Bladvak. Better known as "Olive's Little Sister." Olive is a 3rd year Ravenclaw, and since she's done so well in school, our mum and dad have decided to give her a new magic diary. And I'm the lucky recipient of her old one. I'm also "lucky enough" to get all of her old text books (I'm surprised she didn't want to keep them and re-read them...again) and even her old quill. A brilliant student like Olive deserves a new quill, you know. I almost thought that I would be using a hand-me-down wand. I almost fell over when I heard dad tell mum he would take me to Ollivander's this weekend.

I need to make some changes around here, first to get rid of all of this blue and bronze! The sorting hat has put me in Slytherin. And I think I'll fit right in.

Already?

It's hard to believe that the term is already coming to an end...and that talk of next term is already starting! (I haven't even used my yarn from last term!) It's also hard to believe that it was easier for me to blog regularly last term, when I was working the whole time, than this time around... so I hope that if the new term starts up in September, I'll be able to get into a good routine and keep up with everybody. Strange that I have more time for blogging and reading blogs when I'm at work than when I'm off for the summer! I think it's the fact that when I'm going to work, I have a set routine and fit everything in at a certain time... not having the routine, lots of things (like my laundry!) go undone!
Anyway... I'm waiting now for Marty to arrive at Matilda's house...shouldn't be much longer! I do hope she enjoys the package I put together for her!

Quidditch!

1. When Hagrid returns to Hogwarts after being sent to see the giants with Madame Maxime, Professor Umbridge questions him on his late return to school. She suspects that Hagrid had been to the mountains, but where does he tell her he has been?
a. Europa
b. Fiji
c North America
d. South of France

2. Professor Umbridge comes to Hagrid's Hut and searches his cabin one evening (as she believes Harry, Ron and Hermione are there visiting him at night when they are not supposed to). When she walks past the place where Harry, Ron and Hermione are hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry holds his breath. True or false?
a. True
b. False

3. A stately-looking witch in an emerald green shawl is one of the members of the Advance Guard who rescues Harry from Privet Drive. What is her name?
a. Emmeline Vance
b. Dorcas Meadowes
c. Amelia Susan Bones
d. Bellatrix Regulax

4. What is the name of the witch who was killed two weeks after the photo of the original Order of the Phoenix was taken?
a. Alice Longbottom
b. Marlene McKinnon
c. Emma Fenwick
d. Dorcas Meadowes

5. Which two fifth year Ravenclaw students does Dumbledore choose to be prefects?
a. Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst
b. Luna Lovegood and Ernie Macmillan
c. Cho Chang and Michael Corner
d. Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil

6. Which house was Rose Zeller sorted into?
a. Gryffindor
b. Slytherin
c. Ravenclaw
d. Hufflepuff

7. What is the color of Murtlap's essence?
a. Pink
b. Peach
c. Yellow
d. It is transparent

8. Name the Ravenclaw girl who became prefect in Harry's fifth year.
a. Hannah Abott
b. Padma Patil
c. Luna Lovegood
d. Marietta Edgecombe

9. According to a healer's portrait at St. Mungo's hospital, which disease was Ron suffering from?
a. Splattergroit
b. Splittygrot
c. Spottygroit
d. Spattergroit

10. Which book did Harry give Hermione for Christmas?
a. "New Theory of Numberology"
b. "A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions"
c. "Acheivements in Charming"
d. "Moste Potente Potions"

Picture Scavenger Hunt
Padma Patil

Hannah Abott

Percy

Dumbledore's Army

Cedric Diggory

(Extra 5 pts - What movie will Robert Patterson star in this December?)
Robert Pattinson will play Edward Cullen in the movie Twilight, set to release on 12 Dec.

Owls Waiting

(I wrote this post yesterday and then it disappeared... so I'm a little crabby about having to do it all over again and I'm just going to stick to the main points!) There were loads of owls waiting for me when I got back from Australia. Most importantly, something I was waiting for to send to my spoilee! The most exciting owl, though, was the one from my spoiler (who is the same as my spoilee!) Here's what I got:
In addition to some pretty paper (mulberry paper, I think is what my Muggle scrapbooking friend calls it) , tea, and a nice note from Matilda, there was also this:
Some Regia and Fortissima sock yarns in movie colors
Some star and moon stitch markers and matching earrings in a cute little ladybug box. The stars and moons really remind me of Lucky Charms marshmallows and I have since added Lucky Charms to the grocery list!
A cute little book full of sock patterns! This really made my day, as a sock pattern was missing from my last swap package.
Some super-pretty needles & stitch markers
A big and magical bag! I can fit a good-sized knitting project in here (like the February Lady sweater that the yarn for was waiting for me when I got back, or the Juliet that I bought yarn and buttons for in Australia!) The photo doesn't do the bag justice... and the inner fabric is magic wands!
And this needle case, which I have now put several sets of needles in!

I love it all, Matilda!! Thanks so very much!

Ravenclaw Cross-word

When I first saw the House quiz, I thought "Oh goody! I do love crosswords!". But only for a minute... I really had to think out of the box on some of the clues. Hope you can see my answers here.
Today I leave via PortKey to Australia. Boy I wish I could apparate! I actually have to take 3 separate PortKeys and one of them will take 10 hours! I will be out of Hogwarts for about 11 days, but I already gave a note to the Prefect!