B.R.O.O.M. Disaster Averted

Hello!
Another double post to try to get in all my exciting news.

HPKCHC
I discovered today, that I was not supposed to start work on my BROOM project until September 30.  My broom consists of Spa Washcloths, based on the patterns and organic cotton yarn I got from the Liz Marino Gift Knits Club this year.  I enjoyed making them, and I knew my sisters would love them, so I proposed making 10 more.

Once the project was accepted, I cast on a new washcloth.  I planned to also turn in these washcloths for a Gryffindor challenge called a Marauders Mission, to craft something relaxing each month (it's called "Relaxicrafting.")  I have finished 3 so far, and cast on the 4th.  I was feeling so proud of myself, because I was ahead in the project, and I could tell I would have no trouble finishing all 10 by the end of November, even with more Quidditch coming up.

So I contacted the leader of my Marauders Mission Team, asking her about how to give her a photo to turn in for the Team Post, and she told me that I wasn't supposed to start the BROOM.  EEEK!  The relaxicrafting is only for stuff that you would already be making for a class.  It is not meant to add more projects, but reward you for just completing a class or a longer project, like my BROOM.  So, for it to count, I needed to find a class to turn in these 3 washcloths.

I have already finished my 6 classes for the month, so that left Herbology or History of Magic, the only 2 classes left.  The Herbology prompt asked you to do some research into the types of trees used to make wands, then craft a project that reflected something you learned, or craft a project with the Name of the tree in the project.

I looked up some photos of tree Bark on the internet, and compared them with my washcloths.  Then I chose 3 that looked similar, and checked to see if they were used in wand making.

I chose

Ash,

which was used in Cedric Diggory's wand.  I paired it with this washcloth:

Elm,

which was used to make a wand for Lucius Malfoy.  This is the matching washcloth:

And, oak,

which was used in Hagrid's wand/umbrella.

I did some research into the characteristics of each wood, and then instead of writing a description or a story (this group is really into storytelling where you put yourself into the Harry Potter world, as though you were in one of the books), I wrote 3 short poems to explain what I had learned about each type of wood.

Ash (Cedric Diggory)

 Ashwood

wands represent

sensitivity and

sacrifice; higher awareness:

Cedric.

Elm (Lucius Malfoy)

This elegant

magical

instrument,

believed to correctly

belong to just

pure-bloods, casts

dignified

error free

dexterous

world weary

spells in defense of

Lord Voldemort.

Oak (Rubeus Hagrid)

As the days warm, the

Forest King makes wood for wands;

sometimes umbrellas.

This was a totally fun class assignment.  I love the Harry Potter books and movies.  I read most of them out loud to my kids when they first came out.  But I am not the type of fan to do research into the books, or write fan fiction.  But I had so much fun learning about wand wood and wand lore.  And writing the poems was really fun, also.

I am so happy I joined this group.  It is inspiring me.

Where in the World is f1bercat?

I knit another 4 miles on the exercise bike today.  Since I could not bring a spa washcloth, and have it count for my BROOM, I brought the Better than French Vanilla Socks that I have been slowly knitting FOREVER.  

These socks are another riff on a pattern by Liz Marino.  They are going to be for my brother, so they need to be big.  He has large feet (size 13).  His feet are swollen with his poor circulation.  He can't walk anymore, but he still can FEEL, so they need to be soft.  He can't put them on so they need to be S-T-R-E-T-C-H-Y.  This pattern is a great one for stretch, and the Cascade Handpaint Heritage Sock Yarn, is perfect, too.  The pattern is easily memorizable, so they are good to bring to the Y.

Where does 4 more miles put me?

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Still on I5 in the middle of nowhere, Oregon.

But 4 miles closer to my goal of Orange, Calif.

Stay safe and well,

Yours,

f1bercat

Shaping the planet with 3 new poems and some washcloths that look like bark.