Gryffindor Crazy Train

Hello!

I know I have said this before, but one of the things I like about participating in the HPKCHC is that I have to actually finish a lot of projects every month.  Well, really just 1 each month, but I get a bit carried away with being a good team member, and try to CRAFT ALL THE THINGS.

In Gryffindor, my house for this term, we have an award called "The Crazy Train."  There are actually a few awards associated with this idea, but the main two are:

Hermione's Challenge:  Complete detention and one class and turn both in on the first day of the month. 

Monthly Challenge:  Turn in four classes by the 10th of the month.

This month, I finished both challenges.  I am definitely riding the Crazy Train.

For detention, I finished one of my squares, In Treble designed by the talented Julie Yeager (JulieAnny),  for the 2012BAMCAL group.   I had made my first version early in October,

but I didn't really like the way I did the color changes, so I put off making my second square.  I finally hooked it at the end of the month, saving the weaving in for November 1, so it could be my detention turn in.  I have learned to get one project a-l-m-o-s-t finished, so I can quickly bind off, or weave in, or whatever, on the first day of the new month to get detention out of the way.  Anyway, I like this version of the square much better:

Ancient Runes

The prompt for Ancient Runes this month was really easy for me.  One of the 3 choices given was to craft with yarn or fiber containing a minimum of 50% cellulose based fiber (plant fiber).  Cotton!  I simply knit up a quick washcloth for my Christmas gift collection,

and presto, I was officially on the train with Hermione's Challenge completed.

The prompts for the classes are usually pretty broad, so if you think a bit, you can usually fit what you wanted to make anyway into a class.  Since I am hooking blocks every month for my two afghans, I try to fit these into the class assignments.  This is the easiest way for me to finish classes.  I am still a slow knitter, so I try to knit some of the assignments, but I can usually finish crocheted projects faster.

Herbology

Our Herbology class all Fall has dealt with the subjet of Wands and Wandwood.  This month we studied the idea that since wands have a core, there is something "hidden" inside them, and the prompt dealt with crafting something with a hidden picture or image using 2 or more yarns.  I think the idea was to do illusion knitting, which I want to try, but I doubt I could finish anything in 1 month.  I decided to hook a 4-square of the Diagonal Box Square by SmoothFox.

The hidden picture is the square in the center which is only revealed when all four squares are sewn together.

History of Magic

The HoM prompt dealt with spirit animals.  One suggestion was to find a way to incorporate leftover yarn in a project.  I thought of hooking a square with lots of color changes, and turning it in for this choice.  But, instead I chose the third idea:  Embrace a Power Animal.  Open yourself to nature and look for signs that a power animal is trying to make itself known to you.  Craft something to A. Represent this animal or B. Represent how you might follow the guidance this animal is trying to impart.  I looked up spirit and power animals, and decided that I could use the Orca.  I turned in my Red, White, Blue Shining Star Square ,  designed by Amelia Beebe, with this explanation (or something close to this): 

"The Orca is the Creator of the cosmos  having the ability to convert raw matter into stars, planets, etc.  The orca also can seal soul fissures and energy leaks.  The star in the center represents the cosmos that the Orca created, with the color changes showing the brilliance of the star in the cosmos.  The square will be a part of a blanket that will seal in heat, or energy loss."

Potions

The final project I turned in on November 10, firmly securing my seat on the Crazy Train, was another Shining Star Square, this one in Blue, Blue and White (for the afghan for Pookie).

The Potions Class prompt dealt with color, asking us to either 1. craft something using two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, or black and white.  2. craft something using different shades of a single color, creating something monochromatic. or 3. craft something using a split complementary color scheme, a color and the two colors beside the color opposite the original. 

See, right there... I had no idea what a "split complementary color scheme" was.  So cool.  But, I decided that my Blue, Blue, White shining star square fit option 2, so that is what I turned in.

There you have it, 4 completed classes and detention all turned in.

That's all for tonight.
Stay safe and well.
Yours,

f1bercat
shaping the planet from the Crazy Train.