Quidditch Answers!

Quidditch rocks! Here's my answers:

Please post these questions to your blogs.
If you have a character blog do not post them to your muggle blog.
The Snitch is still looking for it's home. I'll notify you of the release time soon.


1. What was Harry dreaming about the first time he woke up with his scar on fire?

b. Voldemort and Wormtail plotting to kill him


2. What is the problem with leprechaun gold?

a. It vanishes after a few hours


3. Why did Mad-Eye Moody turn Malfoy into a ferret?

c. Malfoy attached Harry when Harry's back was turned


4. Sirius warns Harry to be careful around Karkaroff because he had been a Death Eater. Which one of the professors at Hogwarts, who also used to be a Death Eater, is frequently bothered by Karkaroff?
(Answer is One Word, Last Name Only)

Snape

5. Voldemort could have used the blood from any foe to make the potion that revived him work, but he held out for Harry's blood. Why?

c. The special protection Harry received from his mother would also pass to
Voldemort


6. How old would Frank have been on his next birthday?

d. 77

7. Amos Diggory works for?

b. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures


8. Who shared a carriage with the three friends on the way from the train to Hogwarts?
Answer:

Neville!

9. What date in October did the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive?

a. 30th


10. What color were Percy's dress robes at the Yule Ball?

a. Navy Blue

Picture Scavenger Hunt
Please either post the pictures to your blog or link to where the pictures can be found.

Mr. Ollivander
I don't think he's as crazy as he looks here!


Mad-Eye Moody


Cedric
Isn't he dreamy? LOL


World Cup Tournament
A scene from the Tournament:


The Tournament Stadium:


Dark Mark
EWWWW!!!!

Red Dress Campaign

I read this in my Daily Candy newsletter this morning. I'm in - I just need to iron my red dress and I'm all set!

"Join this women’s heart disease awareness campaign by wearing red on February 1 (the first Friday in February). Whether you choose a shirt, shoes, or Red Dress pin, your good taste will deliver an urgent wake-up call to women nationwide.

You’ll be in good company, since Heidi Klum is Diet Coke’s spokesperson in the cause of promoting women’s heart health. Her specially designed red Oscar dress is the grand prize in the Diet Coke Red Dress Sweepstakes. For each sweepstakes entry, Diet Coke will contribute $1 to support women’s heart health awareness and research, up to $250,000.* Visit mycokerewards.com to find out more about the Diet Coke Red Dress Program and Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes ends March 10, 2008. No purchase necessary."

(Photo from LST1984 in the Creative Commons Pool at Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lst1984/1268129352/)

Gryffindor House Quiz Answer!

Okay, so I am dreadfully out of practice, and as a good Gryffindor, I usually rely on the help of my friends to solve puzzles in a time of need.

Since I had physical therapy last night, I had only one friend upon which to rely, but I think I have the answer correct:

"Hogwarts. Hogwarts. Hoggy warty Hogwarts.

Teach us something, please!

Whether we be old and bald or young with scabby knees, our heads could do with some interesting stuff.

For now they're bare and full of air, dead flies and bits of fluff. So teach us things worth knowing.

Bring back what we've forgot.

Just do your best, we'll do the rest, and learn until our brains all rot!"

Roar, Roar Gryffindor! We'll win the house cup for sure this week!

HSKS4, Genealogy, and Google.

Wow that's a totally rambling title. Maybe I'll change it. Maybe I won't.

I was just reading on the Upstate NY Blog that Google cofounder Sergey Brin's wife is the head of a new genealogy DNA company. Google DNA

Won't that be awesome? The price should drop, I hope! Hopefully they will be cooperative and share information with the National Geographic Society. Can you imagine? A real and bonafide way to connect just about every human being in the world.

Speaking of which, it brings me to knitting - I've got to try the bag over tonight. The first real row of the pattern really has me f***ing it up - I can't seem to add to save my life today. I should only imagine that an awesome pattern like this is good, and oh, say, not needing errata. Grr. I also got in my stuff for HSKS4 in the mail - that certainly came fast! It looked even better than the photos I saw. Its too bad I can't post pics of it, but then I'd blow the surprise!

I spent all of my time so far today trying to help a woman with ancestors on Amherst Island. What a trip - it really sucks when you get back to nearly the 16th century and things just dead end, drop off, no forwarding address.

Ugh. I'm going to try and work on my two swaps this weekend.

Sketching, and searching!

I found it...here's one of the reject patterns, since I know my partner might see it.

I love it when you go through book after book after book, only to find that the real pattern that you are looking for will just "pop" out at you as this sudden realization like you've been searching for it your entire life! I love that feeling!

So now its off to yarn choice. I got one at the store today, but the gauge is wrong. Have to try again tomorrow at IDEA Studio or at the HL. I'm thinking I have the right color for one but not the other. And its a bugger to find - I've been searching all over the Interwebs to find it. I may have to ask my dear friend to work some muggle magic over the local YS owners to track something down in the right color.

Contemplation, Anticipation and HSKS4

...

So I've been working on sketch after sketch of what I wanted to design for this project, and nothing's been clicking. I think I've figured out why- I am just too darn tired to do it.

Today was the first day that I was fully awake, and the sketchpad is doing things that look possible for once! I am so excited, I have to get test knitting....

HSKS4 - Hogwarts, here I come

So I'm bumbling through my first year at Hogwarts. I didn't even realize you weren't supposed to contact your swap partner! That's so weird - I've never done one where I felt like I was ... duh, duh, duh, out there.

But I'll get through! I've been doing some sketches on what my swap partner is going to get - I think I'll start this weekend!

Ha ha...Santa is secretly a woman!

I was over at Gather.com this morning, and this topic caught my eye while I was poking around - and then I read it and nearly spit out my milk I was laughing so hard.

Enjoy!

I hate to be the one to defy sacred myth, but I believe Santa Claus is a woman.

Think about it: Christmas is a big, organized, warm, fuzzy, nurturing, social deal, and I have a tough time believing a guy (and a "straight' guy at that!) could possibly pull it all off!

For starters, the vast majority of men don't even think about selecting gifts until Christmas Eve. Once at the mall, they always seem surprised to find only Ronco products, socket wrench sets, and mood rings left on the shelves. On this count alone, I'm convinced Santa is a woman. Surely, if he were a man, everyone in the universe would wake up Christmas morning to find a rotating musical Chia Pet under the tree, still in the shopping bag.

Another problem for a he-Santa would be getting there. First of all, here would be no reindeer because they would all be dead, gutted and strapped on to the rear bumper of the sleigh amid wide-eyed, desperate claims that buck season had been extended. Blitzen's rack would already be on the way to the taxidermist. Even if the male Santa did still have reindeer, he'd also have the transportation problems because he would inevitably get lost up there in the snow and clouds and then refuse to stop and ask for directions.

Other reasons why Santa can't possibly be a man:

# Men can't pack a bag.

# Men would rather be dead than caught wearing red velvet.

# Men would feel their masculinity is threatened... having to be seen with all those elves.

# Men don't answer their mail. (But then, I've never had a reply from Santa....)

# Men would refuse to allow their physique to be described, even in jest, as anything remotely resembling a "bowl full of jelly."

# Men aren't interested in stockings unless somebody's wearing them.

# Having to do the Ho Ho Ho thing would seriously inhibit their ability to pick up women.

# Finally, being responsible for Christmas would require a commitment.

1st Year at Hogwarts! (AKA Induction into the sock world), and progress on Ginny's Vest

Ooh! I am SO excited!!! I was accepted for my first year in the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap Round 4!!!!

Gryffindor, here I come!

Not that I'm a regular sock knitter, persay (ref. my earlier blog post), but on occasion, they are a good thing to work with. It all started with the making of a cast sock for my brace, because barefeet in December is well, not a real good idea in the midwest! And it took me no longer than a day, so it was a super easy knit, too.

So then I searched out how to do them better, because, while the cast sock was comfy and warm, it wouldn't fit over anything but the brace it was so huge! I went to my friend YouTube and discovered a way of making them WITHOUT DPNS.

Earth shattering, I know, for you sock knitters. People have been doing it forever, blah, blah, blah. It was earth shattering to me!

So I tried it - and while I haven't actually done one I'm proud enough to photograph, I'm working on one now in baby yarn (thanks to the advice of the awesome people in the Ravelry forums), that will probably put in the KCGB Mothers Day sale, but is turning out well enough to be photographable and put-table into Ravelry.

So anyway, back to Hogwarts. I am SO excited to be accepted into the swap - it is one of the most prestigious Blogger swaps to take part of, IMO. 100 members, kits worth $30-40 each, classes, quidditch, and other games. I can't wait!



Onto the progress on Ginny's vest from OOTP, its, well, conflicted. I had the idea to do it all modular until I saw this LiveJournal. I think she's got the general shape right, however, the problem is that to me the cables don't look like they go down as far as she suggests. I really think the main portion is hexagon modules!


(just in case you don't know what I'm talking about)

Of course, not knowing what the bottom looks like since you barely see this in the movie, well, who knows.

Edit: I just got some high-rest screen shots but I can't seem to get them to post as nicely using photoservices. I'll post them when I can!

Supernatural Impala Dishcloth

Revision 6/26/11: I've decided not to release a pattern, since you guys are making such cool things with it without me! Enjoy!

Okay, so I did this chart awhile ago and posted it on Ravelry with the idea. Someone actually did a really cute version of it there and posted it - so awesome! Once I get around to actually doing it I'll write up the full-hand pattern.

"The black is stockinette, the white is garter on the outside, purl bumps on the inside. The red and orange are special stitches to set off the attributes of the car. I'm thinking some kind of bobble perhaps?

Anywho, that's where I'm at with figuring out something :-) Its 20 x 44, so it could easily fit inside a 50x50 cloth."

(this photo is huge and Blogger alters the ratio when I post it, so just click it and it will take you to Flickr where you can see the whole thing in its proper ratio)

Liberation

After taking stock of the 1600+ messages I recieved in my email over the holiday, I decided to take today to clean out my Yahoo groups memberships.

I was a member of 49 different groups, all looming, knitting, Jaycees or Freesources related.

After going through and deciding which ones were really worth it to belong to, because I mainly read a TON of headlines, I thinned that down to 24.

4 screens of groups, down to one! Yea!

What I discovered, however, is best about it is - I feel so liberated! No more time spending countless hours wondering why I'm a part of this group or that group because its covered by this other site or another group.

I suppose its part of January cleaning fever. I hate spring cleaning, I never bother - but in January, I suppose being inspired by seeing my mother's clean house, I always go into a cleaning tizzy.

Plus my "fall down the stairs brace" is off! I didn't wear it for the first time today! Yea!