I'm a Winner!

Yes - I won a prize in the Ravenclaw draw a couple of weeks ago. I am the most happy recipient of some beautiful hand-dyed yarn and stitchmarkers from the wonderful Olive Bumblebirch, who just happens to have been my spoilee in the last swap, and is my dear siter's spoilee in the current swap. I think that is why she included two sets of stitchmarkers with an instruction for me to give one set to Lizzie. It iwll be the blue set as that is Lizzie's favourite colour. I also love the cute little envelope Olive sent the stitchmarkers in. I'm a sucker for pretty little things!

Sadly I learned this week that my spoilee, Elladora Madley has withdrawn from the swap. I think that, like me, in the context of a busy life she has been finding it difficult to maintain the level of participation that is required. So, instead of creating a kit for Elladora I have now been delegated the joyous task of helping to create an angel kit for her spoilee, the illustrious Megaera Black. Luckily Meg is a Slytherin, the same house as the Draco around whom I was theming Elladora's kit, so many of the things I was going to put into Elladora's kit are in fact quite suitable for Megaera instead. So all's well that ends well....

Apart from the cashmere yarn that is, which I'll have to keep for myself. Shoot! ;0)

Which witch?

Who in the magical world do you think these would most suit?

They are my latest design and I am currently working up the pattern ready for test knitting with the intention of publishing the pattern within the next couple of weeks. I'm using my new publishing spell (PagePlus X4) to write up the pattern, and am really enjoying this advanced form of magic which is apparently comparable to Adobe InDesign.

As with most of my designs, these are very original. I've not seen a knitted lace overcuff in any other glove design, and I know the lace panel on the sleeve is original as I developed it myself from a lengthy trial and error swatch process! I even invented a new double increase technique for them (I know by saying so that I risk incurring the wrath of folk who think ther are truly no new techniques in knitting, just re-discovered ones; nevertheless I do think this invention is truly new).

Close-up:



In Swap news I am sad to report that my handmade item for Elladora's kit is unfinished. In fact I'm not very happy with it at all, and am considering sending it to the frog pond and starting afresh on something altogether better. Trouble is, I don't know what to do instead. I've found it very hard to think of a relevant handmade item to make for the kit this time. I know Elladora has high tastes, and worry that whatever I make will prove to be too tacky! ;0)

Late again!

A whole day late this time. Sigh. And Hermione has increased the pressure - no prize drawing for Ravenclaws unless everyone blogs. So I've just deprived my housemates of prizes. :0(

I am, however, making some progress with the kit for Ella. A few owls arrived this week with goodies for her, and I have scouted out a very special pattern to give to her. I will, of course, also give her all my patterns too.

My dear sister Lizzie is now in Florida, and sent me some wonderful pictures of the Wychwoods swimming with dolphins. Amazing!! I'm missing her though, not least because she is best at getting me organised.
She took yarn with her to knit up a shawl for me. It's a design I've created for some lovely red yarn I received from The Knitting Goddess, a British yarn witch. Here's a sneak peek of the swatching for it:

It seems I'm too busy designing these days to be able to give the time to The Swap that is needed for proper participation. Perhaps I should just not sign up next time (sob!)? While I would feel bereft, at least I wouldn't keep feeling guilty.

Post, post, post!!

My dearest sister, Lizzie Wychwood (easy to say 'dearest' as she's my only one actually!!) has prodded me to post as I forgot last week in the midst of all my busyness. I've been working on a number of different design projects you see, and wishing for a time-turner to fit it all in. Alas, without a time-turner I've just had to burn the midnight oil instead.

One of the projects was writing up the pattern for the Knit Camp Pullover. The organisers of UK Knit Camp (a week of knitting heaven at Stirling University this August) asked me to design the 'official' Knit Camp Jumper'. It being in Scotland I used fair isle style colourwork, charting thistles (national flower of Scotland), and adding flags of the patron saints of Scotland, England, and Wales, and sheep and yarn and needles:

Another of the projects was working on the design for a shawl to go in the book of designs I'm writing. Lizzie is going to knit the shawl for me during her trip to America. Yes, the Wychwoods are going to Florida for two whole weeks to celebrate Lizzie and Mr. Wychwoods' 25th wedding anniversary (yes, she was a child bride!!).

I have pictures of the swatch of the edging I've designed for the shawl. If you want to read about how I developed this stitch pattern then please visit my new muggle blog.

In The Swap I am happy to reprt that I have made good progress on Elladora's kit. I have ordered the yarn and pattern, decided what to do for the handmade item, and have recieved through the post a few of the goodies I plan to include in the kit. I've decided to go with Ella's first choice of Draco Malfoy for theming the kit, and it is proving to be lots of fun. I just have to work out how to include a sock!

Care of Magical Creatures

Five items that are used in caring for unicorns:

Silver horn polish:

Grooming brush:

Tool for removing stones from hooves:

Hay rack (during hard winters unicorns are only able to survive because of the food that magical folk put out for them):

Blanket (a comfort in cold weather, and essential for ailing unicorns):

1. Please describe the physical appearance of a house elf.

Short with pointy ears and long thin limbs.

2. Kreacher is the house elf of which wizarding family?
The Blacks

3. What is Hermione Granger making for the house elves?
Hats, scarves and socks.

4. How do you free a house elf?
Give it clothes.

5. What does S.P.E.W. stand for?
Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare
 

I made this little hat for the UK branch of SPEW:

 

 

Woke up this morningrealising I hadn't blogged for HSKS! Remember something about the deadline being midnight Saturday PST (??) in which case I've just got time to do it (it's 11pm PST as I write, 7am BST), so here is this week's blog:

Alas, there is not time enough to do the spell homework we were set this weeek - a transfiguration project. I loved Hermione's work (swot!) on this, and Poppy also did a great job with it.

The problem is I've been working so hard. As well as my usual duties assisting Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary, I've been working my socks off to publish my new pattern, Lissuin. It's a fair isle jumper, and writing the pattern for it to be clear and straighforward to follow was an amazing challenge. I opened my mail this morning to find a huge compliment from someone who bought it which makes me think this effort will prove to have been worthwhile.

Anyway, this is the jumper. It is only 12 hours now since I published it, and already over 100 folk have added it to their favourites in Ravelry, not to mention the number who have queued it:

A New Year at Hogwarts

And I have once again been appointed to assist Madam Pomfrey in the infirmary. I so love the opportunity to do a little nursing. Of course, this is only a part-time appointment. Most of the time I will be at Creaky Cottage (the Wigworthy home) loooking after my brrod, and working on my knitterly creations. i sell knitting patterns via the Daily Prohet classified section. It's not exactly lucrative, yet together with my nursing salary at Hogwarts it will go a little way toward ourt household expenses.

Deputy Headmistress, Wisteria Lovegood, is running another knitting swap, and as usual i have signed up for it. We are doing kits themed on well-known personalities in the magical world. I've chosen Luna Lovegood, Albus Dumbledore, and Rita Skeeter as my characters.  Here's why:

Luna Lovegood:

Very much reminds me of myself in my younger days. She has so much creative energy, making her rather scatty and quite the daydreamer. I love her fascination with the weird and wonderful. Most of all I love her strong sense of loyalty to her friends, her amazing artistic ability, and the wisdom and insight that she sometimes manifests so humbly yet powerfully in the most poignant situations.

Albus Dumbledore:

Is such a twinkly, loving man. As with Luna, I adore his eccentricity and how willing he is to appear extremely odd. I deeply admire his principles, and most especially appreciate his humility.

Rita Skeeter:

An odd choice I know! It was spur of the moment. Maybe I chose her because she reminds me of how I don't want to be? Narcissitic to the extreme, sucks everything she can out of folk, cares not a hoot for how much she hurts people, acid tongue, acid quill.... And there's the thing - I think ultimately I chose her simply because she is a writer!