HPKCHC Arithmancy Assignment October 2009

Welcome to Arithmancy!

Please take out parchment and quills.

This month we will be learning the term: ”Binary”.

Binary means: composed of two parts or two pieces.

In Mathematics, a binary function, or function of two variables, is a function which takes two inputs.

For your assignment this month:

Knitters/ crochetters:

1. Two items that complement each other or make a set. For example, matching gloves and scarf. Or a scarf and a hat. (Note: a pair of gloves counts as just one item). Make them as a set. Please explain why you would wear them together. They don’t HAVE to be the same color but they have to match in some way. or

.

When one has two friends in the wizarding world with similiar tastes, to make something for one and not the other could result in problems......

....... especially when one is Narcissa Malfoy and the other works for the Ministry as an auror! So below is my solution, two sets of [Josephine Gauntlets](pattern), one in Narcissa's Slytherin Green and one in Auror Piper Poplartree's favorite color purple!

HPKCHC DADA Assignment October 2009

Welcome to our first class on Necromancy!

In honor of Halloween this month, let’s focus on the connection points between the worlds of the living and the dead. To complete this month’s assignment, make something that is inspired by: 1) an historical figure that is now deceased 2) an undead creature (zombie, vampire, skeleton, ghost, etc.), or 3) both (now would be the time to make that Zombie Abe Lincoln) Bonus points, as always, for house colors or making me laugh.

Note: Projects may be inspired by a deceased historical figure or undead creature. They don’t have to be actual representations of them

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff submitting her DADA assignment:

Halloween, derived from Samhain, is the time of year when the veil between two worlds is the thinnest. In my history, was my godmother/aunt, Ita Marie Breslin, who crocheted ever since I can remember. She never used patterns, she just saw in her mind what she wanted and set to work. The gold hat is one she made for my mother years ago. Wednesday, 7 October 2009, 'Aunt' Ita crossed over to the otherside of the veil.



In the past couple of nights since learning this, I sat down and reconstructed the hat as a tribute to her ability, crafting and love.

So I present Breslin's Beret orginally designed by Ita M. Breslin in the 70's. Pattern available here

HPKCHC Transfiguration Assignment October 2009

This month we delve into “Cross-Species transfiguration”. The most well-known is the Animagus spell, but there are many other types as well! You must show an ability to Transfigure an object from one species into another. This can be demonstrated by:

3) Knit or crochet a model of your Animagus either as a 3-D toy or a colorwork design.

Form: Fox
Genera and species: Vulpes vulpes
Collective Term: A skulk of foxes
Distinguishing marks: Red fur, green eyes
Animal Characteristics:
Appealing and cerebral and of average size, the fox is a close relative of both the wolf and dog personalities and displays typical canine qualities of loyalty, passion and creativity. Largely misunderstood to be a shy, retreating individual, it's the fox's unique stature as a small carnivore that defines its survival strategy. Because it cannot succeed in the world using brute force alone, it must rely on its sharp mind and engaging personality to garner resources, and it consequently spends a lot of time in its head -- giving the impression that it's trying to outsmart its friends. So the fox is often surprised to learn that its intellectual pursuits are intimidating.

So, the fox tempers its serious nature with a sardonic sense of humor and engaging playfulness while interacting with its eclectic community. It expects others to be as honest about their strengths and shortcomings as it is of its own, and while these high expectations don't make the fox a snob, it expects its friends to first demonstrate their worthiness before returning the favor with loyalty and devotion.
Foxes are typically successful in the work place but their competitiveness and ambition sometimes makes coworkers feel belittled. They would never deliberately take advantage of others, but their single-mindedness often blinds them to their feelings. So they thrive in their own businesses and like to surround themselves with family and friends in these ventures.

HPKCHC Care of Magical Creatures

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff turning in her assignment.

I became the caretaker of a tiny niffler named Lucky Charms, Lucky for short.



While he was a well-behaved niffler and usually most obedient, it seems while I was in the process of finding him a bed, he decided that one of my necklaces was rather suitable

HPKCHC Charms Assignment September 2009

Aguamenti - The Water Charm

Aguamenti is the charm used to put out fires/ create water to drink. It is first named in Half-Blood Prince, when Harry is being taught how to perform this specific charm in Professor Flitwick’s class. Later Harry casts this spell in an attempt to create water for Dumbledore to drink after taking Voldemort’s potion and then to douse Hagrid’s hut after it is set on fire later.

So your task is to either

a) create something water related, be it colours, waves etc.
or
b) create something a little more literal like a goblet, something that imitates the jets of water or a fire hose (firemen optional but welcome and yes the professor knows where some minds will take this one and that is also fine :D)

Hufflepuff Water Bottle Sling!

HPKCHC DADA Assignment September 2009

“What I Fought On My Summer Holidays” - It’s September! The month for the traditional back-to-school essay about what you did on your summer holidays. Explain and show an example of which spell you practiced, creepy creature you fought, or scary Death Eater plot you unraveled over the summer holidays. Extra points for house colors, making the prof laugh, or being especially awesome.

::looks around to make sure no one is listening::

It's a plot!!! I'm sure of it!!! *twitches* Six years we've been here battling it and the natives say its been going on even longer than that.

::covers ears at horrendous screeching::

Hear that? It's all day and into the night. It's worse at night. They scream so loud and its often especially during the night

In the night..

In the dark...

They're trying to conquer us!!!!!!! The town's split in half by them and getting to the other side sometimes is near impossible!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a race to get to the east side of town before they block all the gates. And it's not just summer, but all year -- every day -- all day --

Going to work, returning from work. Always a battle, a race to get to the other side of town.
*points eastward*

Da Trains Da Trains!!111

HPKCHC Transfiguration Assignment September 2009

“Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned.”

Jumping right into the fall term with both feet, we will begin by attempting some of the most mystical and mysterious Transfigurations there are. This, students, is the process of blocking.

Blocking is a form of alchemical Transfiguration, that takes your knitting and crocheted items from mundane to ethereal.

Your assignment this month is to knit or crochet an item, and then Transfigure it, through blocking, into a work of art. Lace is always a good bet for a nice block, but really anything can be blocked - hats, socks, baby booties, sweaters, etc. The requirements are thus:

~You MUST post pre- and post-blocking photos of your item. Photos during the blocking process will earn you bonus points, as will House colors and large items, as always, and the professor’s whim.

~The item must LOOK significantly different after being blocked - stitches must be smoother, item must have a better shape, something like that.

Transfiguration Homework. The 12" square [Mandala](/patterns/library/mandala-2)

Completed and unblocked


Pinned and drying


Blocked

HP Knitting & Crochet House Cup Quidditch

Just saw that my Hufflepuff Baby Bib I made for the quidditch game made the House Cup Blog!

HPKCHC DADA Assignment July 2009

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff submitting her assignment which is a crocheted pygmy puff as found in "The Half Blood Prince".

A Pygmy Puff is a miniature puffskein. We are introduced to Pygmy Puffs in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when Ginny Weasley buys one from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. They are pink and purple miniature puffskeins and, according to Fred and George, are very popular.

Dear Messrs. Weasley:

It was a pleasure to discover your shop and your line of various Wizard Wheezes, including my new dear pygmy puff, Marius, though it seems he has developed some sort of condition.

As you recall he was a lovely purple when I purchased him and took him home. Recently, he has developed some rather odd colorations that cannot be explained (photo enclosed) Sincerely
Rowan Dragonsinger

>

Dear Ms. Dragonsinger:

It is a pleasure to hear from you and we're glad you enjoyed your visit to our shop. As for Marius' condition, it seems he's become goth in his tastes and is otherwise fine and healthy.

Sincerely Fred and George Weasley.

PS: You might find him listening to muggle performers, Metallica and Voltaire.

HPKCHC Astronomy Assignment July 2009

Just finished and posted my HPKCHC Astronomy Assignment!

August Ferdinand Möbius (November 17, 1790 – September 26, 1868) (German pronunciation: [ˈmøbiʊs]) was a German mathematician and theoretical astronomer. He was born in Schulpforta, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and died in Leipzig. He is best known for his discovery of
the Möbius strip, a non-orientable two-dimensional surface with only one side when embedded in three-dimensional Euclidean space. It
was independently discovered by Johann Benedict Listing around the same time.
The crater Möbius on the Moon's far side is named after him.
The asteroid 28516 Möbius is also named after him.

So, it is only fitting that my astronomy assignment should be the [Marbled Mobius][2] done in Yarn Bee Aurora Nightglow colorway which is a red/purple combination with glitter/twinkle effect

Ancient Runes Owl Completed and Passed

HPKCHC Herbology Assignment July 2009

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff submitting her Herbology assignment.

My wand is
Wood: Ebony & Bloodwood
Core: Dragon Heartstring
Length: 12 1/2"
Strength: Sturdy
Maker: Whirlwood Wandmakers

This wand found me when I met the chief wandmaker in Chicago last year. The woods were my favorite colors, the dragon heartstring from the magical creature that is my patronus and totem. It was as if the wand had been waiting for me to come to it and I did

I made the scarf below from a variegated yarn that illustrates it so perfectly.

The black and red = ebony and bloodwood
The purple so reminds me of the many faceted jewel eyes of a dragon
The black eyelash = the dragon heartstring.

HPKCHC Muggle Studies Assignment July 2009

Knowing that this week, I would be venturing to visit fellow witch friends in Memphis, I also realized that some of our excursions would take us into completely muggle areas, such as the famous Beale Street. So this past Saturday, I crocheted Hufflepuff colors on my flipflops so that, should we encounter any other wizards and witches, they would recognize the famous black and yellow that cries out "Huzzah Hufflepuff"

So I present photos of my shoes that were completed this past Saturday and their wearing today on Beale Street!

HPKCHC Potions Assignment July 2009

Salazar Slytherin's Locket was originally owned by Salazar Slytherin and became an heirloom of his family. It was a locket of heavy gold with a serpentine S in glittery green stone inlay on the front.

In 1997, Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter ventured to the seaside cave where Voldemort had hidden his locket. They were fairly certain that a Horcrux was hidden in the cave. Through great personal injury, Dumbledore successfully retrieved the fake locket Black and Kreacher had
left.

Original Pattern and can be found here

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff

HPKCHC Charms Assignment July 2009

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff turning in her Charms assignment

Tomorrow night, I will have the pleasure of consorting with like minded wizards and witches when I meet some friends in Tulsa for wizard rock and Pottercast Live. I thought it would be nice to make wristwarmers for the girls I'll be sharing a room with there. However, time crept up on me and since two were Gryffindor, I used the geminio spell not once but twice.

The first time was after I crocheted the first wristwarmer and used the spell to duplicate it and make a complete pair. However, since there were two and I could not give one without the other, I used the spell again and as you can see I know have the needed two pairs for my friends.

HPKCHC DADA Assignment June 2009

I respectfully submit one defeated Cruiatus curse in the form of my Ren Faire Shawl.

Back when we first moved into this particular house, I began a quick easy shawl of homespun on size 13 long straight needles for my first knitting project. (Did I mention we moved in here four years ago this month?) What could be simpler than a triangle shawl in garter stitch? So beginning it just before I began this job (Did I mention I'll be at this job four years this August 1st?), I would take it to work to knit on my free time or at home when watching tv with my hubby. That October, I set it aside to work on gifts... or at least that was my first excuse.

It became the project I hid.. under sweater sections, under boxes, under whatever I could bury it under. Even other WIP's. It went to the bottom of stacks and when I would spy it begging to be finished, I'd quickly cover it having no desire to face that quick simple easy boring tedious garter stitch.

Until this class (Did I mention this is now four years later). Determined it would no longer crucio me, I picked it up and went to work only to have it shoot one last cruciatus at me..... I had to buy circular 13's to finish it.... Did I mention I hate circular needles?

However, I now present my finished project

**Before**


**After**

HPKCHC Herbology Assignment June 2009

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff turning in her assignment.

While searching for gillyweed to harvest for potions class, I came across a rather surprising sight. It seems there is a Hufflepuff alumni that enjoys returning - via the lake - to take in the quidditch games and cheer on her house to which she still is loyal. On this day, she was wearing her rather lovely, hand crocheted bobble stitch house scarf and was kind enough to allow me to take photographs which I share with you now. For it seems, dear professor, that Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie, is a graduate of Hogwarts, House of Hufflepuff!



Another photo of the lovely scarf she wore to see the bobbles in every stripe!

HPKCHC Charms Assignment June 2009

I've only knit maybe 2-3 things ever but I've never attempted Illusion Crochet. Honestly till you posted this, I never knew it could be done in crochet too. Though the only existing pattern was a cute heart. While hearts are not a bad thing, any one of my friends can quickly tell you I don't do 'cute'.

But I definitely do caffeine!!! So I decided to attempt to create my own pattern and with that I present my attempt at Illusion Crochet.

A mug of coffee with wisps of steam rising.

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff






Here is the link to the Full size of the second photo if you need to see detail better.

HPKCHC Divination Assignment June 2009

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff with her completed assignment.

When visiting Diagon Alley, one of my favorite places to stop in is Fabulous Starknuts & Knits

Starknuts is conveniently located in Diagon Alley and open to all Floo Networks with a sizeable fire place. Upstairs from the coffee shop is the Yarn shop for all your knitting and crocheting needs.

They use a special charm so that your beverage remains at your preferred temperature for as long as you have it. We offer a variety of flavors and drinks, both hot and cold.

Was by there just today and picked up some tea for my tealeaf reading. They have the most wonderfuly charmed teabags that allow the leaves to sift out so that they are in your cup for reading after finishing your tea.

HPKCHC Transfiguration Assignment June 2009

Dragonsinger of Hufflepuff turning in her Transfiguration assignment.

Submitting a crocheted bracelet made of twine, beads, slip ring and lobsterclaw catch. While I am a proud Hufflepuff, I will be visiting some dear Ravenclaw friends and one Gryffindor friend in Memphis in July. One of the Ravenclaw friends, has a Slytherin daughter. This bracelet is a gift for the daughter.