Hufflepuff Socks Update

Just thought I would post an update on the Hufflepuff socks that I'm making with the sock yarn I received from HSKS4. As you can see, the first sock is completed.
I always make sure to cast on the second sock as soon as I finish the first one. It helps insure that a second sock is made.
I just finished the heel of the second sock and have started the gusset. I can't wait to have a finished pair so I can wear them!

A Visit From Agatha

I just got an owl from Agatha Ackerly, who is the lovely Ravenclaw girl that I've been paired with for HSKS5. She'll be traveling through town for the holiday and we are going to make plans to meet for lunch! Too bad it's a holiday and the ladies of the Knitting Circle at Uncle Vincenzio's shoppe won't be there. I think Aggie would have had a great time meeting them and knitting with them. Though I am sure she and I will have a good time, and do some knitting as well!

QUIDDITCH! -Round 2

1. At the beginning of the year feast, who is the only person who rudely interrupts Dumbledore during his speech?
b. Professor Umbridge

2. Off what street is the alley where Harry first met Sirius?
c. Magnolia Crescent

3. Tonks’ mother had two sisters, both pure-bloods, and both left on the Black Family Tree. What are their names?
c. Narcissa and Bellatrix

4. What spell are the students studying in McGonalgall’s class when Umbrdige is doing her inspection?
d. The Vanishing Spell

5. Who comes to warn Harry and the rest of Dumbledore’s Army that Umbridge and her group of followers are coming to break up their meeting?
Dobby

6. Who are the members of the Order that met Harry Potter in the Dursely’s house during the summer before his fifth year?
c. Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Remus Lupin, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, Hestia Jones

7. Moody used the Disillusionment Charm on Harry.
a. Yes

8. Which of these Death Eaters is Sirius related to?
d. All of these

9. At what age did Sirius leave his home?
16

10. How many of the original Order members were killed (don’t include those who disappeared)?
b. 8

Picture Scavenger
Kingsley Shacklebolt

Bellatrix Lestrange

Nymphadora Tonks

Remus Lupin

All About Antonio

My lovely spoilee, Agatha Ackerly, tagged me to do this meme. I actually learned a lot about her from her answers, so I'm sure my spoiler will appreciate my answers as well.

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was living on the west side of Buffalo. Working at my previous job, where I had been for 10 years and would stay for another 9. We were assigned to a specific team which produced all the prepress work for Scholastic books. I hadn't gotten back into knitting. I had learning in the late 80's, stopped in the early 90's and did not start up again until 2000.

2. Name 5 things on you To-Do List for today?
a. Buy Father's Day card, I have the gift but always wait until the last minute for the card.
b. Wash and hang to dry the yarn I dyed last night.
c. Watch the Tony Awards!!!!!
d. Clean the bathroom.
e. Work on swap kit bag

3. Snacks that you enjoy?
Chocolate, nachos, popcorn

4. What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Pay off all my bills. Make sure my parents, both brothers and my 2 best friends were taken care of. Buy a condo in either Toronto or Chicago for whenever I want to go there. Get a summer home in the south. Invest wisely so my billionaireship lasts. Start a scholarship to mentor college students who study fine arts, graphic arts, etc. Teach them what the real world is like out there and how to prepare to find a job in it. I wish someone had done that for me when I was in college.

5. Name the places you have lived?
Various apartments in different parts of Buffalo, NY. I'm a Buffalo boy, born and bred. I've lived here all my life and have been fortuante enough to be able to find work in my field that I've been able to stay here.

6. What jobs have you held?
Data Entry Clerk
Credit Authorizer for local department store
Grocery Store stock clerk
Contact Proofer
Film Assembler
Mac Operator/Desktop Publisher
Color Technician
Programmer Analyst, Variable Data Printing

7. Who are you tagging?
I think anyone in the swap should do it to let everyone else know more about you.

Hufflepuff Quiz #4

POST ON YOU BLOG A SPELL OR POTION THAT WILL MAKE THESE NASTY SNAKES DISAPPEAR

During Professor Lockhart's Dueling Club session, Professor Snape used this spell to banish the snake that was ready to attack Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Vipera Evanesca

Antonio Has Made A Sock

I decided to finally use the great sock yarn I received in my HSKS4 package for a pair of socks for myself. I knew the 100 gram skein I received would not be enough, as I need at least 130 grams to cover my canal boats. So I dug through my stash to find some Patons Kroy sock yarn in black. I cast on using that and did 20 rounds of ribbing before switching to the Hufflpuff yarn.

When I got to the heel flap I used the Kroy again, then switched back once I started the gusset. I split the Hufflepuff yarn into 2 50 gram skeins. I work with that until I run out and then switch to the black for the toe shaping.

Hufflepuff Quiz #3 - Care of Magical Creatures

I think I would definitely want to own a Kneazle as a pet. They are very intelligent creatures and due to their similarity to the average house-cat, unsuspecting muggles would not know they were in fact magical creatures. Kneazles are able to detect suspicious individuals or unsavory types, which would also make them good to have as a pet, especially if they take a liking to the witch or wizard that owns them. They are also very intelligent creatures that can recognize cheating, which they disapprove of.

While kneazles do resemble a cat, they have spotted fur, large ears and a tail like that of a lion. So a kneazles wouldn’t appear to be just your everyday house pet. They do in fact behave very much like a typical cat, which catches spiders, chases garden gnomes and disrupts games of wizard chess by chasing the pieces off of the playing board. So they could cause a bit of trouble with your family’s garden gnomes or games of chess.

A well-known kneazle who resided at Hogwarts was Crookshanks, who was owned by Hermione Granger when she attended Hogwarts. At first Crookshanks was thought to be simply a large ginger cat with a squashed face. It was later learned that he was part kneazle and was able to recognize the Death Eater, Peter Pettigrew when he was disguised as a house rat.

So I think a kneazle, while it would be a bit challenging, would make a brilliant pet.

Working with Uncle Vincenzio

What a week this has been! In addition to my schoolwork here at Hogwarts I am working with my uncle, Vincenzio Ricardo dela Weasley. Uncle Vincenzio runs a shoppe on Diagon Alley called TipoFilato, a magical fibers shoppe. Not only does he supply specially transfigured fibers to the wizarding community of London and the surrounding areas, but he also is a very popular instructor of muggle ladies who transfigure fiber, or knit as they call it.

Uncle Vincenzio has a group that meets twice every week. They call themselves a "knitting circle," although they remind me of Grammie Weasley's coven ladies. Uncle Vincenzio thought that was pretty funny, but suggested I not tell that to the ladies of the knitting circle... or Grammie Weasley.

Right now we are working in fiber color transfiguration, or what the muggles call "hand-painting." One of the ladies let me use her "digital camera" (though these muggle pictures still don't move, they call those "videos") and I took some pictures of the recent work I did.

Here are 2 "pics" of some Gryffindor colored yarn that I transfigured yesterday and is still hanging to dry. Uncle Vincenzio was very pleased with the results.

We use a type of muggle cauldron called a "crock pot" to heat set the color transfiguration after we paint the wool with colorful potions called "dyes."

Here are a couple versions of Ravenclaw colors that we did tonight. Right now they are cooling. After I'm done journaling I'll set them to wash and then hang to dry.

I'm really enjoying doing this. Not only do I get to work with my favorite uncle in his shoppe, but I'm learning muggle methods of fiber transfiguration as a part of my studies this year. Maybe once I'm done with school I can come work full time for Uncle Vincenzio. He's talked about opening a second shoppe as well in the future.

Well off to wash and rinse my wool, then time for bed. See you all in class!

Antonio