Search Results for: scarf

January 7

Fighting the Pern Plague

Fighting the Pern Plague

That’s what I’ve been doing for the past week and, believe me, it’s no fun whatsoever. It takes a hearty dragonrider to get through this crud. So my meanderings around the internet took me to finding ways to fight the dreaded plague (known as ‘the flu’ to you non Pernians) and this caught my eye. A great way to keep warm and the chill off your neck as you recover from being out of commission, a Fiery Dragon Scarfdesigned by Brooke L. Hanna. While the pattern was created for her son, it can be done to fit anyone in the family by simply adding more length to it.

And now, I’m off to bundle up and sip a nice hot cup of Klah and perhaps a Bubbly Pie while I continue to recover from the Pern Plague. Happy New Year all!

Category: Books, Craft, Geek | Comments Off on Fighting the Pern Plague
January 1

Crochet Lego Baby Blanket

As I recently finished up a knitting project – a Harry Potter Gryffindor scarf for a friend – I was surfing around looking for my next project. The Internets did not disappoint.

Andrea Baker of All Things Bright & Beautiful recently posted this awesome crochet Lego baby blanket that looks so do-able. I immediately pinned it to my “G33k” Pinterest board.

Lego baby blanket

The bobble stitch is fairly common on afghans, but I love how it mimics a Lego for a subtly geeky look.  Plus, this “set” of Legos would be so much more pleasant to step on in the dark.

Normally I tend to stay away from motif afghan projects because I find stitching all the pieces together to be a tedious chore. But I might be willing to overlook that for this project. In her blog post, Andrea mentions that she plans to write up the pattern she created and share it! I’ll be watching for that one! I wonder if my son might be interested in displaying this on his college dorm bed?

Links of Interest:

December 24

Twas Knitting Before Christmas

Twas Knitting Before Christmas

Twas knitting before Christmas, when all through the castle
Not a creature was stirring, not even a thestral.
The stockings were hung in the Great Hall with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The professors were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of butterbeers danced in their heads.
And Dumbledore dreaming of knitted socks,
And Hagrid of having cakes as hard as a rock.

When out on the staircase there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Past Filch and Mrs Norris who ran mad as hatters
To find that Professor Staarkatt had yarn and a pattern.

Fresh off the needles in various colors
Each pair just what the head of houses would order.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But miniature house scarfs to hang from your ears!

Burgundy and gold or green and silver
Other house color combinations so familiar
All it takes is needles in size zero
And a bit of perle cotton for your rows

“Now Hufflepuff! now, Gryffindor! Ravenclaw and Slytherin!
A wonderful way to finish your Hogwarts gift giving!
To the top of the towers! to the ends of the hall!
Now knit a pair! Knit two pair! Knit them for all!

As she posted the pattern, Professor Staarkatt did shout
“Make sure there’s a pair for McGonagall and Sprout!”
But I heard her exclaim, ‘ere she apparated out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all and just knit through the night!”

December 10

Ten Points to Gryffindor But Purses for All!

I mentioned in my introduction that you would be meeting some of the people who helped fire up my interest in ‘geek crafting’. One of the very first was my dear friend, Rosemary Waits, or Quietish as she is known on line. We first met on line in 2000 and lived over one thousand miles apart. As the fates would have it, I ended up moving only three and a half hours away from her and we would occasionally see each other in person.

 

It was Quietish who referred me to a couple of on line crafting groups for Harry Potter and, later , invited me to help her and another friend at an area event, Mugglefest. Two weeks before, she mentioned she was working on a Gryffindor scarf to wear that day. I barely could knit garter stitch at this time. There was no way I could create a scarf for myself in that time. Searching links, she sent me one for the sweater I mentioned last week and that was it.

 

There’s been many Harry Potter moments and crafts since there between us, and other friends, but one of my favorites is her HP House Fair Isle Pouch Bags which she shares here along with a link to her PDF pattern for all four houses found on Ravelry. With it’s flat style construction, the bag serves as a nice starting point for a knitter wanting to begin including pockets in their work. The pattern is a Fair Isle and is knitted in the round and includes a bit of basic crochet and some simple sewing to finish. The bags are lined and the pattern contains the graphs for all four house mascots.

If you’re not a member of Ravelry, membership is free and there are many patterns both free and for purchase available there.

 

August 15

Steampunk Cereal Box Hat

This is absolutely brilliant! It looks like real wood, doesn’t it? Can you believe mieljolie made this out of cereal boxes? She made this for the “Day of Wrong” at her Renaissance Fair, since she decided to go with a Steampunk theme. She covered the cereal box (the brim is one piece-family sized Frosted Flakes) in paper mache and tissue paper, the painted it. The long scarf was inspired by the TV show Deadwood. mieljolie said if she makes another one, she’ll try to make it open at the hinges. I can’t wait to try something like this myself!


Category: Craft, Geek, Girly | Comments Off on Steampunk Cereal Box Hat
August 10

Do you have Post-Potter Depression?

I know not everyone is a Harry Potter fan, but boy, I am. I loved HP 7.2, and have the $17.25 (!) IMAX 3D ticket receipt to show for it! I’ve read and re-read all the books over the last ten years and yes, even knitted a teeny-tiny Gryffindor scarf (the one in the picture). To celebrate/commemorate the end of the movie series, Chronicle Books is giving away a copy of my book, World of Geekcraft! They posted some pretty cute ideas for fans who are trying to cope with a post-Harry world. If you comment there adding your own suggestions by 8/11, you can win a copy of the book, and craft your own HP baby or toddler costume to introduce the next generation to the series…