Recipe for Success: OWL!

Have you heard? Of all the things in HPKCHC the O.W.L. exams earn the most points! Do you want to try an O.W.L. but don’t know where to start? Here you will find all the ingredients necessary that, when mixed correctly, will yield a successful O.W.L project. I encourage everyone to go for an O.W.L., which includes first years! Dream big, dream crazy, dream wonderful, dream in O.W.L.s!

The Plan

3 cups Thyme

½ c - infinity Challenge

2 tsp Anti-boredom Lemon Juice

2 ¾ cups Materials (yarn, needles, stitch markers, pattern, etc)

Dash, splash, or bucket of Creativity

First you must make sure that the project in question is lengthy enough to take approximately two and half months to complete. However, it is equally important to make sure that the project is not so large that there won’t be time to finish it. There should be a dimension of challenge, but how much difficulty is really up to you and what you like to knit.

Here is where you should mix in the anti-boredom lemon juice, to make sure that, if you take on a larger afghan, you won’t get so bored with it that you find yourself in the common room eating toasty marshmallows rather than working on the thing.

Fold in with the mixture materials and creativity. Compare against the O.W.L.s descriptions. Which O.W.L. interests you creatively, that you have materials for, gives you a challenge, you have enough but not too much thyme to make, and won’t get bored?

Some ‘Claws really like this stage of the O.W.L. They like to plan. They make calculations based on how long it takes them to do a pattern repeat to figure out how long the whole project will take. Then they figure out how much they need to knit each day to finish the project in time. You can do this if you want, but it is not necessary!

Your Plan is complete!

The Proposal

2 bowls of Swatches

(1 Ruler)

1 – 3 squares of Pictures

10 – however many Words in prose or poetry

Good thing we went and made a Plan first, it makes the proposal so much easier! Every project requires a swatch, so now is the time to do that. The examiners like to see that you tried different needle sizes, and it is a good thing to do anyway! Use the Ruler to check your gauge, if necessary.

Gather your swatches and all you materials (you have them from mixing the plan, right?) and take pictures. Write a description that includes your name and house, which Exam you will be sitting, what project you will be making, any challenges you may face or techniques new to you, and a description of all materials you will use.

Post in the O.W.L. thread with your pictures and description. The examiners are very nice! Do not be afraid, if anything is amiss in your proposal they will help you correct it. They are here for you!

The Knitting

7+ cups of Coffee (or tea, or hot cocoa)

The Tower and O.W.L. help thread

Once your proposal is approved it is time to get knitting! If you hit any snags or get bored because you forgot the anti-boredom lemon juice pop on into the Tower or O.W.L. Help and tell us all about it. We love to help one another out!

Soar!