Firstie Friday!

Time for another Firstie Friday, Ravenclaws! 

KansasJayHawk (Elle) 

How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Harry Potter. I don’t remember how I found the Cup but I do remember seeing a thread in Sunshine Yarnies and decided to take a look around.

What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why? My wackiest was a “Willy Warmer”. Our family does a crazy White Elephant game at Christmas. Since my mother-in-law runs the rules, the rules often change hourly and mean nothing. So my sister-in-law and I decided to go “no holds barred” from now on. She saw one on Amazon but it was cheap looking. I made this one look like a sweater and everything. Did you know there are a ton of patterns on Ravelry for Willy Warmers??

What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far? How do these things impact and change or encourage you? I love making new friends. I chose the Tower because I am a retired scientist in RL and noticed that it was by far the most appealing to my meticulous nature (I stole that from a Shawshank Redemption quote). I am encouraged to knit all year, not just in the fall and winter. It feels so good getting so much positive feedback from people. It’s addictive, actually.

What is on your crafting bucket list? A sweater. I have no idea how to make shoulders and arms/armholes.

What is currently on your needles? My OWL - the popular Celestarium star chart shawl.

  

Tanyakins

How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try? As you may or may not be aware, I am a super duper newbie when it comes to fibercraft, having only started crochet back in November 2016 and knitting in January 2017. I had joined Ravelry sometime last year since my good crocheting friend Kayla was on here, but I never really dabbled with it until I started learning the craft. It was at that point where she told me about HP RP groups, specifically ones that kept you motivated to keep rolling out projects over time. I was very excited! I love the world of Harry Potter, and I always value online communities that tie in with my interests. It was a no-brainer, so I dove right in as a NQFY in the Winter term.

What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why? 
Well, I don’t have TOO many projects since I am a beginner… so every project for me is wacky, because in my head, I’m like, “Is it too soon for me to be trying something like this?!” So maybe the project that I felt most out of my depth with, but actually turned out okay, was my first bunny amigurumi. My friend Kayla is big on amigurumi, so she was pleasantly surprised to see I was trying an amigurumi so early into my crochet journey. Needless to say, it was an adventure. Sewing in those facial features was a bit of a nightmare, LOL. But I like the way the bunny turned out. :) He’s now sitting on my bookshelf with other plushies.

What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far? How do these things impact and change or encourage you? I felt a little lost as a NQFY because I didn’t really have a ‘home’ outside of the NQFY/SOS Lounge, and wandering around all the different Houses made me feel a little uneasy. I was very happy to see I was placed in Ravenclaw, as I really enjoyed the organization and detail that we place in our submissions, having used the Class Tetris prompts to arrange my classes as a NQFY. However, the thing I love the most is the outpouring of support between everyone in the Tower. I place a lot of value in encouragement and comfort between people, and it means a lot to me personally since I still get very flustered with new garments and techniques when crafting. I am starting my First Socks Ever for my BROOM this month, and I wouldn’t have been so brave as to propose it if it weren’t for the wonderful backing I have from my Big Eagle, my Mama and Auntie Eagles, and all of my fellow firsties in our dorm.

What is on your crafting bucket list? There’s not too much in my library and queue right now, but in general, my main target in crafting right now is to learn cables and lace. The sheer quantity of beautiful projects that HPKCHC players churn out is inspiring, and I hope to match the quality of their work one day. :)

What is currently on your needles? Not too much right now; I am mainly working on a crochet baby blanket for a friend, which I am about 18-20 squares out of 49 into so far. I also have my LYS’ KAL Etched Rio Wrap in the works, although it’s going to be a long time before that one is complete. Other than that, I just need to finish off my Astra Gloves, which will undoubtedly be this month’s Detention.