Firstie Friday

As we wind down this term, it's time to meet the next Firstie! It's sheselectric!
 
How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try?
I’d seen the Cup around Ravelry for a while, and when I had the opportunity to play as a NQFY at the start of Winter ‘18 term, I thought I’d give it a whirl. The Cup provides excellent motivation for my least favorite crafting tasks: weaving in ends and sewing on buttons!

What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why?
The tumbling block vest, which was a mishmash of various inspirations--I used a pattern for the basic shape, scaled it to suit my own gauge and the size I was after, added the tumbling block pattern, knit it in the round instead of flat, and added my first steeks.


What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far? How do these things impact and change or encourage you?
I really like the dorm and big/little eagle systems. The smaller communities are great for keeping up progress on longer-term projects and encouraging turn-ins for smaller projects (e.g., Quidditch).

What is on your crafting bucket list?
Two-color brioche, Alice Starmore cable and colorwork patterns, and argyle socks knit in the round.

What is currently on your needles/hook?
Illumine (shawl), Love’s Promise (cardigan), and Barley (hat).



I hope you've enjoyed getting to know the Firsties this term. Soon they will be our rising second years! 

What's Happening This Week: June 25 - July 1

June deadlines:
Quidditch - Match 4 - until 6/25

Prefect's Challenge
Detention badge until 6/25

NEWT 75% until 6/30
OWLs 50% until 6/30
June Classes until 6/30

July deadlines: 
Flight of the First - 7/1 - 7/7
Quidditch Match 5 - 7/2 - 7/28

Order of the Phoenix - first missions accepted back 7/1 - 7/22
Prefect's Challenge - July blitz
Headmistress Challenge - until July 24
Detention badge until 7/25

NEWT 100% until 7/31
OWLs 100% until 7/31

Ongoing:

Great Hall Class and Detention Badges
Great Hall Advanced Studies, Quidditch and HMC badges
Remembrall Sign ups

Last Week in the Common Room: Crazy Pants Overachievers!

Why is there a word for pink but not light blue?
Killing plants, even lower maintenance ones
Fast knitters
Traveling for work and enjoying uninterrupted sleep and mealtimes
Presenting speeches
Misspellings on tests
Air Conditioning
Not being able to leave mistakes in your work and lace surgery
Over achieving crafters
Moreporks exist in real life and not just in Pratchett books
Activities at the library
Donating books to the library
Comfortable room temperatures 
utility bills/solar panels/crypto-currency
Cross stitching floss/storing floss
"X things by X birthday" challenge changed to include a bucket list and social things.
Baby gift ideas
Gothic Tradition class
Losing knitting mojo

Firstie Friday!

The next firstie is unravellingwith7!

How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try? 
I’m not sure how I found the cup… I think the cup chose me. I thought I must be with my people. I always knew I should have received my letter to Hogwarts but the owl must have gotten lost.


What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why? 
My most awesome project is a goat I crocheted for a friend. His name is Hopscotch. My friend is a Tennessee fainting goat owner. They are a disillusioned breed so I made her one that stood up. I crocheted most of it on a family trip to the Canadian maritimes.

What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far?
How do these things impact and change or encourage you?
So about the tower… I love how encouraging everyone is. I love my big Eagle (shout out to Bigsnakes!). I love to see what everyone is upto and new patterns and I’m becoming a faster knitter which is awesome because that means I can knit more things! What is on your crafting bucket list?
I have so many things on my bucket list:

A fading point shawl I suspect that will be my fall term owl
My Ginny cardigan that was almost my owl
A cabled sweater for my hubby
Some padraig slippers for all of us
And a sock yarn blanket
A granny square blanket for my daughter.

What is currently on your needles/hook?
On my needles currently.. too much my husband says

How to Tame Your Dragon socks from my failed sock madness qualifying round

Safiya that I played yarn chicken and lost 4 rows from finishing so waiting on some replacement wool (will be a detention at some point)

Find your fade (my owl)

Ainu (my mission)

And Jessica Jones cowl in the most heavenly wool, cashmere, silk… will be a class I think

And a half finished Twilight sparkle for my daughter…

What's Happening This Week: June 18 - 24

Quidditch - Match 4 - 6/11 - 6/25

Prefect's Challenge - June blitz - 6/24
Detention badge until 6/25

NEWT 75% until 6/30
OWLs 50% until 6/30
June Classes until 6/30

Ongoing:


Headmistress Challenge - until July 24
Order of the Phoenix - first missions accepted back 7/1 - 7/22
Great Hall Class and Detention Badges
Great Hall Advanced Studies, Quidditch and HMC badges
Remembrall Sign ups

Last Week in the Common Room: Funny Road Signs

Women in video games, RPGs, cons
Breaking negative thought patterns/PMS triggers
New computers
World Wide Knit in Public Day
Correcting knitting without ripping out the stitches or doing surgery
Making cakes and icecream/making party favors
Stitch Maynia or setting personal crafting goals
Flying gnomes
Rivalries
Doing what you want on your birthday
Troubleshooting sewing machines/recommendations on sewing machines/sewing thread
Common things for one person might be rare things for another
Choosing constellations/people who were left out
Changes in horoscopes
Grammar in songs and on signs/Funny signs
Correcting pets
Not so smart pets
New Zealand vacations
Book themed road names
Drive on beaches/beach vacations
Santa
Sunglasses
Containerized housing units
Teacher gifts

Stats Update: May Classes!

Stats Update

Hey Ravenclaws! Ready for some stats? Ravenclaw accumulated 15,752 points in the month of May! Way to go!


The most popular class was Muggle Studies, probably because it was our May Blitz class. Muggle Studies raked in 119 submissions! Next was Defense Against the Dark Arts with 94 completed projects and Detention with 90 finished WIPs! History of Magic had the next highest turn in rate at 74. Magical Law had 65 submissions, Potions had 59 entries, Arithmancy had 58 turn ins and Astronomy had 54 completed assignments.

The class bonuses averaged around 11 which is an excellent sized bonus. The highest bonuses were in History of Magic at 15.04, Potions at 13.61 and Charms at 13.21. 

Most Ravenclaws turned in one or two classes. This is a good thing and the backbone of our points comes from these amazing Ravenclaws. It seems, in true Ravenclaw fashion, that most people either went for 1 or 2 classes or went straight to 6 classes. Some industrious Ravenclaws went for 7 or 8 classes but we wouldn't be anywhere without our solid point earners in the middle.

Firstie Friday!

Time to meet our next Firstie! ThereSheGoes is next!
 
How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try?

I found HPKCHC by randomly searching through Ravelry. I’d been looking for some local groups to possibly meet up with and in the process stumbled across The Cup. I joined a few months ago and just perused a few posts, but once Sorting came around I knew I had to join in!

What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why?

Ooh, that’s a tough one! I’d say that my wackiest and most awesome project wasn’t a single item, but a series of them. When I got back into crocheting in my early 20s I was convinced that I hadn’t forgotten anything from my younger years and remembered everything I needed to know about stitching. I decided to make as many scarves as I could to donate to homeless shelters in my community, but it turns out I had no idea what I was doing. Slip stitches, single crochet, triple treble, who knows?! My edges were wonky, the fringe was too long, and I couldn’t even take a guess at what kind of stitch count I had going on, but I finished them. I had about 12-15 scarves to donate each November and did so for about five years straight. I’m glad I was able to give some cozy goodness to keep those in need warm, but it’s much more pleasing now that I have some sort of an idea of what I’m doing.

What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far?

Holy Mackerel! The birdies are so lovely, kind, welcoming and warm. I needed a bit of hand-holding after diving into the Cup and I got just that with a side of hugs and cookies <3

How do these things impact and change or encourage you?

I never want to feel like a quitter, but I am very easily overwhelmed. I missed the first week of classes due to a conflicting travel schedule, so when I came back to find that I’d been sorted and things were already well underway I had no idea how to catch up. Thankfully, my lovely Big Eagle and our Mama Eagle (along with some lovely classmates) lent helping wings to give me a quick crash course and if it hadn’t been for them I may have ended up wandering the halls for eternity without any yarn. Since then, I’ve been on a crafting rampage! Not a day has gone by that I haven’t had a hook or set of needles in my hand for a project. In fact, I have some ends to weave in now before I turn in my last homework assignment for the month!

What is on your crafting bucket list?

Number one on my crafting bucket list is to make a garment! With the encouragement of The Cup and The Tower (along with a yarn delivery via Owl Post) I’ll be starting a summer top for a June class!

Aside from that, I’d love, love, love to make a big scrappy blanket of all of my stashed yarn. It would be a dream to use up or donate everything I have on hand. Oh how satisfying that would be.

What is currently on your needles/hook?

I’ve currently got my first pair of knit socks just about done and even though they’re an absolute mess, I’m so glad to have started them. I also have a baby blanket I started crocheting last year as a gift and never finished (joining sucks the life out of me!) so I’d like to get that off of my hook before the little one turns 45. The Headmistress’ Challenge is my main motivator and I WILL get it done.

(Editor's Note: Here are some projects that ThereSheGoes has finished recently including her first pair of knit socks!)

A Strong Second!

The third round of the Quidditch World Cup was especially exciting. With only ten days to craft and score a project reflecting the geography of one of the remaining national teams, all four Houses turned out to the pitch with their best shots. While participation within the Houses dropped overall for this match, Ravenclaw only had a modest 20% participation rate this time, reflective of the rest of the Houses as well, the quality of the goals was breathtaking and made for a nailbiting finish.

Hufflepuff ended up potting more goals than the rest of the Houses, but only barely squeaking past Gryffindor. Five goals separated Hufflepuff from Ravenclaw and Slytherin, the Houses tied for the least amount. However, since bonus points were in play, it came down to the referees' decision and some tense moments waiting for the final scores to be announced. Gryffindor ended up securing the victory with a well-played 1733 points, but the Tower was only a mere 38 points behind them in second place, and Hufflepuff 35 points behind that, with Slytherin pulling up the rear. Quite the match, to be sure!

That round has definitely narrowed the margin Ravenclaw had built with their victories in the first two World Cup rounds! Round four, the Quarterfinals, is currently underway, with a HUGE 25 base points available. 25 points for something small or large that an Eagle could tie in with a traditional art or culture of one of the remaining countries! With all bonus points in play after that! Studying cultures and crafting, it's so Ravenclaw!

Congrats on an excellent showing for Match 3, and good luck in the current match, Towermates!

What's Happening This Week: June 11 - 17

Quidditch - Match 4 - 6/11 - 6/25

Prefect's Challenge - June blitz - 6/24
Detention badge until 6/25

NEWT 75% until 6/30
OWLs 50% until 6/30
June Classes until 6/30

Ongoing:


Headmistress Challenge - until July 24
Order of the Phoenix - first missions accepted back 7/1 - 7/22
Great Hall Class and Detention Badges
Great Hall Advanced Studies, Quidditch and HMC badges
Remembrall Sign ups

Last Week in the Common Room: Avalanche of Happy Things

Stash sorting leads to startitis
Things that get in the way of knitting
Driving games/driving with knitters is boring?
Patterns with many mistakes that are hard to follow/a different way of charting
Cough drops
Earphones
"Someplace safe"/organizing things with spreadsheets
National Cheese Day
National parks/passes
Pea milk
Sinus headache remedies
Exercise goals
Eating cold food 
"Cuddle puddle"/"magnetic ducklings"
Beer and puppies but some people don't want the beer
Forgetting children's names
Thinking children are twins when they're not
Cats don't always like to be hugged
Impulse buying animals
TdS/TdF
Going on vacation without supplies
Introduction to instruments with children
Appliances that sing when they are finished with their jobs
Car trips with children
Nancy Drew vs Hardy Boys
Listening to audiobooks/audiobook length/long books
Class rank or schools that didn't use class rank
Training service puppies and using prisoners to train service dogs
Doing other things like reading or knitting while exercising
Berries
Knit worthy and not knit worthy people
humidity and arthritis 
Sock Madness finalists
Tips for blood sugar testing
Size of bugs/blood/medical problems can be exaggerated with panic

Firstie Friday!

Next up, it's time to meet our next Firstie, inkkuli!

How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try? 
 
I already knew about the Cup for some time thanks to a good friend of mine here on Ravelry LASH (Lee) whom I got to know years ago through another group of a much beloved American Indy dyer (who has moved on to other things). I have on occasion peaked into the Cup. Then I decided to join the Tower, so I could be a lurker there and read along when I felt like it. One thing led to another and here I am.

What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why?

Wackiest must definitely be my “Arya Shawl”, as at some stage I apparently went off track and had to keep adjusting the number of stitches, good grief! 

And most awesome one is definitely “My old blue jeans in the orient” my first two colour brioche project that I made in a record time of 12 days and still gives me lot of pleasure to wear when it is the season. 

What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far?

The support people give to each other here. Might it be in the CR for encouraging for a project or something personal or in the Candle thread. I find that amazing. In my work I have to deal sometimes with a lot of personal problems as well and I know I am somebody people come to for support. Even if I cannot do anything, then I am just the “Ear” to talk to or “the shoulder to cry on”. Not always easy. And this has been a bit like this all my life and I have no clue way.

How do these things impact and change or encourage you?

It will encourage me to try new things that I have not dared to do so far.

What is on your crafting bucket list?

To be able to knit a one-piece pullover (like I dared to make an OWL proposal and I am already behind schedule). 

What is currently on your needles/hook?

I am knitting my little fingers off for the 2nd quidditch match (so the OWL is on the back burner) as well as I am trying to make something for the upcoming Ravenclaw Blitz this Thursday (the OWL gets further shoved on the back burner followed by the quidditch project).

Convocation

 The Return of Convocation!

The Tower is buzzing about the return of Convocation, a Ravenclaw tradition that hasn’t been practiced since the last Spring term. Convocation is a guided game within the game, allowing Ravenclaws, Not-Quite-First-Years, and Students on Sabbatical to earn chapters of a story as they pass points milestones during the term.

“This term, Auntie Eagle MeshaMarie has felt the call of Convocation, and she has taken on the mantle of Convocation Conjurer. Intrepid Spreadsheet Assistant freemiki will be her Intrepid Convocation Assistant. They invite you to join them on a journey of Ravenclaw discovery this Spring term!”

What's Happening This Week: June 4 -10

Quidditch - Match 3 - 5/26 - 6/4 
Flight of the First until 6/7
Prefect's Challenge - June blitz - 6/24
Detention badge until 6/25

NEWT 75% until 6/30
OWLs 50% until 6/30
June Classes until 6/30

Ongoing:


Headmistress Challenge - until July 24
Order of the Phoenix - first missions accepted back 7/1 - 7/22
Great Hall Class and Detention Badges
Great Hall Advanced Studies, Quidditch and HMC badges
Remembrall Sign ups

Last Week in the Common Room: Tea!

Sewing in space
Road trip feature on ravelry
Embroidery pens
OWL complications ... there are many
Motorsports/Family traditions/remembering loved ones
Short haircuts and bad haircuts
Detention, FotF and the beginning of various challenges over the years
Competitive Ravenclaws like badges
Horses, herd behavior, making a mess or fertilizing?
Drought/fire danger in one place and flooding in another
Coffee makers in hotels
Running in a marathon vs helping out with a marathon
Helping out with a marathon (running) vs helping out with a marathon (video game charity drive)
Characters dressing up as other characters for Halloween
Memorial Day in the US
A good vacuum and filters are keys to success when you have allergies/asthma
Live streams
Electric tea kettles/US kettles less efficient?
Tea vs coffee in the US
Old dishes/hand me downs
Spelling bee
Most difficult language to spell in
Many ways to make teas
Tea and lemonade mixes/tang
Breaking dishes and other strange phobias
Ticks/insect repellent/natural remedies
Geocaching
Different eating speeds
Peppermint
Beginning patterns
Roommates
Scars

Fly the W!

Ravenclaw has soared once again and captured the win for Match 2! A whopping 94 'Claws hit the pitch for this match - that's over half the House again, second match in a row! - and scored a grand total of 1,753 points to maintain their lead among the House Quidditch teams.

This match was a fast one, and Chasers had to choose a flag to represent from one of the remaining sixteen countries in the Quidditch World Cup. Tower denizens, once again showing their diversity, managed to represent every one of the sixteen countries at least once.

Way to soar, Eagles! Match 3 is quickly drawing to a close, and we've already had almost thirty goals! Hufflepuff is making a surge, though - I think they want this match! Craft like the wind!

Firstie Friday!

The next Firstie needs no introduction. I'm sure most people would be surprised to learn that she is (still) a Firstie! Meet wieberike!

How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try?
I must have stumbled across the Cup somewhere on ravelry a few years back. This was actually my 3rd attempt to become a member, the first few times I lost track pretty fast. This time I seem to be stuck for good.
At first what attracted me most was the motivation to finish projects, this time I definitely joined because I love the community.
 
What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why? 
 
Hmm, I craft so many different projects. Maybe what felt the wackiest was the big granny square blanket I crocheted for my best friend. It wasn´t difficult, but just felt very big. Here is a modeled picture of it:

Also I still quite like this guy for how his facial expression came out:


What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far? How do these things impact and change or encourage you?
I didn´t get to explore the whole Tower, yet. What I love most so far clearly is our dorm. It is uplifting and encouraging (thank you to all my fellow Firsties, there!) Already now I have been motivated to try (or take up again) new crafts and techniques. And to keep knitting on my OWL!

What is on your crafting bucket list?
The bucket list being what I would new things I´d like to do, next?
This summer I want to explore linen and silk and other summer yarns. I want to learn how to weave properly and I would love to get comfortable with my knitting machine my mother gave me a couple years, ago.

What is currently on your needles/hook?
As my fellow dormies already know, this is a dangerous question to ask me because I could go on and on about it. I always have a pile of projects I´m working on and I like it that way. The one I am working on most, at the moment, and hope to finish, soon, is the Kodikas shawl