HLBOES - My Wand

Our professor for Charms has asked us all to share a little bit about our wands. So here is a picture of mine, which you can click on to see an enlarged version which shows the detailing much more clearly. The core of my wand is a dragon heartstring from the Chinese Fireball, and it is is wrapped in strands of pure gold, mined in Otago. Etched into the wood of my wand in Chinese is the old saying "never tickle a sleeping dragon", which is known to many because it was taken up as the school motto at Hogwarts. The wood comes from a Chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach), which may be why this wand chose me as it flowers in early April which is when I was born, and it bears purple blossoms, my favourite colour. Unfortunately I haven't had time to make a holder for my wand yet, as I am frantically preparing for a family camping trip, speaking of which I have yet to pack - must dash...!!!

Summer Camp Game #6

Our dear headmistress has set us all guessing at the potions that she keeps in her trunk. There are six altogether, and she is giving out clues. Unfortunately I will be missing most of these, but happily the reason is that Mr Wychwood has finally managed to track me down and reverse the effects of the rejuvenation and displacement potion I had inadvertantly drunk. To celebrate our reunion, we are taking our wee witch and wizard on a family camping trip. Anyway, here are my suggestions for the potions Winnie carries around: 1. Draught of Peace (worked this out from the clue on her blog) 2. Mandrake Restorative Draught (worked this out from the clue in Ravelry) 3. Felix Felicis 4. Blood Replenishing Potion 5. Calming Draught 6. Mrs Scowers Magical Mess Remover And that's it from me until after our vacation which I now have to go and pack for, must dash...!!!

Parcel From Ambyr

Squee!!! I got my HSKS8 package today!!! Less than a week since Ambyr said she had sent her owl, which is superfast for all the way across the big pond. The poor bird was exhausted, but soon perked up with the help of some owl treats and a refreshing drink. Of course all the time I was attending to the owl I really wanted to be opening the parcel! And when I did I was even more excited at all the individually wrapped goodies inside begging me to tear off the wrappings. I wanted to share that exciting moment though, so I took a picture of all the parcels that were inside the box... Ambyr had done a marvellous job on wrapping and labelling, from which I could see that she had sent me gifts for 3 classes - Herbology, Astronomy and Charms. Without further ado I began to unknot string and tear of tissue. The first parcel I opened was the mysterious unlabelled one, which had a label inside saying that these two adorable lavender owlets needed a good home. Well luckily we have an owlery already for QQ and his babies, and my children were thrilled to have some more playmates for them! I started munching on the scrummy liquorice, and then opened the Charms workshop, which contained these simply gorgeous stitchmarkers. I think Ambyr must have made them because there is a HSKS8 marker along with the 5 other really pretty ones. They are perfect. After this I opened the Astronomy workshops. There is a set of Knitpicks double pointed crochet hooks which were on my wishlist (thank you Ambyr!), along with some simply divine blue Knitpicks palette yarn. Last of all, which I had been building up to because it was clearly the main parcel being wrapped in a fantastic gold damask bag, I opened the Herbology workshop. The bag was fastened with lovely wooden buttons and ribbon loops - Ambyr is a very clever crafty witch! Inside it was the most gorgeous Melody superwash 100% wool in a splendid combination of blue with accents of purple and green - totally scrumptious. Along with this was a lovely scarf pattern - "Spring Garden", which will be stunning in this yarn. I adore this workshop! Thank you, thank you, thank you Ambyr for this truly wonderful package, I can't stop admiring it! You have done yourself proud, I can't believe this is your first swap! Now to see if I have the right needles for the scarf, must dash...!!!

Summer Camp Game #5 Part 2

It's been great fun getting the photos together for the second part of this week's game. My token in each picture is a lion's head in Gryffindor colours. Here are the pictures with a little explanation behind them... 1. Animagus. My youngest, showing early ability with his other form, a duck. 2. Daily Prophet. Front cover of a version we print for Muggle use. 3. Bowtruckle. Our resident friend having some fun on the kid's slide. 4. Extendable Ear Hurray for the kids' modelling clay accessories! 5. Radish Earrings Thanks to Hermione and Poppy for making these little beauties. 6. Forbidden Forest In my back garden! 7. Golden Cherub An ornament Mr Wychwood bought for me whilst in Italy many years ago 8. Thestral My daughter in the horse outfit I made for her Xmas production plus some wings! 9. High Inquisitor My son looking appropriately serious for his judgemental role 10. Educational Decree Instructions concerning homework from my children's school. Now that's done I have to sort out some tea for the children, with treats to reward them for their assistance with this. Must dash...!!

Summer Camp Game #5 Part 1

Well I put my thinking cap on for this one, and got the answers in the end. It was great fun, well done to our camp staff... SYLLABLE LIST A / AL / AN / BID / BLE / BOW / CA / CHER / CREE / DAI / DE / DEN / DEN / EAR / EAR / ED / EST / ET / EX / FOR / FOR / GOL / GUS / HIGH / I / IN / ISH / LE / LY / MA / PROPH / QUI / RAD / RINGS / SI / TEND / THES / TION / TOR / TRAL / TRUCK / U / UB 1. Man or mouse? (4) ANIMAGUS 2. Start spreading the news (4) DAILY PROPHET 3. Stick Tree Guardian (3) BOWTRUCKLE 4. Telescoping eavesdropper (5) EXTENDABLE EAR 5. Brassicaceae danglers (4) RADISH EARRINGS 6. Prohibited Ggowth of trees (5) FORBIDDEN FOREST 7. Metallic rosy-faced child with wings (4) GOLDEN CHERUB 8. Fleshless black-winged skeleton (2) THESTRAL 9. Lofty philosopher (5) HIGH INQUISITOR 10. Instructive Order (7) EDUCATIONAL DECREE Now I just need to get planning for Part #2, must dash...!!!

Summer Camp Game #4

It's been a fun week at camp, with all the campers searching around for golden eggs hidden by our cabin counsellors and their minions. I've actually managed to find a few and am feeling pretty good about that, as I usually suck at this sort of game!

The weeks are flying by, I do hope that the magical reversal squad are doing their best to bring me back to my normal age and time, these teenage angst hormones are really beginning to irritate me, and if Bridget the Bloodthirsty snores again tonight I may just have to give her cause to thirst for more blood!

I have been doing my best to unwind by knitting, and this week have managed to complete a Gryffindor tie, lavender wardrobe hanger, gold coin purse, and am now getting on with another preemie hat for SPEW.



Pictures of the hat will be forthcoming once it is complete, so I really should get on with it, must dash...!!!

Summer Camp Game #3

There was a boggart lurking outside my home this morning, in the form of a Grim. Shudder!!! Anyway, I managed to rustle up the Riddikulus charm... I was laughing so much that I nearly had an accident myself! Anyway, I doubt that this one will try taking up residence on my patch again. In other news I have been getting on with the Summer Camp workshop package for my spoilee Salamandra Grindelwald. I'm mostly done with the main handmade item, just a few finishing touches, speaking of which, I must dash...!!!

Summer Camp Game #2, Part #2

More fun, a very clever extension to the game I posted earlier. We had to work out a qoute using letters from the anagrams we had unscrambled. Here is the quote I worked it out to be: "WHEN IN DOUBT GO TO THE LIBRARY" Was it … Gilderoy Lockhart Hermione Granger Ronald Weasley Severus Snape I went for the obvious one, Hermione Granger, but it turns out it was actually Ron Weasley that said this, can you believe it?! That took some working out, and I'm shattered now and on my way to bed, must dash...!!!

Witch & Wizardly Wisecracks

I was very honoured today to receive an envelope from across the water. It came addressed from Bevin Rae Mooney no less, Assistant Camp Director for HSKS Summer Camp. I was alerted to the likely nature of the contents by the logo on the front "Witch & Wizardly Wisecracks", so I opened it expecting something wonderfully quirky, and was not disappointed! Can you believe she has sent me a set of double pointed needles made in the extremely exotic cocobolo wood! This wood has magical qualities, indeed the needles packet was charred so I suspect that Bevin had used the incendio charm whilst in proximity to the sealed envelope. The needles are size 0.75, intended for distinguished knitters like myself, and were a custom order made especially for me in Gryffindor colours. They took a little getting used to, as they are just 2.5 inches long. But being a clever witch I have mastered them quickly, and here you see them in use for a mini-sock... She also sent a lovely knitting pattern for a "Pull Mystere" which looks great. I will have to get it translated before I can get started though, as the pattern is written in French! Along with this was a very neat little swirl paperclip and a fabulous sticker from Whimsic Alley, labelling me as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Here is a picture of all the envelope contents together... Now to announce this wonderful surprise in Ravelry, must dash...!!!