HPKCHC : July Classes (S15) - Throwback

I didn't have time with all my projects to showcase what I turned in for classes last July, so here's the quick round-up:

Charms:

I dyed yarn with Kool-Aid, again!

 

Care of Magical Creatures:

Fluttershy, from My Little Pony.

Defense Against the Dark Arts:

I turned in a partial Twilight Sparkle pony plush.

Divination:

A hobbit hole pillow, one of the Facebook Art Trades for 2015.

History of Magic:

A crocheted headband in the style of a fresco.

Muggle Studies:

A slightly different headband; I liked putting a hair elastic in to make it adjustable.

Potions:

One of my first semi-fitted garments!

This one has a bit of a story; I participated in a yardage challenge for the Spring term, and as the deadline of July bore down on us, we knew we weren't going to have enough yardage to meet our total team goal in Tour de Puff (HPKCHC).  

So I got out a bunch of yarn remnants and threw this thing together for 800 yards of cuddly goodness.  That topped my yardage total for the entire term (May, June, and July) at 8500 yards.  That's 4.8 miles of yarn!

I call it a 'thneed', in case you were wondering.

(You were totally wondering.  Admit it.)

Transfiguration:

Nothing crazy here; I had to try a new yarn and this was what I did.

Detention:

The oops-too-big Minecraft cake pillow for my brother...only ten months late.

I had to haul this thing home on an airplane, and the only thing I had to pack it in was a white garbage bag.  I looked really weird going through security, let me tell you!

Quidditch Match 4:

I love these little guys; this was my first, but not my last!

Headmistress Challenge 1 & 2:

A scarf for my husband's manager at Publix.

I'd been dying to try out a rabbit pattern!

Only issue: not sewing the ears on high enough.

Phew!

I was ready for a break after the Spring 2015 of the HPKCHC!  Next post I'll show off my finished Order of the Phoenix Mission (BROOM) and my finished Potions OWL!

Until then; craft on!

HPKCHC : June Classes (S15)

Good morning, all!  

It was a terrifically busy month for me, as I participated not only in the SFAC (previously posted here), but also the TLT (the Doctor Who challenge), and of course the HPKCHC.

For those of you just joining us, the Harry Potter Knitting and Crochet House Cup is a fiber-crafting challenge game primarily for crocheters, dyers, knitters, and spinners.

I was able to turn in six classes and Detention this month:

Charms:  For your assignment this month you are to craft something that is light and airy.

From a free pattern on Ravelry, Butterfly Grace.

Professors, nothing is quite so light and airy as a butterfly. Well, I was out on a walk towards Hagrid’s when I spotted something colorful down by the lake. Sometimes if you can bring an interesting specimen to the CoMC professors, they might give you a bonus point or two…and of course I love bonus points! So I took out my wand and cast the nettius totalum spell in order to snare one or two of whatever it was I saw.

As I got closer, I saw that it wasn’t just a couple of creatures, it was one of every color! They were prismatic papillons, so named because they were first discovered by a French wizard by the name of Claude Montiderrie. I knew then that I didn’t want to catch them at all, since they are extremely rare and fragile magical creatures. So instead I used an image capture charm and decided to share the pictures here with you!

Thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy parchment, professors. Have a colorful day!

Care of Magical Creatures: “Breed” two projects together to make a new one! Let your creativity loose and master breeding. Then tell us all about your experience. This is extra credit stuff, this is. Generous bonus points for successfully breeding two different projects into a new one.

Professors, before I became a first-year student at Hogwarts, I delighted in many various and sundry other crafts, particularly to please my loving husband. He is a Muggle, and has a large collection of video games, most of which I know nothing about. For Christmas a few years ago, I crafted him a lovely sweatshirt featuring the distinct white and red striped pattern on the right sleeve only.

It wasn’t until a year or two later that I found an Etsy listing with a similar pattern (what will these Muggles and their ‘winter-net’ come up with next!). I immediately knew that I wanted to try and make something similar…but more accurate (and of course with magical properties of protection).

Thus I located the Kisses Fingerless Mitts pattern, and set out to modify it not only to include the same distinctive striping, but to add gussets to fit it to my own arms, and also to provide additional magical protection from the cold.

I can safely declare my breeding experiment a success! I hope you are as pleased with the results as I am!

 Shout out to my Mass Effect peeps!

Defense Against the Dark Arts: “Students,” Professor kims announces, “your assignment is to craft an object based on something you saw inside Borgin and Burkes. It may be a literal interpretation such as spinning a replica of a hangman’s rope or crocheting curtains similar to those from Tom Riddle’s boyhood home. But you may also craft something in the spirit of the artifact mimicking the color, texture, or shape.”

When I was poking about in the back of the store, professors, I came across a section of neatly-displayed table decorations, as if for a party. The tiny card with the linens indicated that these might be ‘cursed Muggle objects’--something the Ministry of Magic takes very seriously.

In particular, there was a set of coasters, and they appeared to be watching me from beneath the crystal stemware perched on top of them. I picked up one of the goblets to get a better look at the white, eye-like decorations that resembled half-moons (or half-closed eyes) and suddenly I found myself becoming very apathetic.

I didn’t care about the field trip anymore. I was unimpressed by the other things in the store, or even the thought of stopping by Fortescue’s later. I simply didn’t care.

It wasn’t until we returned to Hogwarts that the effects of the spell seemed to fade and I became myself again. I know because they were serving tuna for lunch and you haven’t seen me get excited until you’ve seen me around tuna fish. (No cat jokes, please, professors.)

Thus, for my homework I have chosen to represent the set of four table coasters as I saw them, and I now include a hearty warning for those that might drink from the glasses perched upon them. I believe they will cause (from left to right): shock, anger, apathy, and doubt.

Thank you for your time!

Divination:  Craft a representation of the Tarot Star card. You may depict the literal images you see in the card: the star, water or the woman, or you may interpret the meaning of the card: renewal, the bounty of spring, health and healing.

Professors, I have found that one of the equalizers between Muggles and the wizarding community is the need for sleep and revival of one’s energy. While there are spells that allow wizards and witches to stay awake longer, ultimately all will succumb to the need for sleep eventually.

 To that end, I have crafted upon request for a friend who attends Durmstrang a magical, restorative mask. While Durmstrang is (I’m sure) another wonderful magic school, they have a much more grueling physical aspect to their classes, and as a first year himself, he often finds himself in need of restorative slumber in order to renew his energy and be ready for his classes the next day.

Thank you for your time, professors!

Potions:  Your homework for this month is to study the effects of this potion by crafting something relaxing or soothing, or something to keep you sane.

Professors, this month I have been working hard to finish a trio of three ponies to send to my fairy goddaughters:

I didn’t meet my deadline for the purple pony on the end, and this month I worked very hard to start and finish the larger, white unicorn in the middle. With the help of Lepida (and my color printer) I was able to keep myself sane by using a new way to attach eyes and cutie marks to these pony models. I’m so happy (and now so relaxed because everything is done!) and now I will be able to rest and recoup a little bit before the new month begins!

(In all seriousness, I now only have 2 WIPs left; at the beginning of the term I must have had at least 8!)

If you’ll excuse me, I think I hear the blanket fort in the Den calling me…I’m officially taking the next two days off from crafting!

Transfiguration:  Professor Loneilteaches smiles and says, “For this month’s homework, we are asking you to transform your crafting self by practicing a new craft or technique or one that is less familiar to you.”

Professors, I have always admired universal instructions for wizarding things: potions, wandwork, etc. I’ve wished that I was able to understand the charts and graphs with relative ease.

This month, I chose to try my hand at interpreting a charted stitch guide and expand it into a brand new book cover, to protect my journal. I am very pleased with the results, and I even showed my appreciation by enchanting a Stardust Butterfly to decorate the cover.

Thank you for your time, professors!

Detention:  Hufflepuff was challenged to yarn-bomb again on June 1st, so a hexipuff was all I had time to do:

July promises to be even crazier than May and June put together!  I need to:

• Finish my Potions OWL (King PauseUnpause plushie)
• Finish my Order of the Phoenix Mission (4 stuffed monkeys)
• Craft Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle (for a commission due in August)
• Try to keep my head on straight!

This is the final push to the end of the HPKCHC term, and I want to make it a good one.  Craft on!

Deadpool Coasters Pattern

I bet you guys had no idea that I like to make gifts for people instead of buying them.

What's with the crickets?

Oh, you totally knew, right?

Mike the coworker's birthday was last week, and as a guy, he can be notoriously difficult to craft for.  He's a gamer/comic book/expensive nerd, and I do not have any kind of background in comics or related topics whatsoever.  Even the Panda/DH isn't as big of comic geek as Mike the coworker.

But.

We went over for a dinner and game night at the beginning of the month, and we took a deck-building game called Legendary with us.  The Panda and I have played together a couple of times, but never with four people.

Quick background on Legendary: it's a card game based on the Marvel comic universe, comprised of many little mini-decks that you mix together to create unique games every time.  So you select your superhero team (in this case, we had Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Deadpool, and a fifth person...maybe Nick Fury?) and shuffle their little decks together to make one large Hero Deck.

Then you also select a super-villain (such as Red Skull, Magneto, etc.) and some minion decks (Hydra minions, for example).  The minion decks are shuffled together, and then are drawn from at the beginning of each person's turn.  The super-villain sits in his own special place on the board and it's your job as a team to take him and all the minions down without letting too many of them escape.

Anyway...

I had forgotten for a split-second that Mike the coworker is a huge Deadpool fan.  When we started playing, it was clear that the only hero cards he was going to pick up were Deadpool.

Knowing next to nothing about Deadpool (except that he's apparently a very meta character who marches to the beat of no man's drum), and finding no quick and easy patterns, I thought about the simple, icon-like pictures I'd seen:

And of course, thought to myself:  "That would make a great coaster."

So without further delay: 

Deadpool Coasters

Supplies

• 80 yards black worsted weight yarn (set of four coasters)
• small amount of red worsted weight yarn
• 3.75mm (F) hook
• scissors
• yarn needle
• white fabric paint
• Optional: meta-humor

Instructions

This pattern is done in joined rounds, not continuous rounds.

Begin with black yarn.

Rnd 1:  Ch 3 (counts as first hdc).  Hdc 7 in first ch.  Join to initial ch with a sl st. (8 hdc)

Note:  I like to place a stitch marker on my ch 2's, so they're easier to identify.

Rnd 2:  Ch 2 (counts as first hdc here and throughout pattern). Hdc once in same st as ch.  2 hdc in each st. Join to initial ch 2 with sl st. (16)

Rnd 3:  Ch 2, hdc in same st.  Hdc in next st.  (Inc in next, 1 hdc) 7 times.  Join with sl st. (24)

Rnd 4:  Ch 2, hdc in same.  Hdc in next 2 st.  (Inc in next,  hdc in next 2 st) 7 times.  Join with sl st. (32)

Rnd 5:  Ch 2, hdc in same.  Hdc in next 3 st.  (Inc in next, hdc in next 3 st) 7 times.  Join with sl st. (40)

Rnd 6:  Ch 2, hdc in same.  Hdc in next 4 st.  (Inc in next, hdc in next 4 st) 7 times. (48)

Do Not Join Yet.

Color change:  Pick up your red yarn, leaving an initial tail long enough to easily weave in later.  Draw a loop through your ch 2 and final hdc, completing the joining sl st with your new color.  Cut your black yarn, leaving a tail long enough to weave in.

Note:  In the picture below, the two center coasters have one type of border (sl st in FLO) where red striping is visible on the coaster sides.  The ones on either end do not (sl st through both loops).  Your choice!

Continue with red yarn.

Chain 16.  

Stretch your chain across the width of your coaster.  Sl st into the hdc on the opposite side (see note above about FLO versus both loops).

Note:  When crossing the initial st where you attached the red yarn, sl st over it as normal.

Continue to sl st loosely (otherwise the coaster will curl at the edges) in each st around. (48)

Do Not Join Yet.  We are going to do an Invisible Join.

Ready?  Watch this video from Planet June.  (Jump to 1:16 to skip to the tutorial you need.)

Planet June/June Gilbanks is awesome!

Go support her and her fabulous tutorials on her website.

After that, you're ready to weave in ends!

Use white fabric paint to do the eyes for the coasters. (Why fabric paint?  Because it washes well if beverages spill on the coasters.)

These are the eyes I painted:

And I'm sure that he has many more expressions, too!

Hope you enjoy the pattern, and of course as Deadpool is owned by Marvel/Disney, please do not sell anything made from this pattern.  (Because who wants to be on the wrong side of a Disney lawsuit?)

Craft on!

Better be...Hufflepuff!

I started participating in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup (HPKCHC) on Ravelry at the beginning of February, which I've shared all throughout my blog posts.  Mid-April, I had the chance to sign up for a chance to be sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses.

Full of trepidation about actually having to leave my other NQFY friends, I told Sir Hat (the Sorting Hat, which was a Google Form) all about my fears.  I'm sure he listened quite patiently.  Upon submitting my application, I received the following:

And then the long waiting process for the actual sorting post began.  The HPKCHC provides many other activities to do in month wait between sessions, but as I was tied up with SFAC and TLT projects, I didn't participate in any of them.

On April 29th, a tizzy swept through the NQFY lounge when Sir Hat and many of the moderators for the group came online.  I was sitting at home with the Panda when I received an earburn (a direct summons via link) to the Sorting Hat Thread.

My heart may have stopped.  I'm still not sure.

And here is what Mr. Hat said:

The names of myself and some other fellow Hufflepuff firsties!

I was beyond excited!  I wasn't sure I was eligible to be sorted at all and even then I got my first choice!

I made some new 'robes' (my profile picture) to celebrate:

And was also notified that within Hufflepuff House (the Den) I had been sub-sorted into a cete (a group of badgers): the Asian Badger cete.  Everybody there was very welcoming, and I further met another Legend of Zelda enthusiast there, Aptenoknits, as well as being put with Piglottie, a closer NQFY friend.

Then it was time to get myself oriented for the new term!  There are so many more things to participate in intra-house.  Let me list what I can remember...there's a lot!

Basic Classes - These change every term.  This term the eight classes are:

Care of Magical Creatures

Charms

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Divination

History of Magic

Muggle Studies

Potions

Transfiguration

And of course, there's always Detention.

Quidditch Matches - There are usually four, spread over the three-month term.

Match 1 - Make a Shopping List

Match 2 - Stop for a Treat

Match 3 - Window Shopping

Match 4 - Spiff Up your Newly Purchased Secondhand Broom

Puffopoly - A Hufflepuff-only version of Monopoly.

You score points (move along the board) based on turning in classes, participating in Quidditch and other challenges, etc.  There are also bonus points awarded for high yardage, your speed, etc.

This term, we are playing at Malfoy Manor:

Every space you pass, you build a structure.

Sheds are for your first time around the board.

Houses are second, and bungalows third.

Some players choose to turn in their moves throughout the term, as their classes are graded, they score quidditch goals, etc.  I decided I'd rather make a tracking post at the beginning of the term, and then turn in all my points at once.  I can't wait to see how far I get around the board!  (Currently, I am at Durmstrang, in the orange section.)

Tour de Puff -  based on Tour de France, a team-based challenge put together by the Head Girl

ChellBelle is Hufflepuff's head girl, and she developed a unique challenge for us to participate in, featuring different kinds of jerseys, which meant different types of goals.  The choices:

Peloton (yellow jersey) - 450 pts average per student.

Climber (polka dot jersey) - Team yardage goal.

Sprinter (green jersey) - Team points goal.

Rookie (white jersey) - Badger trails (individualized goals)

Breakaway - Ride solo

Participants can choose up to two jerseys, which of course I did.  I was actually nabbed by MidwestAliceAnn (my captain from the U.S.S. Zimmermann SFAC challenge) to be on her team.  Aptenoknits and Piglottie came along, too!

We are Team Debutant Puffs, making a splash and being oh so classy while doing it!  We have each chosen our individual badger trails, and I decided to be conservative and go with Loyal Puff.   The requirements:

NEWT  or  OWL  or  OotP

6 classes

2 of the following:

• OotP  (Order of the Phoenix)
• Detention
• Quidditch
• HMC  (Headmistress' Challenge)

Well, if my craziness is any indication...I'm already done with everything on this list except for the OWL at the top.  (More on that below.)  I could have gone bigger, but having never participated in Quidditch before, I was too afraid I'd bobble the Quaffle and fail to make a goal.

My second team is a polka dot jersey team, Team Extra Mile.  We are collectively sprinting 25,520 yards together (I personally am attempting 3,520 yards = 2 miles of yarn)!  I even made a little ticker to keep track:

And a couple of the teammates designed matching 'robes' for all of us:

 

So this promises to be a lot of fun...if I can keep it all straight!

Top 10 List - A badge-collecting challenge persuading you to do what's most important.

There's a badge for completing each item on your list (and the list gets locked so you can't take-backsies), and then bonus badges for doing so many per month.

My Top 10 List:

1. Potions OWL
2. Calla’s Wrap (Tropical Delight Shawl)
3. WIP - Doc’s Viking Helmet
4. Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony (Main 6 Cast))
5. Shining Armor (Shining Armor from My Little Pony)
6. WIP - Minecraft Enderman
7. WIP - SkyDoesMinecraft
8. WIP - Minecraft cake Pillow
9. Quidditch Match
10. Lincoln’s Monkey (Tallou the Monkey)

Headmistress' Challenge - A unique challenge once per term, given by HM Secrettrail.

This term's challenge is to help Headmistress Secrettrail work in her new garden by crafting something you'd find there.  She also has a bit of woodland glade (originally part of the Forbidden Forest) and you can craft something you'd find there, too (something a little more wild than just bluebells).

Advanced Studies - NEWTs, OWLs, or OotP.

NEWTs (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) can only be done by students who have completed at least four OWLS.  (I don't qualify.)  They combine aspects from two OWLs into a long, 6-8 week project that is very, very impressive.

OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) are a bit less challenging, but each type of OWL has strict requirements that require approval from the OWL examiner before you can begin.  There are fourteen types of OWL, and you may sit each one only once before repeating the same OWL again.

I am actually doing a Potions OWL this term; more on that in a future post.

OotP stands for Order of the Phoenix, and these are Missions/BROOMs.  They are to help stop the evil forces of Voldemort by selecting one of the mission prompts that grabs your attention.  Each department has it's own prompts, and a mission commander for those prompts.

For example, I am working with Mission Commander GazeboGal, who is in charge of the Security Operations division.  Specifically, I am undertaking Planning with the Weasley Twins, which means that I am crafting something you could find in their store, Weasley Wizarding Wheezes.

Missions began May 24th, but I haven't begun mine yet.  I need a bit more time to sort out the other stuff from the month of May!  There's so much to catch you up on, that I'll come back to many of these points and do greater, in-depth posts.

Until I'm able to do that, though, craft on!

Better be...Hufflepuff!

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year!

2014 was one of my most favorite years yet, despite all of it's challenges.  It wasn't as fun as grad school, but then, that was a unique kind of crazy/awesome.

Last year's resolution was a 99.5% success:  no eating frozen meals for lunch anymore.  I think I was forced to do that one day when I didn't have anything else in the house.

2015 Resolutions:

• Bring my Ravelry project list up to 200 total (with an 85% completion rate).

• Live out Samwise Gamgee's words of wisdom.

One thing at a time, here...

If you have a Ravelry login, you can view my project page.  Currently, I'm sitting at 124 projects total, with 17 incomplete projects.  If my math brain is awake, that's a 86.3% completion rate, but I know how my procrastination brain works.  Maintaining an 85% completion rate will not be a piece of cake.

Also, that's about 7 finished projects a month.  It could be doable...except for my attention span.  I like doing new patterns...not repeating the same ones over and over.  So...we'll see how that goes!

I'll be sharing some new projects this week and next week that I did over Christmas break, so stay tuned!

And now, back to Samwise...

“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass.”

It's no secret that J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my favorite authors. But even if he wasn't, this quote remains applicable for everyday life.  That's my primary resolution this year. Not as a hobbit lass, or a lady of Rohan, or even the redneck elf Keywen.

As me.

Mr. Tolkien had it the right way around. And I want to remember that this year.

When the challenges I faced seem to overcome me, I thought I couldn't fight. But I was not created to be a victim.

Even if I can't attack my challenges with a sword, or defeat them with my pen, I can always choose to fight back.

So this year I am striving to make it to the days when the sun shines out the clearer and brighter because the shadow has been driven back. It may come again, but every time I defeat it I am that much stronger.

I was not made to give up. I was made to try again.

"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" - Mary Anne Radmacher

Dwarf Lass's Beard! - Cosplay Commission

For LARP last month, I was told that the plot team needed a dwarf beard to match the one I had made in 2013:

That's Mike the coworker.

We had been asked to help run a special All Hallow's (Halloween) haunted house.  Deevius was also with me, for her first (and so far, only) LARP event.  Mike was playing a barbarian.  I was an islander (think Polynesian--I wore a lei and a sarong with hibiscus flowers).

So, in reusing the beard, Mike and Sheryl were going to be playing a pair of dwarf siblings, so she wanted a "girly" beard.  

o_O

How you make an epic beard girly is a little beyond me, but she asked for green bows, so I thought, "Okay, I can figure something out."

Using the same pattern as before, courtesy of Melissa Campbell (Ravelry login required) I started the beard base.

And then I realized that in my 2013 notes about the first beard, all I had said was "pattern was followed 85%; I made some strands shorter due to wearer’s request."

...um, whut?

Commence the educated guessing!  Finished product:

Pattern is supposed to be accompanied by a

crocheted helmet, hence the buttonholes.

I threaded some rare sparkly green yarn I found

in a clearance bin in a tiny yarn shop in New York

through the "metal clasps" of the beard, and 

embellished with plastic gems for extra girlyness.

I found a YouTube tutorial on how to tie perfect bows,

and made teeny, tiny ones.  I then secured the center

knot with superglue and a gem.  I also knotted and 

glued all of the ends, just to be safe.

After all of my rushing around to get this and Nautica's scarf done in time for the event, the gal playing the sister dwarf did not come to the event, or I would have tried to get a picture of her for you.

Instead, Mike the coworker wore his beard, and some professional photographers were out and caught these candids:

Left to Right:  Eolian (Dave) and Moriarty (Todd).

The girl with her back to the camera

is Onesti (Ashe), who plays a Sarr (cat person).

The crochet quest continues!  Today's list:

1)  Two (2) pairs of aviator goggles.

2)  A D-20 plush dice.

3)  Five (5) pairs of slippers.

4)  Guude plushie (the first one!)

5)  VintageBeef VII

6)  Enderman (still...)

7)  Baby Groot II  (I'll do a different post on Baby Groot I.)

We'll keep plugging away!

Our Cheaty Overlord, Nebris

New plushie on the Mindcrack scene!

I received an order via DeviantArt from JuneBugPancakes for the very first Nebris plushie:

Looking very dapper in his vest.

Yes, these plushies are big enough to hold their

own in an adult-sized office chair.

Of course, I always try to do a unique pose for each new plushie to put up on Twitter and sometimes Reddit:

Nebris is known for his 'cheatiness'...I decided that

the 'Evil Overlord' motif would work nicely.

I put the photo up on Reddit, and got this reply:

Mini Fangirl Fiesta!

Sorry for the delay; it's obviously been crazy around here!  With any luck, I'll be able to share all of my October and November projects relatively on time.  The list now reads:

1)  Enderman

2)  VintageBeef VI

3)  Red & Black Scarf

4)  Dwarf Beard

And then there's all the art trades I have to start and finish:

1)  Minecraft pillow(s)

2)  Mass Effect coasters

3)  Groot figure

4)  Doctor Who sweatshirt

Which reminds me, I never did show you guys the one art trade I did manage to complete.  Hmm...I'll try to get to work on that!  It really was lovely!  (And nerdy.)

Talk to you soon!

Minecraft Plushie Pattern! - Early Stage

I've been taking copious amounts of photos during the assembly of the PauseUnpause plushies (which were supposed to be done at the end of May...shhhh).

Yesterday afternoon I was finally able to assemble about 50% of them and insert them into my first-ever written crochet pattern!

I've already got the draft up in Ravelry, and I'm tweaking it as I go based on suggestions from their guide.

Here's the cover image I made:

Don't the Mindcrack boys look snazzy?

It was my largest group photo, so off we go with it, then!

I still have to do photos for the most complicated technique in the entire pattern: changing color in the foundation row.  I mean, the pictures are taken, but I haven't cropped, resized, or inserted them into the document yet.

(I have this sneaky suspicion that I'm going to end up doing a video tutorial for that part, anyway.)

I'm excited either way; I intend to list the pattern for $1.50 while it's in beta...which basically means I'll leave it up for a couple of months, see if anybody contacts me with problems, and then change the price to $5-6 USD.

I hope it works out; this is my first officially photographed and written pattern!  XD

Happy Birthday Deevius! - Part Two

So Deevius and I attended the SC Comicon together, along with Midori, and I knew she was looking at LEGO minifigs as well as vintage toys.  But I also caught her checking prices on sonic screwdriver replicas.

Well, caught off-guard as I was by her birthday, I went to my fall-back plan: the Panda's Amazon Prime membership, which promises free 2-day shipping on select merchandise from participating sellers.

I began my research!  I knew that I wanted a replica that not only lit up, but made the sonic noise, too.  I think I went through two or three listings before I came across the only one that made noise:

Courtesy of Barnes & Noble.com

I remembered seeing a Doctor Who display in the local Barnes & Noble, however, so I did a price comparison.  With tax, I would only be spending a dollar or so more at a brick-and-mortar location, and not have to worry about shipping mishaps.

And then!

And then...

I remembered that I had an old, ancient giftcard from some friends.  (Like, 2011, 2012 era.)

(Of course, there was a warning on the back of the card saying that after 12 months of inactivity, the company would deduct $1.50/month.  I sent the Panda to the store with it anyway.)

Success!  The full amount was there!  Boo-yah!

But it wasn't enough!  I am famous for handmade craftsies; Deevius is one of my main cohorts in crime!  I couldn't let her down...

So on Friday (we celebrated on the following Monday) I went through Ravelry in search of free Doctor Who related patterns.  

(I am fabulous at last-minute panics.)

I took the pattern I chose and appropriate yarn colors with me to Shadowmoor (since my character has a RP Skill - Weaving: Crochet tag, I can crochet while in play and have a good reason for doing so).

Yes, I did have to give Deevius a not-yet-finished project.

But the final result is totally worth the effort!

Pattern by Lucy Ravenscar here.

And of course I couldn't leave well enough alone:

Dalek:  EXTERMINATE!!

Etho:  ...?  Kurt...someone here to see you...

I tweeted a similar picture to Kurt and Etho, as well as put it up on Deviant Art.  If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get a picture of Deevius with the Dalek before she moves north.  ^_^

Tuesday Minecraft Musings

I promise this time we're getting back to the Minecraft Mindcrack crochet!

When we last took a look at my crochet history, I had mentioned thinking about making VintageBeef as a plushie, since his Minecraft skin is simpler (discounting the front of his chest with the apron).

I went through several searches for his skin on Google, and ended up at PlanetMinecraft.com.  I compared all the different 'VintageBeef' skins available to the other search results Google had turned up before settling on the one I considered to be the most accurate.

Then I chose the 'papercraft' option, which generates a pretty good panel layout.  And that's really the secret behind Minecraft crochet: find a way to get whatever it is you're trying to make into a papercraft pattern, and you can turn it into crochet panels!

Well, needless to say as discussed in a previous post, I succeeded with VintageBeef, who now happily resides in Dalian, China with April (and the latest creeper, who was glimpsed briefly in a post from last week).

Of course, I had taken tons of photos just to properly get an idea of the size and pose-ability of the plushies.  Then I decided that I would keep track of my work using DeviantArt, and began establishing what I called the Minecraft Plushie Series (M.P.S.).

Regrettably, the first plushie is the only one not in the 'standard' pose.

I finished my own PauseUnpause; to date he is the only one.

Then I got a little crazy and sent BTC his own plushie.

Then I wanted to complete Team Canada with Etho.

Somewhere along the way, however, I got a message through DeviantArt from a gal who had commented on the VintageBeef picture.  Her SN was PauseUnbeef, and she was the first person to order a commission!

Thus, I began tweeting out things like progress pictures for her, and then when I completed the plushie, I had to do group shots to prove that the plushie was indeed finished:

But my lovely, more-social-media-adept husband said...

"Why don't you put that up on the Mindcrack subreddit?"

I knew nothing about Reddit other than the fact that my husband's opinions were often down-voted because he's a sheriff's kid who owns a gun.  It seemed like I was throwing myself into an online pirahna tank--offering my art in a feeble attempt to not get it ripped to shreds by rabid fans.

But I tried it:  

And VintageBeef...well, you see.

(Yes, there was a FANGIRL FIESTA.)

The Panda was floored that I could attract 170 upvotes with a single post.  (I had no reference for comparison; I just wanted to know why the 13 people who down-voted me did so.)

I'm a perfectionist, and I take rejection pretty hard.

Other photos from that session included:

Featured only on DeviantArt

Also posted on the Mindcrack subreddit

(It got about the same karma, but if Beef saw it, he didn't comment this time.)

Featured only on DeviantArt and Twitter

PauseUnbeef loved her plushie; he arrived in California safe and sound!  Plus, I got more queries and interest in future commissions.  

One thing I had decided from the outset, however, was not to flood the Mindcrackers every time I made a plushie of their character, or posted a photo.  I needed to be strategic!

More about strategy and other commissions in the next post!