Making the Gryffindor Scarf: The S.P.E.W. Tote

I have had a lot of fun participating in the two Craftster HP swaps I've done so far. I have also received some cool stuff! While crafting for the most recent swap, I loved having a HP project tote to use for my HP swap project: the wonderful S.P.E.W. tote that ShardaeDobby made for me in my first swap was my project bag for the Gryffindor scarf I made for rosesanplacebos in the next swap!

S.P.E.W. Tote with Gryffindor Scarf WIP:








Because I love this bag so much, I carry it everywhere. So I've made it my own by adding pin-back buttons!

Craftster Buttons on the front of the S.P.E.W. tote:

Crafty Like Ice Is Cold:


Well, yes. ;-)


Craftster Pirate Pin:


Knit fast, die warm! Arrrgh!


Political buttons on the back of the S.P.E.W. tote:




"Obama '08" and "Women for Obama":


I agree with Norman Solomon on this issue: "The best way to avoid becoming disillusioned is to not have illusions in the first place."


"Freedom Is Participation In Power" and "Ignore Your Rights & They'll Go Away":


I added these to the bag very recently. I've had them for years, but they've been just collecting dust for a while. I decided that if I'm going to keep using the Obama buttons -- and I am -- these need to come back out and play as well. (FISA, anyone?)


American Flag Peace Symbol:


This is the button that is most visible when the bag is on my shoulder: it is positioned so it sits to the front when the bag is worn. This is also one of my earliest political buttons. I bought it way back in 2001 when -- suddenly, tragically -- the peace symbol was obscure and old-fashioned no longer. I chose the one with the flag because peace is patriotic, of course.

afghans for Afghans baby blanket - wip

I've been working on a baby blanket for the afghans for Afghans Mother's Day Campaign for Newborns. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to finish it in time for this shipment. It was a bit ambitious: this is my first large crochet project, and, as it turns out, I crochet very slowly. What I have learned is that I need at least a month for a crochet project of this scale. (I knew this about knitting; don't ask me why I thought crochet would be different . . . )

Because this cause is important to me I did make a donation, and I'm going to keep working on the blanket so it will be ready for the next shipment.


WIP photo of baby blanket before adding first green stripe. (By now I am half way done with the first green stripe.)


Craft Info:
Date started: May 4, 2008
Made for: afghans for Afghans, Mother's Day Campaign for Newborns (will not be ready for this campaign)
Blanket requirements: at least 40” by 30”; wool (or other animal fiber); not white or very light colors (bright and colorful encouraged); dense (warm) fabric, not lacy or airy.

Pattern: Bev's Baby Ripple Afghan (with modifications: ch 182 to start; make 2 additional repeats of ripple pattern)
Hook: G
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool (worsted weight)
Colors: Pearl Gray, Sage

Notes:

• I plan to crochet wide stripes (finishing a skein and then changing color). I think the stripe pattern will be gray-green-gray-green-gray, but I’m new enough to crochet that I’m not positive. (That is, it may end up more or fewer stripes/skeins at the target length.)


• I plan to add a ruffle border around the blanket in gray and green. I'm not sure yet what color pattern I will use for that.

May 26, 2008: ETA:

By now (May 26), I am almost ready to add the next gray stripe, so it's coming along. Now that I am not working to meet the previous deadline, the blanket is slotted in among the other crafts I am doing. There is no update on the afghans for Afghans web site about a new deadline, but I will keep checking.

These photos were taken on May 13, shortly after I added the first green stripe, with the blanket wrapped around the green ball of yarn, because I thought it was pretty:

Hey Mister DJ

So my Weird Sisters record purse project was initially delayed just a bit as I worked on acquiring suitable records.

In my first attempt, I purchased three records from the thrift store and brought them home. Not wanting to commit Crimes Against Music, I asked our resident DJ (my dear brother) to approve the crafty use of the records.

The records were small releases by artists from the seventies. One was bad country music. I thought, "Great. No one will miss this!" Thinking that the few folks who had listened to the record in the first place would have moved on to other music by now, that there would be no great demand for the records. Or in other words, that I wasn't "taking away" the record from anyone who would want to buy it and listen to it.

Just one problem: break beats. You see, these "small releases by artists from the seventies" could possibly have breaks on them -- little samples of music -- that a DJ could use.

"It's not even very likely," the resident DJ explained, "but, you know . . ."

"You have to listen to them first . . . "

Yeah. So Mister DJ went home with the records, and I went back to the thrift store. This time with new information: find records by prominent artists whose fans have moved on to CDs (or iTunes). Any breaks from those songs have already been used -- no new discoveries there -- so I really wouldn't be taking music away from anyone, DJs included.

So I came home with three new records -- love songs by famous pop artists from the seventies and early eighties -- and called the DJ if to ask if he wanted to come over and check them out before I used them. When I told him what they were he laughed.

"No, no," he said. "You need to cut those records up."