Ron...Ron...Ron WEAsley and Herrrrrrrr-mi-o-ne.

And finally we come to the lovebirds: Hermione and Ron.

Knitted Potter Puppet Pals: Hermione and Ron

Legend:

KFB =  knit in front and back loop

PFB = purl in front and back loop

Sl 1 = slip stitch without knitting or purling

Materials: Small amounts of black, brown, aran, pink, yellow, orange and red worsted weight yarn. Small amount of fibrefill or cotton batting.  Double pointed needles in size 3.5 mm. Gauge is not essential for this project.

Hermione: (Brown, Aran, Pink, Bright Red, Yellow and Black)

Head:

With aran yarn, cast on 3 stitches.

KFB 3 times  = 6 sts

Purl one row.

KFB 6 times= 12 stitches. Arrange in a small ring on 2 or three dpn’s. Join together. All knitting will be in the round from here on.

(KFB, K2) 4 times = 16 stitches

Knit 5 rounds.

[K2tog] 8 times = 8 stitches.

Stuff with fibrefill.

(K2tog) 4 times = 4 stitches

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail  end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail to close off. Leave tail for sewing head to body.

Hair:

With brown yarn, cast on 5 stitches. Do not join.

Bind off 5 stitches, but do not drop the last stitch. Knit this stitch.

[Now, cast on another 4 stitches. You should have 5 on the needle now. Bind off the 5 stitches. Knit the stitch that is left.]*

*Repeat these instructions 3 more times.

Using the needle with the stitch on it, pick up 5 more stitches along the cast off edge. At this point, you should have a fringe with 5 little “fingers” on it

K1 row. (8 stitches)

PFB, P6, PFB

K1, KFB, k6, KFB, K1

P 1 row. (12 stitches)

KFB, K10, KFB

P 1 row. (14 stitches)

 K9, K2tog, K1, turn. (2 stitches left unworked; you should have 11 stitches on the right needle before you turn)

Sl 1, P5, P2tog, P1, turn. ( 2 stitches left unworked; you should have 8 stitches worked this row)

Sl1, K6, K2tog, K1. ( 9 stitches worked out of 11)

Sl 1, P7, P2tog,P1 (10 stitches)

K2, k2tog, k2, SSK, K2

P2tog, P4 , P2tog

*[CO 3 more stitches. Bind off 4 stitches. ]Slide last BO stitch back onto left-hand needle, and repeat from* You should end up with 5 pieces of fringe for bangs. Bind off last stitch.

Cut yarn, leaving a 11” tail. Thread yarn onto needle and pull through remaining stitch. Pull  tight to secure stitches.

Ears (make 2):

With aran, cast on 3 stitches

K2tog, K1.

Bind off

Body:

With black yarn, cast on12 stitches

K 14 rounds.

K2tog 6 times

K2tog 3 times.

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail close to stitches to close off. 

Hands (make 2)

With aran yarn, cast on 4 stitches. 

Knit 1 row.

Purl 1 row.

K2tog, k2.

P 2tog, p1.

K2tog.

Cut thread, leaving a tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop. Firm up any edges on the hands by using tail to whipstitch around the edges.

Arms (make 2)

With black yarn, cast on 10 sts.

K 1 row. P1 row.

K2tog, K rest of stitches.

P2tog, P rest of stitches.  Repeat these last two rows till 4 stitches remain.

K1 row. P1 row.

Bind off.

Cut thread, leaving an 8” tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop.

Arms Assembly (do 2 times):

With tail of cast on yarn, weave through stitches on first row till yarn is at the half-way point. Place hand on one side of this point, so about ¼ of an inch (1/2 a cm) sticks out at the bottom edge of the sleeve. Using the yarn tail, stitch in and out a couple times to secure the hand in place.  Fold sleeve in half.

Still using same yarn tail, whip stitch the edges together. If you run out of yarn, use the left over yarn from the binding off to finish.

              

Assembly:

1.       Sew hair to head

2.       Sew ears to head

3.       Embroider facial features on. I outlined the  eyes and mouth in black worsted yarn.  

4.       Sew head to body

5.       Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I’ve indicated in red on the picture)

     5.   Embroider on Gryffindor badge by sewing one stitch in red, then sewing a yellow stitch directly           overtop of it.

6.       Weave in and cut all ends – DONE!

Ron: (White, Aran, Orange, Red, Yellow and Black)

Hair:

With orange yarn, cast on 4 sts. Do not join.

Kfb k4 kfb

Purl one row.

Kfb k6  kfb.

Purl one row.

Kfb k8 kfb

Purl one row.

K7 k2tog k1 turn

Sl1 p4 p2tog p1 turn

Sl1 K3 k2tog k1 turn

Sl1 p4 p2tog p1

Kfb k6 kfb

Purl one row.

Bo 4 stitches.k 5.

P4 p2tog

K2tog, K3

Bind off.

Head:

With aran, cast on 3 stitches.

KFB 3 times  = 6 sts

Purl one row.

KFB 6 times= 12 stitches. Arrange in a small ring on 2 or three dpn’s. Join together. All knitting will be in the round from here on.

(KFB, K2) 4 times = 16 stitches

Knit 5 rounds.

[K2tog] 8 times = 8 stitches.

Stuff with fibrefill.

(K2tog) 4 times = 4 stitches

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail  end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail to close off. Leave tail for sewing head to body.

Ears (make 2):

With aran, cast on 3 stitches

K2tog, K1.Bind off

Body:

With black yarn, cast on12 stitches

K 14 rounds.

K2tog 6 times

K2tog 3 times.

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail close to stitches to close off. 

Hands (make 2)

With aran, cast on 4 stitches. 

Knit 1 row.

Purl 1 row.

K2tog, k2.

P 2tog, p1.

K2tog.

Cut thread, leaving a tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop. Firm up any edges on the hands by using tail to whipstitch around the edges.

Arms (make 2)

With black yarn, cast on 10 sts.

K 1 row. P1 row.

K2tog, K rest of stitches.

P2tog, P rest of stitches.  Repeat these last two rows till 4 stitches remain.

K1 row. P1 row.

Bind off.

Cut thread, leaving an 8” tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop.

Arms Assembly (do 2 times):

With tail of cast on yarn, weave through stitches on first row till yarn is at the half-way point. Place hand on one side of this point, so about ¼ of an inch (1/2 a cm) sticks out at the bottom edge of the sleeve. Using the yarn tail, stitch in and out a couple times to secure the hand in place.  Fold sleeve in half.

Still using same yarn tail, whip stitch the edges together. If you run out of yarn, use the left over yarn from the binding off to finish.

               

Assembly:

1.       With your fingers, position the hair edges so that the green line touches the blue line. (See picture)Whipstitch closed, using tail from binding off. Sew the  hair to head.

2.       Sew ears to head

3.       Embroider facial features on. 

4.        Sew head to body

5.       Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I’ve indicated in red on the picture)

6.       Embroider on Gryffindor badge by sewing one stitch in red, then sewing a yellow stitch directly overtop of it.

7.       Weave in and cut all ends – DONE

DuuuuuuumbleDORE!

Yes, blog readers, here we are with the second pair....The Boy who Lived, and the man who loves to wander around in only a wizard's hat and a smile. It's Harry and DuuuuumbleDORE!

Knitted Potter Puppet Pals: Harry and Dumbledore

Legend:

KFB =  knit in front and back loop

PFB = purl in front and back loop

Sl 1 = slip stitch without knitting or purling

Materials: Small amounts of black, white and red worsted weight yarn. Small amount of fibrefill or cotton batting.  Double pointed needles in size 3.5 mm.

Dumbledore: (White, Aran, Purple, Blue and Black)

Head:

With aran yarn, cast on 3 stitches.

KFB 3 times  = 6 sts

Purl one row.

KFB 6 times= 12 stitches. Arrange in a small ring on 2 or three dpn’s. Join together. All knitting will be in the round from here on.

(KFB, K2) 4 times = 16 stitches

Knit 5 rounds.

[K2tog] 8 times = 8 stitches.

Stuff with fibrefill.

(K2tog) 4 times = 4 stitches

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail  end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail to close off. Leave tail for sewing head to body.

Hat:

With purple yarn, cast on 14 stitches. Join in a circle. All knitting done in the round from this point.

K 2 rows.

[K2 tog, k 5] twice

[K2 tog, k 4] twice

[K2 tog, k 3] twice

[K2 tog, k 2] twice

Cut yarn, leaving a 6” tail. Thread yarn onto needle and pull through remaining stitches. Pull  tight to secure stitches. Using blue yarn, embroider a star on the hat. Secure ends of blue yarn. Using purple yarn tail, sew hat to Dumbledore’s head.

Beard:

With white, cast on 4 stitches. Do not join.

KFB, k3     

Kfb k2 k2tog

kfb k4 

K2tog, k3 kfb  6 st

Kfb, k5 7 st

K

K2tog, k4, kfb   7 st

K

K2tog, k4, Kfb 7 st 

K

Kfb,twice k5  9 st

K2tog, k5, ssk  7 st

K2tog, k3, Ssk 5 st

K2tog, k1, ssk 3 st
K2 tog, K1  2 st

Bind off

Cut a 6” tail and pull through last stitch.

Moustache:

With white, cast on 5 stitches. Do not join.

KB, K3, KFB

Bind off. Cut a 6” tail, and pull tail through last stitch.

Ears (make 2):

With aran, cast on 3 stitches

K2tog, K1.

Bind off

Body:

With purple yarn, cast on 14 stitches

K 14 rounds.

K2tog 7 times

K2tog 3 times, K 1.

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail  end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail close to stitches to close off.  

Hands (make 2)

With aran yarn, cast on 4 stitches.  

Knit 1 row.

Purl 1 row.

K2tog, k2.

P 2tog, p1.

K2tog.

Cut thread, leaving a tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop. Firm up any edges on the hands by using tail to whipstitch around the edges.

Arms (make 2)

With purple yarn, cast on 10 sts.

K 1 row. P1 row.

K2tog, K rest of stitches.

P2tog, P rest of stitches.  Repeat these last two rows till 4 stitches remain.

K1 row. P1 row.

Bind off.

Cut thread, leaving an 8” tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop.

Arms Assembly (do 2 times):

With tail of cast on yarn, weave through stitches on first row till yarn is at the half-way point. Place hand on one side of this point, so about ¼ of an inch (1/2 a cm) sticks out at the bottom edge of the sleeve. Using the yarn tail, stitch in and out a couple times to secure the hand in place.  Fold sleeve in half.

Still using same yarn tail, whip stitch the edges together. If you run out of yarn, use the left over yarn from the binding off to finish.

         

Assembly:

1.       Sew hat to head

2.       Sew ears to head

3.       Embroider facial features on. I outlined the glasses, eyes and mouth in black worsted yarn.  

4.       Sew beard on to bottom of face.

5.       Sew moustache onto top of beard

6.       Sew head to body

7.       Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I’ve indicated in red on the picture)

8.       Weave in and cut all ends – DONE!

Harry: (White, Aran, Red, Yellow, Purple and Black)

Hair:

With black yarn, cast on 6 sts. Do not join.

Kfb k4 kfb

Purl one row.

Kfb k6  kfb.

Purl one row.

Kfb k8 kfb

Purl one row. [12 stitches total]

K7 k2tog k1 turn. [there should be 2 stitches unworked; then turn]

Sl1 p3 p2tog p1 turn .[there should be 2 stitches unworked; then turn]

Sl1 K3 k2tog k1 turn .[1 stitch is unworked, then turn]

Sl1 p4 p2tog p1

Kfb k6 kfb

Purl one row.

Bo 4 stitches.k 5.

P4 p2tog

K2tog, K3

Bind off.

Head:

With aran, cast on 3 stitches.

KFB 3 times  = 6 sts

Purl one row.

KFB 6 times= 12 stitches. Arrange in a small ring on 2 or three dpn’s. Join together. All knitting will be in the round from here on.

(KFB, K2) 4 times = 16 stitches

Knit 5 rounds.

[K2tog] 8 times = 8 stitches.

Stuff with fibrefill.

(K2tog) 4 times = 4 stitches

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail  end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail to close off. Leave tail for sewing head to body.

Ears (make 2):

With aran, cast on 3 stitches

K2tog, K1.Bind off

Glasses:

With white, cast on 2 stitches

KFB, K1

P2tog, P1

K2tog

PFB

KFB, K1,

P2tog, p1

Bind off. Cut yarn tail, and pull through last stitch.

Tie a tail of black yarn or embroidery floss around the middle of the glasses, leaving a very short end. Whipstitch all the way around the edge of the lenses of the glasses using black yarn.

Body:

With black yarn, cast on12 stitches

K 14 rounds.

K2tog 6 times

K2tog 3 times.

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail close to stitches to close off.  

Arms (make 2)

With black yarn, cast on 10 sts.

K 1 row. P1 row.

K2tog, K rest of stitches.

P2tog, P rest of stitches.  Repeat these last two rows till 4 stitches remain.

K1 row. P1 row.

Bind off.

Cut thread, leaving an 8” tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop.

Hands (make 2)

With aran, cast on 4 stitches.  

Knit 1 row.

Purl 1 row.

K2tog, k2.

P 2tog, p1.

K2tog.

Cut thread, leaving a tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop. Firm up any edges on the hands by using tail to whipstitch around the edges.

Arms Assembly (do 2 times):

With tail of cast on yarn, weave through stitches on first row till yarn is at the half-way point. Place hand on one side of this point, so about ¼ of an inch (1/2 a cm) sticks out at the bottom edge of the sleeve. Using the yarn tail, stitch in and out a couple times to secure the hand in place.  Fold sleeve in half.

Still using same yarn tail, whip stitch the edges together. If you run out of yarn, use the left over yarn from the binding off to finish.

Assembly:

1.       With your fingers, position the hair edges so that the green line touches the red line. (See picture) Whipstitch closed, using tail from binding off. Sew the  hair to head. 

2.       Attach the glasses to the face by sewing the bridge (narrowest section) to the face. Glasses can overlap the hair.

3.       Sew ears to head

4.       Embroider facial features on.  

5.       Don’t forget the scar in purple!

6.       Sew head to body

7.       Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I’ve indicated in red on the picture)

8.       Embroider on Gryffindor badge by sewing one stitch in red, then sewing a yellow stitch directly overtop of it.

9.       Weave in and cut all ends – DONE

Snape, Snape... Severus Snape.

One of the cutest patterns on Ravelry for Harry Potter fans is Melissa Mall's Pocket Potter Puppet Pals, which you can find at this link here. But if you don't know how to crochet, how to join in the fun? Here's a knitted version of the same thing.
 

Knit Potter Puppet Pals: Snape and Voldemort

Legend:

KFB =  knit in front and back look

Sl 1 = slip stitch without knitting or purling

Materials: Small amounts of black, white and red worsted weight yarn. Small amount of fibrefill or cotton batting.  Double pointed needles in size 4.0 mm / US 6.  Small amount of black embroidery floss for features (optional)

 

Snape: (White and Black)

Hair:

With black yarn, cast on 4 sts. Do not join.

KFB 4 times.

KFB, K 6, KFB

KFB, K 9

KFB, K10

K 8, K2tog, K1, turn.

Sl 1 stitch, K 6, K2tog, K 1, turn.

Sl 1 st, K5, K2tog, K1, turn.

Sl1, K4, K2tog, K1, turn

Sl1, K 7

{KFB, K to last stitch, KFB} for 3 rows

Knit one row even.

Bind off.

Head:

With white, cast on 3 stitches.

KFB 3 times  = 6 sts

Purl one row.

KFB 6 times= 12 stitches. Arrange in a small ring on 2 or three dpn’s. Join together. All knitting will be in the round from here on.

(KFB, K2) 4 times = 16 stitches

Knit 7 rounds.

[K2tog] 8 times = 8 stitches.

Stuff with fibrefill.

(K2tog) 4 times = 4 stitches

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail  end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail to close off. Leave tail for sewing head to body.

Ears (make 2):

With white, cast on 3 stitches

K2tog, K1.

Bind off

Nose:

With white,  cast on 4 stitches.

[K2tog] twice.

Bind off. 

Body:

With black yarn, cast on14 stitches

K 14 rounds.

K2tog 7 times

K2tog 3 times, K 1.

Cut 10” tail. Thread needle with the tail  end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail close to stitches to close off.  

Hands (make 2)

With white, cast on 4 stitches.  

Knit 1 row.

Purl 1 row.

K2tog, k2.

P 2tog, p1.

K2tog.

Cut thread, leaving a tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop. Firm up any edges on the hands by using tail to whipstitch around the edges.

Arms (make 2)

With black yarn, cast on 10 sts.

K 1 row

P1 row.

K2tog, K rest of stitches.

P2tog, P rest of stitches.  Repeat these last two rows till 4 stitches remain.

K1 row.

P1 row.

Bind off.

Cut thread, leaving an 8” tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop.

Arms Assembly (do 2 times):

With tail of cast on yarn, weave through stitches on first row till yarn is at the half-way point. Place hand on one side of this point, so about ¼ of an inch (1/2 a cm) sticks out at the bottom edge of the sleeve. Using the yarn tail, stitch in and out a couple times to secure the hand in place.  Fold sleeve in half.

Still using same yarn tail, whip stitch the edges together. If you run out of yarn, use the left over yarn from the binding off to finish.

              

Assembly:

1.       Sew hair to head

2.       Sew ears to hair

3.       Sew nose to face

4.       Embroider facial features on. I outlined the eyebrows, eyes and mouth in black worsted yarn. Since I didn’t like the way his eyes ended up looking, I did French knots in the centre of each eye.

5.       Sew head to body

6.       Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I’ve indicated in red on the picture)

 7.       Weave in  and cut all ends – DONE!

Voldemort:  (White, black, bright red)

Make body, arms, hands and ears the same as for Snape.

Head:

Cast on 4 stitches. Arrange stitches on 2 needles. Join stitches and work following rows in the round

Row 1: KFB 4 times.

Row 2:( KFB, K1) 4 times.

Row 3: (KFB, K2) 4 times.

Row 4: (KFB, K3) 4 times.

Row 5: (KFB, K4) 4 times.

Row 6-8: Knit

Row 7: (SSK, K 4) 4 times.

Row 8: (SSK, K 3) 4 times. Stuff head with batting.

Row 9: (SSK, K 2) 4 times.

Row 10: (SSK, K 1) 4 times.

Row 11: SSK 4 times.

Cut yarn, leaving 6” tail. Thread needle and pull yarn through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close. Stitch down top by pushing needle through top of head, to meet cast on yarn tail. Make a knot by tying together the two yarn tails. Leave tails for attaching head to body.

Eyes (make 2):

Using red yarn, cast on 3 stitches. Cast off all stitches.

Assembly:

1.       Sew  ears to head

2.       Sew eyes to head

3.       Embroider facial features on. With black yarn, or embroidery floss, make a vertical stripe in the centre of each eye. 

4.       Sew head to body

5.       Assemble arms, as for Snape

6.       Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I’ve indicated in red on the picture for Snape)

7.       Weave in  and cut all ends – DONE!

Knit Potter Puppet Pals: Snape and Voldemort

 

Legend:

KFB = knit in front and back look

Sl 1 = slip stitch without knitting or purling

 

Materials: Small amounts of black, white and red worsted weight yarn. Small amount of fibrefill or cotton batting. Double pointed needles in size

 

 

Snape: (White and Black)

 

Hair:

With black yarn, cast on 4 sts. Do not join.

KFB 4 times.

KFB, K 6, KFB

KFB, K 9

KFB, K10

K 8, K2tog, K1, turn.

Sl 1 stitch, K 6, K2tog, K 1, turn.

Sl 1 st, K5, K2tog, K1, turn.

Sl1, K4, K2tog, K1, turn

Sl1, K 7

{KFB, K to last stitch, KFB} for 3 rows

Knit one row even.

Bind off.

 

Head:

With white, cast on 3 stitches.

KFB 3 times = 6 sts

Purl one row.

KFB 6 times= 12 stitches. Arrange in a small ring on 2 or three dpn's. Join together. All knitting will be in the round from here on.

(KFB, K2) 4 times = 16 stitches

Knit 7 rounds.

[K2tog] 8 times = 8 stitches.

Stuff with fibrefill.

(K2tog) 4 times = 4 stitches

Cut 10" tail. Thread needle with the tail end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail to close off. Leave tail for sewing head to body.

 

 

Body:

With black yarn, cast on14 stitches

K 14 rounds.

K2tog 7 times

K2tog 3 times, K 1.

Cut 10" tail. Thread needle with the tail end and pull through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close up. Knot tail close to stitches to close off.

 

Hands (make 2)

With white, cast on 4 stitches.

Knit 1 row.

Purl 1 row.

K2tog, k2.

P 2tog, p1.

K2tog.

Cut thread, leaving a tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop. Firm up any edges on the hands by using tail to whipstitch around the edges.

 

Arms (make 2)

With black yarn, cast on 10 sts.

K 1 row

P1 row.

K2tog, K rest of stitches.

P2tog, P rest of stitches. Repeat these last two rows till 4 stitches remain.

K1 row.

P1 row.

Bind off.

Cut thread, leaving an 8" tail for sewing, and pull through remaining loop.

 

 

Arms Assembly (do 2 times):

 

With tail of cast on yarn, weave through stitches on first row till yarn is at the half-way point. Place hand on one side of this point, so about ¼ of an inch (1/2 a cm) sticks out at the bottom edge of the sleeve. Using the yarn tail, stitch in and out a couple times to secure the hand in place. Fold sleeve in half.

Still using same yarn tail, whip stitch the edges together. If you run out of yarn, use the left over yarn from the binding off to finish.

 

 

 

 

Assembly:

1. Sew hair to head
   
2. Sew ears to hair
   
3. Sew nose to face
   
4. Embroider facial features on. I outlined the eyebrows, eyes and mouth in black worsted yarn. Since I didn't like the way his eyes ended up looking, I did French knots in the centre of each eye.
   

   
   

5. Sew head to body
   
6. Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I've indicated in red on the picture)
   

   
   

   
    

   
    

   
    

7. Weave in and cut all ends – DONE!
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voldemort:
(White, black, bright red)

 

Make body, arms, hands and ears the same as for Snape.

 

 

Head:

Cast on 4 stitches. Arrange stitches on 2 needles. Join stitches and work following rows in the round

Row 1: KFB 4 times.

Row 2:( KFB, K1) 4 times.

Row 3: (KFB, K2) 4 times.

Row 4: (KFB, K3) 4 times.

Row 5: (KFB, K4) 4 times.

Row 6-8: Knit

Row 7: (SSK, K 4) 4 times.

Row 8: (SSK, K 3) 4 times. Stuff head with batting.

Row 9: (SSK, K 2) 4 times.

Row 10: (SSK, K 1) 4 times.

Row 11: SSK 4 times.

 

 

Cut yarn, leaving 6" tail. Thread needle and pull yarn through remaining stitches. Pull tight to close. Stitch down top by pushing needle through top of head, to meet cast on yarn tail. Make a knot by tying together the two yarn tails. Leave tails for attaching head to body.

 

Eyes (make 2):

Using red yarn, cast on 3 stitches. Cast off all stitches.

 

Assembly:

1. Sew ears to head
   
2. Sew eyes to head
   
3. Embroider facial features on. With black yarn, or embroidery floss, make a vertical stripe in the centre of each eye.
   

1. Sew head to body
   
2. Assemble arms, as for Snape
   
3. Sew completed arms to body as close to the head as possible. Just sew the very tip of the shoulder down, in order to make sure the arms stay floppy. (Where I've indicated in red on the picture)
   

   
   

Weave in and cut all ends – DONE!

OMB

The second item in my Magical Mystery tour comes from the website Dear Author. It's a review site for romance and erotica novels, primarily. But don't let that throw you, it's definitely worth the look.
Over the years I've done a complete 180 degree change....okay, a 110 degree change on romance novels. Probably because of the dreck available when I was a teen, I never really got into them as a young adult, when all my peers seemed to be absorbed in either reading them or watching the myriad of soaps on at the time. Frankly, the preposterous nature of them all didn't appeal to me, particularly the soaps. Come on, couples that have being going at it for a number of years only to find that they are actually brother and sister (okay, slimly possible), but then he gets drawn and quartered and dies, only to show up a 'year' later in full health,  large as life and twice as natural? Gimme a break! Or the abuse situations that went on and on all the time in the texts and on the shows, only for the women to smile bravely and swalllow it, because "he loves me"? Not to mention how every female character in them always willingly pared their own personality away, like the stepsisters in Cinderella trimming their feet in order to fit the glass slipper, in order to 'fit' enough to snag a man. Till they were unrecognizable shells of themselves.Hardly romantic.

I took a chance on a romance novel in my late 20s and discovered that, thankfully, the genre had widened enough to not only incorporate logical plots, but overlap other genres I read as well.  So, I began to be a more frequent reader of the genre, avoiding the overly-hokey, cutesy-wootsy Twuuu Wuv as much as possible, in favour of the plotted, well-written books by authors that seemed to give a damn about their readers.  So, it seemed safe to go back into the waters.

And then I found this review. Swallow your coffee first, and read it all the way through, including the commentary. And long live the snark.

Bleargh

As I type this, I am currently upright, bleary-eyed and phlegmatic. I hate being sick. I reeeeeeally hate being sick. I'm trying to keep my mind focused on positive things about it, while I try to keep my trachea aligned with my chest cavity. I can't think of too much. It gives you a lovely amount of time off from other responsibilities, but it is only useful if you can keep your head up and your fingers active. Otherwise, you might as well be doing your mundane life. Bleargh, indeed.

At least I have my laptop finally up and working (she says with crossed fingers and a nervous disposition). Via the Internets, I have a world of distractions at my fingertips. Prior to gettting my laptop, sickness days were a book-only domain, but now they are a multi-media event. I'm not sure how good that is for getting better, but it's different, at least. And I still do the book thing, (me? Not read books? Sign of the impending zombiepocalypse!)

So, creative content....I think it's time to honour creativity in others. Last night, as i was swinging through the Internet jungle, I came across a couple of websites that deserve a nod or three.
First, is the site of Historiann, who launched a meme called Lessons for Girls. Kind of a feministic Robert Fulghum chain letter. But in a good way. Made me think, made me laugh and also made me ponder why we do the things we do as a society, all the unwritten laws. I really enjoyed the lessons on anger, Girl school, and don't peak early. But just as funny as the stories were the commentary - particularly on Girl School. The comments about what life lessons people figure they missed on the days they weren't in school was priceless. Worth a look! And cub, the last writer in the commentary gets my nomination for the Righteous Chutzpah award!!

So my question to you, dear readers, is what Girl School/ Boy School  lessons do you figure you missed out on?

Blast from the Past

Well, today has been quite the day for retro items!

Started off, I went with my mom to a second-hand building materials store called Surrey New and Used. Just outside the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, in loverly Surrey,BC. We were searching for new bi-fold closet doors for the upstairs hallway, as ours no longer close properly.  Anyway, as a birthday gift for the woman who has everything, it seemed perfect; she gets new doors, my dog gets protected from his desire to orally test every substance known to floor, and I get a reprieve from the panic that is the birthday list given just 72 hours before the big day. UGH!

The store/yard actually impressed me. They had a HUGE selection of items, well organized into areas, and everything was neatly arrayed. Prices were pretty reasonable - I got two matching bi-folds for $15.00 each, $33 and change once the government got its share.
Cramming the nearly 80" long doors was a bit of a squish in the subcompact car she drives, but we managed to execute it reasonably well.

Back to main Surrey, for paint for the doors at Benjamin Moore where we found out the colour codes for the paint in the living room, hallway and dining room. Last bought in...1998. Yeeowch. I hear the "we're repainting this summer" mantra already beginning. Hmm. Maybe I can get a summer job out of town? :-) Paint was about $30.00, once we straightened out confusion over my need for primer for the doors. Yes, I need primer. No, I am not going to pay 20-some odd dollars for the privilege, when I can probably get a spray can for about 5$ at Voldemart.

In the same complex as BM, was two of my old haunts, Superior Grocer, and Natural Focus Foods. Neither of which had I been in in a dog's age -- literally. I asked the grocer about when they changed the set-up and found out I was probably last in either store there about mid-2002. Whoa. Tempus fugit, for certain sure. That co-incides with my changing back to near-total omnivorism at about that time. Being there was a trip, in a good way. They always had amazing produce, and their prices were usually competitive with the big stores. Being back there made me recall all the times when I would spend hours there each week, planning my meals and trying to live more healthfully than I do these days. It just plain felt good to be in there. Makes me think of going back there more often and maybe looking into re-visiting some old favourite dishes over the next few weeks.

Adventures in Dining pt.1

As a treat to ourselves, while my sis is out of town, Mom and I decided to try this restaurant we've been passing by for the last several months, called Pico Bello. Attractive looking enough from the outside, it had its look upgraded by the addition of a giant banner proclaiming it to be the #1 Italian restaurant in our 'burb, thanks to a reader poll of the the local paper. What could go wrong?

Well, we go inside, it's about 5:30-ish, and there is no one in the joint except one dating couple and a waitress who looks bored and apathetic. She tries to seat us in a small table, but eventually lets us take a booth, where she hands us two menus, the kind that are printed on heavy card stock and folded in three. Clearly not the world's most expensive effort at selling food. While the waitress lingers for a moment, I quickly flip open to the centre, where I notice half of one column has been entirely scored out with a Sharpie -the pizza section. When I queried the waitress, she confirmed that there were no more pizzas available, then skedaddled.

We lingered for a few moments over the menu trying to decide, when I noticed another disturbing trend -- all the entrees had had their prices increased by at least 2.00. But not with a Sharpie --no, this time, the offending digit was re-traced over with a blue ballpoint pen. Which gets me to thinking. I understand that restaurants have to raise their prices, hey, everyone's got to make a living. But what kind of cheesy place changes it over 1/3 of the food choices with various implements, and doesn't reprint the menu? What would it cost them? $50.00 max if they go all out. There was only 5 booths, 10 tables, so maybe you need 25 copies. How much would that cost to print up on a new sheet of paper? Even if they laminated it, you're still looking at less than $100!

Add to that, pizza is one of the cheapest Italian dishes you can make. Why nix the entire pizza department? I understand that there is a Panago within a block of there, but they don't offer dine in options, and you do. Heck, you could arrange a deal where you take the order, get it from Panago and produce it in your restaurant, none the wiser! If you are going to go out of it entirely, definitely reprint the fool menu!

As it went, the menu issue was just too much for our overly suspicious, Kitchen Nightmares-watching natures, and we made our excuses and booted it out of there for Vera's Burgers.

A momentous day

I'm rather tired so I'll keep this short. Today, I saw my sister off on her trans-Atlantic journey, after walking the equivalent of 12 nautical miles trying to keep her busy while we waited for KLM to take its sweet time checking in baggage.

More seriously, I had an altercation with the neighbours behind and to the right of us during a nightly doggie walk, when their 2 Jack Russell Terrier dogs decided to try to attack ours. Thank goodness ours were unharmed -- indeed, they came out literally without a scratch on them thanks to a timely intervention by the owner's 7 year old son, my dog's general cussedness and my pulling them apart. Me however, I'm pissed as a nit, due to the attitude of the owner, who claimed that there was no problem, because "our dogs have never bit anyone". After watching them DO IT!!!! Lady, you have earned yourself a phone call into the SPCA, which I will be doing promptly tomorrow. (they were closed by the time we got home.) (Calm down, Laney, the commandant survived with all parts intact and only her dignity upset. She's waiting for a rematch, methinks.) Needless to say, I will be avoiding that street for the next several weeks.

Creativity wise, I attempted making a pattern I found off of Ravelry, with disgusting results. The pattern is written in martian, honestly. Ripped it out 4 times, then gave up, and decided it was time for bed anyways.

Oh and in the ironic portion of the evening? CSI tonight featured someone who had RFID tag inserted into them voluntarily...

She's Leaving....On a Jet Plane

As I write this, my sister is sitting beside me eagerly counting down the hours till she hops on a plain for Great Britain. It has been an interesting experience these last few days, watching her bounce off the walls and hop up and down with excitement. Our floors have never been so reinforced--any nails that would have even thought of popping up have been driven down by the eager soles of her size 5.5 feet.

As much as I kid, we are going to miss having her around here. Mom will likely be a basketcase....excuse me, worrywart. I hope she remembers to phone religiously, or I will be scraping mom off the walls with a pancake flipper daily. (Boy, the walls are getting a workout!)
As for myself, it's going to be strange not having her here to talk to. But I expect her fur babies are going to try to make up for that fact. Kinsey (cat) is very vocal when she feels she is being ignored, and Gemma (dog) is the look-at-me-not-at-the-other-pets commandant type of dog. In a loving, adorable way, of course, but still.

I plan on distracting myself from her being gone by trying to focus on getting various projects done, creative wise. Including, hopefully her "I will never be knitting these blessed things again" knee high socks. They're beautiful, but I don't think I've ever picked back so many times on a project in my life. That includes the sweater she asked me to knit that I ended up rejecting after screwing up the tuck stitch too many times to count.
However, despite the 6 stitches forward, 10 stitches back speed with which they have been made, I have actually made some progress on them, thanks to my determination, persistence, and a shoutout to an angel on Ravelry who had actually made them despite pattern errata, and lived to tell about it. Some photos for your visual confirmation of my progress:




I have finally finished 3 out of 4 charts for the left hand sock; the right is being ripped back to the beginning of chart 3 -bollocks-in order to fix some unseen errors. So, the pictures are a bit behind. Perhaps I will find the time today to get her to try on the left so I can update further.
I also have to guesstimate the projected length she needs to have added as she wants these to be above the knee. Sigh. A knitter's work is never done.

I hope Elaine has a lot of fun on her trip -- I'm sure she'll be blogging about it, keeping in the tradition of other Jane Austenites who have also done a 'life journey of Jane' trip through England. However, she better keep in close contact --- that pancake flipper is looking none too sturdy, and I don't think it'll withstand much parent-removal.

Let's Celebrate Pirate style!

Ahoy mateys! I'm hoping you all took time out to acknowledge that most festive of days, September 19th. No, it's not Secretaries Day --- as if. It's Talk like a Pirate day. And as a card carrying descendent of the dark side of British seamanship (according to family legend, that is), this is a day near and dear to my heart.

Other wacky observances to be found in September are:

Turn off your TV week --September 20-26 (ironically, this is also the week that most major TV shows are premiering this year)

September 20-26 is also National Clean Hands week, National Singles Week, National Tolkien Week, and Build a Better Image Week . Not sure whether the Clean Hands are supposed to be promoting using Purell, or politicians trying to keep a squeeky clean image("I never had sex with that man/woman/goat, honest!) However, that goes hand in hand with the Build a better image week, I guess, so anything goes.

So for those wanting to ensure you celebrate properly, scrub your hands thoroughly, create an on-line dating profile (singles)with a photoshopped pic of yourself (better image) swearing that you think that JRR is da bomb (Tolkien). Who knows, you just might get a lasting relationship out of it.