Care of Magical Creatures OWL, Winter 2011

In the HPKCHC the three-month projects are called OWLs, in reference to the big exams of fifth year students in the Harry Potter series. There is a set of guidelines by subject and to achieve an OWL in the subject you have to propose and complete a project that takes longer than one month but less than three months and that presents a personal challenge.

Care of Magical Creatures (CoMC)

Option 1: Craft a CoM zoo. Go into the paddock and bring out at least 4 different creatures found in the magical world: dragons, hippogriffs, unicorns, etc. These creatures can be stuffed toys OR a design element/yarn in an item, such as socks, scarves, mittens, etc. OR yarns (minimum 1.5 lbs (0.68 kg) of fiber). Amigurumi will be considered for this option, but you must make many, many of them.

Option 2: Hatch an Egg. Identify your egg (dragon, phoenix, etc.) and knit or crochet an object inspired by your creature. If you make a physical creature it must be a minimum of 12 inches in at least one dimension.

Option 3: Groom a hippogriff: Create an item with at least 3 distinct patterns.

Option 4: Bowtruckles. These wood guardians have exceptionally pointy fingers and toes which can do great damage to unwary witches and wizards. To prove you know how to handle pointy objects, craft an item using a new-to-you technique or crafting skill. If you usually knit, you must crochet. If you usually crochet, you must knit. If you usually use a spindle, you must use a wheel and vice versa. Simply using a new-to-you fiber or stitch pattern does not qualify a project for the Bowtruckles option.

RavID: needlesnswiffers

House (or NQFY/SoS): Hufflepuff

Year: Fifth year

OWL subject and option: Care of Magical Creatures (CoMC) Option 2: Hatch an egg

Greetings, fine Examiners! I would like to propose OWL certification in Care of Magical Creatures by hatching a dragon egg. If my understanding is correct, the egg I have is that of the highly dangerous Ukrainian Ironbelly, which is "rotund and slower in flight than other dragons"***. In honor of the creature within, I have chosen to craft a Celeste Shawl which is a lace shawl of unusual shape and slightly larger than other sock yarn shawls. The coloring is evocative of the juvenile coloring of the Ironbelly, which has the sheen maintained with maturity but with peach, pink, and green undertones that disappear with time. Long live the serial comma.

I have, of course, swatched to determine if my needle and yarn combination is a success. The yarn is Sliver Moon Farm Fingering 65%superwash/35%bamboo in the color Cahoonzie, and the needles are size 7 (4.5mm). I should note that at this time I intend to exclude the beads on the edge.

Regarding challenges, I am experienced at starting lace shawls and not finishing them. I anticipate this shawl taking the 6 to 8 weeks of consistent effort required of an OWL (if not, of course, I will have a victory project proposal later!). The pattern is charted using five different charts, one of which is three charts in one apparently. That sounds nice and confusing.

Thank you for this opportunity!

*** http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Ukrainian_Ironbelly