January Class Ideas

Stuck on what to make this month?  Just can't seem to find any inspiration?  Kikipotamus and I put our heads together and came up with some ideas to help get your muse working.

DADA -- Reasonable Resolutions

What kinds of things do you know you can do better?  Can you make more things for yourself?  Can you use more of your stash yarn before buying new yarn?  Can you push yourself to learn new techniques?  Can you make more things for other people (this is mine; I'm a notoriously selfish knitter and I could really be a lot more giving)?

Remember, you may get bonus points for House colors, making the professor laugh, or especially good stories.  DADA is always the place to ham it up!

Rotation 1, Arithmancy -- Droste (things within things)

What kinds of things can be put inside themselves?  Geometric shapes are mentioned right in the class description; triangles within triangles or similar patterns can be worked into shawls, scarves, and even socks, hats, or mittens.

What kind of 3 dimensional things can be put inside each other? Felted nesting bowls?

This is also a great class to spin for; roving with 2 or 3 colors can be spun up and plied so the colors contrast and form spirals of their own (or, a la fosterson, you can do fractal spinning).

Bonus points may be awarded for creative interpretations, large or ambitious projects, self-designed projects, socks, or cute pets or babies!

Charms -- Rictusempra; tickling!

What makes you laugh? More importantly, what makes your friends and family laugh?  Is there anything you have in your queue just because it's such a silly idea (I've got bacteria in mine)?  Can you create something to physically tickle your children/friends/significant other?

What can you do to make the professor laugh?  Remember, she's a Slytherin and you're a Slytherin, so as she says in the class header, it can involve schadenfreude!  Make something mean, as long as it's funny mean.

What cheers you up in gloomy weather? Bright colors, knitted flowers, candy, knitted baked goods? What would you send someone to cheer them up?

Rotation 2, Divination -- Palm reading (gloves or mitts to cover your palms)

What kind of palm do you have? (Look in the class header to sort this out.)  How can you represent that in your palm coverings?  Do you want something with fingers or without?  Not all gloves and mitts have to be knit in the round; some fingerless glove patterns can be knit flat and seamed up afterward if you don't want to do circular knitting.

What other things do your palms come into contact with on a daily basis? Kiki's knitting potholders. What about a steering wheel cover or a cover for your gear shifter?

Potions -- Aconite (Dangerous or delightful)

Option 1. Dangerous--what would be dangerous for you?  Are you terrified of double-pointed needles?  Is there yarn hiding at the bottom of your stash, breeding and trying to take over the world?  Do you have a friend who is allergic to wool (mwa ha ha)?

What foods are you/your friends allergic to? Would it be dangerous for you to knit with Alpaca because you might break the bank to buy more?

Option 2. Delight Dumbledore.  This one might require some research followed by a bit of thought.  Start here and here for refreshers on Dumbledore in the books.  Be creative in interpreting these!  More specifically, Dumbledore was famous for having a sweet tooth--what kind of sweet things can you craft?  Is there some absolutely delicious yarn somewhere in your stash?  Dumbledore had a certain panache (Kiki's thinking of that purple suit)--what other accessories would be outrageous enough to tickle Dumbledore? Dumbledore is also known to love socks (and if I had to guess, I'd say that would earn bonus points, but no promises). As much as he loved Hogwarts, I would think anything that promoted House Unity would delight him.

As your professor says, "Bonus points for highly entertaining posts/projects, house colors, and a Secret Method which is in some way related to a book that does not take place in the Potterverse."

Transfiguration -- Organize your queue

What kinds of things matter to you in your queue?  Would it help you to make notes on each pattern about which yarn you plan to use with it?  Can you add tags for noting who the intended recipient is? Would you rather tag by "hat" or by "head"?  Remember, whatever you do, it should be a system that makes sense to you!  Just don't forget to check out the class header to fulfill the basic requirements (tag 20 patterns, move the next 5 you intend to make to the top, and have 3 categories each containing at least 3 patterns).

Be sure to include your reasoning, and if you get carried away and super-organize everything, be sure to note that!