STITCH MARKERS!!!

I finally got to make the stitch markers from my kit! Yay! The fabulous Lizzie Wychwood (aka the best spoiler in the world), sent me a new tool to make my stitch markers (since the security at Gatwick confiscated mine)! I was so excited! I ran up to my room to make them as soon as I got home! Here's the sample one she did for me (to show the pattern she created):



My first attempt was actually not that pretty, and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I almost always am able to get whatever I'm attempting just right on the first try, when it's craft-related.

What happened was that I actually followed the directions to the letter that Lizzie sent, but that wasn't exactly how she had done the first one. And, sadly, when I tried to "smoosh" the wire flat, trying to get it wrapped around, the top bead got in the way and broke. :(

But I learned from my mistake and the second one came out significantly better (and faster!):

A little lopsided on the top loop, but still better than the first attempt!

Third try:



And by the fourth stitch marker, I had it down pat! :)



So here is the full set of stitch markers in all their glory! :)


I love, love, love them, and had a blast making them! I was surprised when I reached the end of them...it went by so quickly! And I was sad too...so I figure the best way to cure that sadness is to buy beads and things to make more! :D (Makes sense, right? LOL)

But now I am off to bed after a long, hard, grueling day of S.P.E.W. promotion...I tell you, those elves work hard...and so did I!!! Good night!

ETA: Per request, here are a couple of pictures of the mentioned tool. :)



And a close up of the end (the "circle" part is the wire cutter, the tip is round needle nose pliers):

Living the Muggle Way...

You know, I love being a witch, but I really hate having to blend into Muggle communities...maybe we should relocate to a Magical community...Hmmm...

I misplaced my wallet last week on Tuesday...looked and looked and looked and looked some more...called friends of whose houses I'd been to recently...called everywhere I had been on base the last time I was there...looked some more in the car, looked some more in the house...looked again...and again...and again...I couldn't run my Muggle errands to the military base because not only was I missing my military ID card, but I was also missing all other forms of ID (besides my passport...)! I searched and searched and searched...couldn't find it...looked all day long. I still hadn't found it by dinner time, so I knew it was time to take action. I canceled my debit/credit cards. I made phone calls to find out what I had to do to report my military ID lost...and then I ran out of minutes on my phone. Yuck. Thank goodness for friends, be they Muggle or Magical! Got everything set up to get vouchers for groceries, a power of attorney in motion to replace the lost ID while my husband is still deployed, someone to escort/sponsor me onto base...everything. Got home. Put the poltergiests to bed. Decided to comb the house one last time...and I found my wallet! I tell you, Accio could have saved a lot of time and heartache! But the cards were already canceled and new ones were already on their way. I even paid an extra fee to make sure I got my new card in 2-3 days. It was a charge specifically to speed up the delivery to APO addresses. 3 days came and went. No card. 4 days...no card...5 days...still no card...so I called the bank. They sent a new one. I checked the mail every day. Still nothing...Finally, this past Monday, a whole week after a new one being on it's way, the first one came in the mail. They told me at the post office that there was never any guarantee on delivery time to APO addresses. What kind of bull crap is that?! Next time I may ignore Wizarding laws and just Apparate on the front steps of the main branch of my bank and get the card same day! Absolutely ridiculous! Going a whole week with no money?! Or rather, we had the money...it was sitting there...but I couldn't access it! It was a bunch of bull! (Still makes me angry...)

Then yesterday, the day the older poltergiest turned 4 years old, I ran some errands on base...was about to use the stupid, unreliable, ridiculous Muggle post to send out the packages that had been backing up during the week of no money. I get halfway across the parking lot and realize...I didn't hear the jingle of my keys hanging from my finger...moved around everything I was holding...no keys....felt my pockets...no keys...crossed the parking lot back to the car and looked in the window of the locked car...and there were the keys. Ugh. In the middle of a Muggle military base. Using magic was not an option. Unfortunately. Went in to mail my packages (at least I had my wallet!) and asked if anyone in there knew of a locksmith on base, and they said to go over to the family center and ask...I went into the family center...they didn't know of any locksmith on base but said I could call security forces (MPs)...used the phones at the family center, and you know what they said to me? "We're not allowed to do anything" (as in picking a lock or trying to get into the car) "but we can call the fire department and have them break your window" (WHAT?!) "or we can call a tow truck." (Pay an outrageous amount for a tow when all I need is a key?! I think not!) The friends here that have our spare keys while the husband is deployed just got back from their vacation in the States today, so they weren't available to help yesterday. Thankfully, the person that was house-sitting for them was. He was excused from work (he works with my husband, so the boss knew that I had a deployed spouse and 2 kids and was stranded on base...) to go fetch the keys. So, it all worked out in the end, but wow magic would have made it a lot easier!

So the end of the term is fast approaching...though I've already left Hogwarts for this term...my poltergiest has a birthday party tomorrow I have to prepare for! And not only that, but.........we finally got a tentative (as in "can change at any moment for the slightest reason") date for The Homecoming! I'm not allowed to share when it is, but you can believe I'll be throwing a party when he's home!!!!!!!!! But I am very excited about summer camp! I fully intend to be there and look forward to seeing any and all of you there! It's been a fantastic term with an amazing house!

SOAR RAVENCLAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!