The Smallest Slytherin Trilogy

[premierludwig]

I have to recommend this fanfiction trilogy because it's the best thing I've read in ages.  It covers the snakey side of things (so lacking from JK's point of view), adds in the youngest years (who don't really seem to exist in the last few Potter books) and fills in a lot of character background to the usually one sided inhabitants of Slytherin

Comments

[premierludwig]

One of the things I love about fanfic is that it gives more depth to the things we love about a character and rounds them out a bit more. And that really needs doing with Snape. Maybe JKR had to hold everything back til the last book so as to not give things away and maybe she killed him off to satisfy all the people who really didn't get him at all (I was routing for him all through Book 1 and a friend of mine was doing the same, but everyone else we know that read the books took him at face value), and if we are dissatisfied with that then absoloutely we should play around with fanfic and discuss things. It seems a shame to let go of a beloved character because the writer upset you a bit with something they did with them. Personally, I'm stubborn and I mist over some of the things I dislike in the books and imagine it my own way. ;) ;)

I'd really recommend Ravelry. I joined a while back but have only recently started using it properly. It's worth checking out just for the free patterns and the advice from other people who've made the item before you. I think it will help you as a new knitter in that there are lots of small projects to practice new techniques on, so it makes it less daunting and you learn faster. I'm learning loads on there. I've gone from only using acrylic yarn to actually dyeing mohair myself in a matter of months because of it.

...and if you fancy the Harry Potter Knit Crochet House Cup, the sorting hat is currently open for sorting sign ups, ready for the term starting January. You can actually just play along without being sorted to get a feel for what is going on if you want. You get categorised as a NQFY (Not Quite a First Year).

If you want to start out on there with a friend to ask about things, friend me, I'm on there as "sentstarr" (and I'm a Divination Professor next term).

[christev]

I'd like to check out Ravelry, but I'm hesitant to get too involved right now, at least not until the sshg Exchange is over. Modding Bingo, plus reviewing All The Things are keeping me plenty busy! I did look a little at some HP patterns, and saw some cute looking book-scarves, House scarf minis to use as bookmarks... but unfortunately the pattern is talking about complicated sounding stuff!

I've made some simple (really simple!) knitted hats to offer as a bingo prize, and got the idea of making two miniature hats, one green and one red, embroider an H and an S, then put them together to form a little ornament. I'll let you know how that turns out!

Meanwhile, I'm putting my figurative finger in the page on Ravelry, for when I can give it more time to explore. :D

[premierludwig]

I'd recommend the washcloth patterns here which use only knit and purl stitches but look really cool (and can be turned into scarves or bags) :
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/wychwoodladys-ravelry-downloads/patterns

And the Illusion knits which again only use knit and purl stitches but when you look at them from a certain angle an image appears (you use two colours and alternate the colours every two rows so no need to know how to change colours, just pick the new colour up each time and start knitting with it):
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dark-mark-illusion-scarf-pattern