Wednesday, February 10, 2010

February Class Ideas

Time is just flying by! I apologize for the lateness in getting this post up; March's will be right on time (she said, with her fingers crossed behind her back...)!

Transfig: Make something scary.
That's it.  Just make something scary.  What scares you?  DPNs, magic loop, spiders, tiny needles, acrylic, spiders, cold tea, spiders?  Use a technique you've been avoiding, or make a furry bag out of something vile and acrylic.

DADA: Unscarify something that scares you.
(Yes, I just made that word up.)
So, let's revisit that list of things that terrifies you: steeking, spiders, colorwork, seaming, two socks at once, spiders.  Pick one and make it funny, or cute (I was going to link an amigurumi spider here, but looking at them gave me the shivers-ugh!), or easier to tackle.

There are bonus points for Transfig and DADA if you make two separate projects and somehow link them together.  So make a scary icky fish for Transfig, then make sushi for DADA (no, not the fish to sushi amigurumi--you'll have to make two separate projects to get them counted for both classes).  Or make something out of horrifying acrylic for DADA and then make a baby blanket for a friend out of nice, soft, not-evil (ha, I laughed when I typed that; there's no such thing as not-evil acrylic) microfiber.

Potions: Make something hateful.
Very, very similar assignment to Transfig this month, but with some subtle differences.  As with Transfig, the hate can be for any part of the construction: the technique, the materials, the finished product, the recipient.  Generally you've got a reason to hate something.  Is there a technique you KNOW you don't like using?  A fiber you're allergic to (if you're strongly allergic, don't try to go this method. I'm talking about mild discomfort here, people. Mild.)?  Can you make something for someone, knowing they'll hate it? You'll get bonus points for schadenfreude, and making that person have to pretend to like your gift.  This is your chance to make that Weasley sweater for a 16-year-old.
Basically, if you're looking at a project wondering if you should knit on it or stab the needles into your eyes, you're doin' it right.  (Please don't stab the needles into your eyes.  We encourage small projects for Potions this month.  So it's over before it kills you.)

Charms: Hidden messages, or objects that change.
Oh, this one is so open-ended! (Okay, they all are...)  Just about anything qualifies as a hidden message--binaryrunesinside jokesillusion knitting...  Sell it. Kiki is mulling over the secret language of flowers. Anything that means something to you that a casual viewer won't see or understand is a perfect hidden message.
Things that change have been covered pretty extensively in the class thread, but the basic idea is that it has to be a complete transformation.  We're talking sushi/fish (yes, the amigurumi this time), chicken/egg, scarf/shrug (keeps neck or shoulders warm, but not both at the same time), or anything else that changes completely from one thing to another.

Herbology: Something you found at the bottom of the lake
It's Gillyweed month!  Grow some gillyweed and nom it, then take a trip into the lake.  All you have to do is knit up something that represents your journey or something you found.  Don't forget to add a short essay about the effects the gillyweed had on you.  I have a feeling more creative essays will get more bonus points this month. :-)
Things you could make: water (waves, feather and fan, etc), lake plants (kelp, coral), fish, mermen, rocks, bubbles, nets, or pretty much anything that might have been dropped into a lake at some point.

Astronomy:  Something from Antichthon, the Earth's opposite
What would you wear to this planet? What would you bring back from it? What colors would it inspire for your own projects (maybe everyone wears yellow hats there?)?  What kind of strange muggle or wizarding technologies do they have?  Remember to include an essay about your experience on this planet.  Like Herbology, Astronomy projects will benefit from more creative and detailed posts this month.


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