Friday With Firsties!

Greetings, Fellow House Cuppers! I am knidancer, proud first year of Hufflepuff House. Last Friday, fellow First Year Blogger, HermioneWeasley, shared her experience of being a knitting newbie in the House Cup. Today, I would like to describe what the Cup means to a "seasoned" and uhum... "older" knitter like me!

Prior to discovering HPKCHC, I had become rather apathetic towards my fiber crafting. I had done it for so long that it had lost some of its sparkle. I was in a rut, crafting the same safe projects: simple scarves and hats, the never-ending sweater and , if feeling particularly adventurous, the occasional knit or crocheted toy. I would have multiple projects on the needles, but very few finished items to show off! And when I did knit, many of the gifts I knitted for others were received with a smile, but never seen on the recipient again. Non-knitting friends and family sometimes just don't appreciate the time, effort and love that goes into a handknit!

Iknow that this is going to sound like a weight-loss product advertisement, but "after I found HPKCHC, I quickly began to lose pounds of excess yarn, knitting and completing one project after the other! And I have so much more energy and enthusiasm since I joined the Cup!" haha
But seriously, I now have a renewed passion for the fiber arts and have knit more items since I started in October as a NQFY than I have in the past 2-3 years! And my work has become more about quality; I am attempting things I thought I never would, such as starting my first pair of socks and a shawlette. And I have regained my interest in colorwork and have even toyed with the idea of spinning! These endeavors are, in great part, due to the support, friendship, and sense of community I experience with my fellow Cuppers. Where else can you find someone who will excitedly converse with you about the intricacies of a new technique, or that rare skein of Peruvian alpaca you save up for, or even, who is hotter: Harry, Ron, or Draco?

Lastly, HPKCHC is so much darned fun!! I love being able to escape for a few precious minutes, several times a day, and visit with my friends at Hogwarts and hear about what they are working on, catch up on knitting and Cup gossip, and participate in the fun classes and activities. I am no longer alone in a knitless wasteland - I am amongst knitting friends!

I didn't have any recent photos of completed projects, so instead I included a photo taken of me at the Grand Canyon - now if I could just find the perfect colorway of yarns to catch that breathtaking scenery!