Ask A Ravenclaw

Soprano1 sits in a squashy armchair by the fire in Ravenclaw Tower, arduously knitting in ends on some stranded-colorwork baby booties.  A large bag full of lace and beads occasionally whacks her on the head, a bit of Traveling Scarf nips at her ankles, a single child's striped sock dances on the table nearby, chanting what sounds like "Where's my mate? Where's my mate?" in a tiny high-pitched voice.  Most eerily, the head of a lavender-colored elephant floats in midair in front of her, looking dolefully at her as if to say, "Are you ever going to finish me?"  And a long bit of 2-stitch i-cord is winding its way slowly up her right leg.


"Nothing is finished, not one project," she mutters.  "It's already halfway through March and I'm never going to get anything done."  She takes a sip of butterbeer and goes back to weaving in ends, and barely glances up when Peck flutters down to rest on her shoulder.


::Person?::
::Soprano1?::


Soprano1 looks up, finally, at her tiny owl companion, and seems slightly dazed as she asks, "What is it, Peck?"


::Person, Peck sorry but...::
::is Tuesday::


"Oh!" Suddenly Soprano1 is looking alert.  She puts down the tapestry needle and pushes the big lace shawl out of her way.


::Rock and Stick Person say Peck better bring Person letter::
::Is here::


Peck holds out a claw, clasping a tiny envelope.


Soprano1 takes out her wand, whispers Engorgio! and the letter pops up to normal size.


Dear Soprano1,


I keep hearing about the Warpy Weaving Snarfalump, but I don't know what it is, or where I can find one. Do I need one?  Are they Very Scary? Please help!


Love,
Weavemenot.


Dear Weave,


As it happens, I know the answer to this, having recently had first-hand experience of the Warpy Weaving Snarfalump.


This very past weekend, I and a group of other Hogwarts students encountered a Warpy Weaving Snarfalump on a field trip to the mysterious land of Northampton, Massachusetts.  We gathered together in a magical place called WEBS, full of yarn and fiber and fabulous yummies!  But even here, as demonstrated by Fantasyflyte, there were early concerns about the possibility of meeting a Snarfalump.

The trail into the Moste Magickal Chamber of Yarn is a beautiful one, and those who enter for the first time are often overwrought, as was ACWmaiden:

At first, we thought the most frightening creature we would meet was Mardi Gras Barf Yarn.  Poor Vertigo1414 looks quite shocked, does she not?

Here we are playing "Guess which one is the Deputy Headmistress?"  Don't let the matching sweaters fool you!

Next up, we uncovered several strange creatures:

A Rare Shelf Moose

A Felty Penguin

Is that an octopus?  I need to teach my kid to use the zoom lens.

And of course, the Wild Buttoned Hedgehogs!

But no Snarfalump!  We were relieved!  Baskets were filled!  Headmistress NeedlesnSwiffers relaxed and began working on her OWL. 

But then BrittneyK spotted it.  How pleased she looked:

Sparksearcher heard her call and looked up in alarm:

Or is she just terribly pleased about that shinyshiny yarn she's squishing?

Hale and TrustCrazyIdeas may have thought this was it, but it wasn't.

And... no, that's not it either.  That's D1 wearing my sweater.

At last, the Deputy Headmistress and the Headmistress spotted it.  Leading the way, they discovered it lurking in the Weaving Department:

Fortunately, it was easily subdued and we all returned to relaxing in the conveniently placed armchairs.

The V was particularly tired, and thought that Vertigo1414 made an excellent pillow.

It was quite an ordeal, Weavemenot!  The Snarfalump is truly a terrifying creature!  But we got to eat at a Muggle restaurant and buy tons of yarn, so it was all worth it.

Hope you get to come with us next time we hunt the Warpy Weaving Snarfalump!  Hogwarts field trips are the best!

Excuse me, now, I must get back to my OWL before this silly bag hits me in the head again.

Love,

Soprano1