THREE WEEKS!!!

Can you believe there are only 3 weeks left to the swap??? Oh my gosh! Thankfully I ordered my needles and stitch markers already. I only have to get the yarn now. I was going to knit a bag, but think that this one will definitely by sewn.

QUIDDITCH
I was going to start the first Quidditch round this weekend, but murphy's Law definitely prevented me from focusing on this swap. So, this is what will happen. This Wednesday the trivia will be posted for all to see. The Snitch will be released on Saturday. This will give everyone a chance to get their trivia answers up. NOTE!!! Once the Snitch is found the trivia questions are removed from the site and points will be totaled. In order to get two rounds in the next round of Quidditch will take place the following week.

Prizes are yet to be determined.

Question

How many stitch markers are in a set?

A question for (my) confusion

I am wondering if we are supposed to knit socks for our exchange partner, or just send yarn and a pattern. I noticed that the first swap involved knitting the socks, and when reading a few participants blogs, they say they are knitting their partner's socks. Unfortunately, not all of the blogs I have looked at seem to have been updated, so I am not sure if they are knitting for this (#2) swap, or the first one (since a lot of folks seem to be in both). I just need a little help an if I am supposed to be knitting a pair of socks so I can plan my calender. Thanks!

Supplies

So, I got my bag supplies for my partner. I have a plan. And it will be executed this weekend. Here's to teasing your partner with too little information to be useful but enough to wet her appetite. Cheers!

Questionnaire

All partner information has gone out. If you still haven't received your partner information please email me at bordeaux700 AT Yahoo Dot Com.

Please post this questionnaire on your blog. Your partner will be visiting you in the next couple of days to check out your quiestionnaire. All who have hers posted by Thusday, June 28th, will earn 5 House Points each.

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

2. List your favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. Or would you prefer circulars?

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?

4. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

5. Do you have any allergies?

Swap Partner Update

I'm done with the partnering and now I'm working on emailing everyone. Panera's is closing so I'm taking my show on the road. Hopefully I'll get all the emails out before 10 p.m.

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It has been a long and busy day. I have just taken myself over to Panera for an uninterrupted time to partner matching! I should be done within the hour.

Early House Points Tally

First a little explanation of how I do this. Points are based on percentage, so no matter how many people are in your House you can still win this thing! Thankfully, this time we are pretty well balanced. The smallest House is Hufflepuff and the largest is Gryffindor. I am not included in the Slytherin's number, so both Ravenclaw and Slytherin have the same amount of participants - 7.

Gryffindor - 70%

Hufflepuff - 66%

Slytherin - 61%

Ravenclaw - 28%

These points were given as a little incentive to boost membership. Swap members had to blog about HSKS2 (worth 10 pts.) and post the logo in their side bar (5 pts.). As you can see Gryffindor is taking a strong lead already, but I have a feeling the they will definitely get a run for their money :)

SIGN-UPS CLOSED

Sign-ups are now closed for this session. Swap members will receive their partners on Monday, and then we'll be off! I have a billion things to do right now, but I will make sure that I get to everyone that signed up today. If you signed up today and you do not see your name on the site by tomorrow evening, go ahead and send me an email, but be warned that you won't hear from me until Sunday evening or (mostly likely) Monday after I get back from camping and all settled.

Sign Ups Prefects, and Vacation

Hello!
Just wanted to let everyone know that sign-ups will close Thursday evening. So, there are a few more hours to let your friends know about the swap! And a few more hours to earn some extra House points for your House by posting the logo and blogging about the swap.

Prefects
We will need someone to volunteer for prefect duty for the Hufflepuff and Slytherin Houses. The prefects job is really just to rally the troops. On Monday I'll email all the prefects the email addresses of the swap members in their Houses. You'll be that extra encouragement to remind them when Quidditch whil be in session and to make sure that they contact the person that they are making a kit for before the end of the swap.

Vacation
I'm going camping with my family and will be gone Friday, Saturday, and will return Sunday afternoon. I will leave my contact information with the prefects.

Early House Points

Hello!
I thought that I would give everyone a chance at earning some points for their House even before the swap begins. I would love to have more people in the swap and the best way to advertise is for all of you to talk about it. So, here are two ways that you can earn points for your House.

5 Points

Post HSKS2 logo in the side bar of your blog

10 Points
Blog about the swap

This only counts for today - Wednesday because sign-ups close tomorrow!

Here are some extra buttons -

Form Complications - Need Information

Hello, everyone!!
I'm so excited to begin this swap! The last one was great!

I'm missing some information from a few of you ladies. I had a problem with the form and it wasn't sending me all the information requested. So sorry to do this to you, but if your name is listed below can you please email me with the needed information? Thank you so much!!!
Email me at bordeaux700 AT yahoo DOT com.

Last Name
Mary (Hufflepuff)

Email Address
Mary (Hufflepuff)
Beth (Ravenclaw)

Sign Ups will begin June 11th

I'm so glad that you came by! We had such a blast with the last HSKS, and so many of the ladies made gorgeous bags, that we though we'd have another one! This round of HSKS will take place during the month of the release of the next HP movie and the release of the last Harry Potter book *sniff* So, if you are crazy about Harry Potter, like so many of us are, please join us!!

You will be swapping a sock kit which will which should total an approximate $30 to $40 and include these items:

1. A handmade (by you!) kit bag in your pals House colors- this can either be knitted, crocheted or sewn, but you must MAKE the bag!

2. Sock yarn in your pals house colors

3. A pair of new knitting needles

4. A set of stitch markers in your pals house colors - handmade or purchased

5. A sock pattern

You may feel free to add whatever little items that you choose to make your package special for your pal.

Musts: For this swap you must have a blog hosted anywhere (It does not have to be a Blogspot blog - my personal blog is a WordPress blog), and you must post in your blog four times a month - so that's 7 times during this swap. You also have to acknowledge in a blog post when you've received your package from your swap partner within 3 days of receiving it.

Before signing up for the swap you must be sorted into one of Hogwarts four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. Please look to the sidebar for links to the Sorting Hat.

Prefects
I will need four people to volunteer as prefects. I'll need one for each House and your role is to simply act as the House Cheerleader. Visit blogs and answer questions that swap members may have.

Quidditch
There will be two rounds of Quidditch during this swap. This swap is shorter than the last one, so we'll only have two rounds and there will be no weekly trivia. Quidditch consists of a trivia challenge, picture scavenger hunt, and a hunt for the Golden Snitch.

How to Join
Sign ups will be closed after the swap reaches 100 participants or by June 21st. Please fill out the form below. Afterwards you'll be brought back to this site. If you would like to have a international pal, please say so in the comments section, otherwise you will be matched with someone within your home country or very close to it :)

This is not a secret swap so you will be able to email your partner to see what her preferences are if they are not answered in the questionnaire.

If you do not see your name listed in the side bar at least two days after you sign up, please email me to see what is going on at bordeaux700 AT yahoo DOT com.

HSKS2 Sign-up Form

First and Last Name: Blog Address: Email Are you a first year? Your House: GryffindorHufflepuffRavenclawSlytherin Home Address and comments (If you are a second, thrid, or fourth year signify sock or scarf swap):