| Knit one... |
[Nov. 24th, 2009|08:43 pm] |
| [ | I'm feeling absolutely totally and utterly |
| |  creative | ] |
{Locked against Wizards}
{Locked against Wizards and Ghosts}
{Locked to only Witches who aren't Ghosts}
Oh knickers to it
{Locked to everyone except Ernie MacMillan and Bellatrix Lestrange}
So now I've got a big surprise to hide. And secrets aren't any fun if you have to keep it completely to yourself. And all right, Alicia knows but anyway it's all Alicia's FAULT anyway and she's off on her holidays with her Mam and Dad and a bunch of her aunties on her Mam's side, and little Tabs of course, and because her Mam's a Muggle they're not allowed Owls in case the Aunts faint and they're in some odd little place called a Burren or something that has no internets and I wanted to ask you all anyway because I can't rely on just Alicia's advice in everything and I'm sure you'll all think I've gone mad anyway when you hear this and ANYWAY I've got to talk about it NOW!
I'm going to knit my wedding dress.
See, what happened was like this: Ernie and me have been engaged for a while as you all know, and we've decided to get married in the spring! And you're all invited! I'm not letting Ernie see this on account of that the post's about my dress and it's bad luck for anyone who tells Ernie about it because they'll feel the beam end of my broomstick in a tender place and I could do without getting into too much trouble. Specially with so much on my plate. Actually I'm eating off smaller plates right now so I don't have to use as much wool. Not that we're low on wool, of course, on account of the hundreds of sheep at Llareggyb Farm just that that'll cut the making time down a bit.
It's not just old plain bobble knit, just in case you were wondering - it's a really advanced pattern that's going to look a lot like lace, and the reason I'm going to knit it...soon as the wool arrives while Ernie's out by owl post or I should say owls post really on account of it needing lots of balls...is because Alicia tried to organise my dress design and make it all herself which I thought was really lovely of her before I found out she'd only gone and made the whole thing out of leather. LEATHER?? I can't be a bride in leather, I told her. It'd feel peculiar. Well that's not all I said only I probably ought to give the short version which is that I refused to wear it. So she's going to dye it and cut the train off and wear it herself as my matron of honour. If I haven't strangled her with a skein of two-ply
Anyway.
She said well what are you going to wear then and I said, cos at this point we were arguing a bit, that I was jolly well going to make my own bloody wedding dress and SHE said oh really miss clever pants, I suppose you're going to knit it and I said ALL RIGHT THEN YOU CO I WILL!
She's not really in a mood with me, much, that's just her way. Anyway I promised she could be my matron of honour and she gets to dress in leather, I'm thinking baby blue or pink might be nice for the dye and I hope she agreesSo I'd better get started! I'm good at knitting - always have been, there's no need to be modest about it. I can knit a baby's blanket as soft as swansdown and turn a heel on a sock in seconds. Even the ones I made for Professor Hagrid. I can knit. So I can knit a wedding dress. Can't I?
Actually I quite like the thought of wearing a really finely knitted dress. Our sheeps' wool is really lovely, and Dad has donated the finest fleeces, Mam is right now carding it and spinning it so well there'll be no differing it from what looks like pure silk! It'll be warm but breathable, just the thing for a spring wedding! Unless it rains in which case I'll be so weighed down by a ton of wet wool that Ernie will break his back twirling me in the first waltz, plus I'll smell of sheep which although I like it isn't everyone's favourite smellThe needles I've gone out to get today are tiny. I'm a bugger for losing knitting needles and I hope I don't lose those because whoever finds them won't be pleased with me as they're awful sharp, see. Anyway, I'd best get started, not sure where I'm going to keep it while I'm not knitting it that's the only trouble. Anyone got any ideas where I can hide it? This cottage is tiny and although I thought about reducing charms I thought it might mess with the quality of the wool and I don't want to end up looking like a bag lady in an old saggy cardi. So I need a really good, dry perfectly secret from Ernie place - any ideas?
I'm really looking forward to getting started on this! It's going to be so much fun!! That was good, Suse. You don't sound half as scared as you really are! And no telling Ernie about the dress because it's bad luck! |
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| Kittens! |
[Apr. 4th, 2009|02:42 pm] |
I'm bringing the kittens to school this afternoon! Don't worry Chester Atkins, I haven't forgotten I've given you first pick, so come over to the orangery before teatime and you can meet them and make your choice.
{Locked to Ernie}
Don't think I haven't noticed your carpentry, you silly sausage.
Suse xx |
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| Ooh! |
[Mar. 3rd, 2009|11:59 am] |
Well, I've had a bit of a surprise! Remember that mystery plant I found in the Rose Garden at work? Well, I didn't - and this morning since it was my day off I went round the side of the house where Ernie and I'd made a sort of coldframe out of the old attic window that fell in after that big storm and amazingly didn't break and a few old bricks and some planks, and nearly dropped my cup of tea! It's about a foot tall now, and the leaves are a lovely sort of deep bluish green and quite fat, almost but not quite like a succulent and has fat pale green buds on it! First I thought maybe it was some kind of camellia but it's not a camellia though it's pretty hardy, mind, like they are. It's growing quite nicely in the coldframe but I might have to take it out in case it gets squashed by the glass, and anyway I know Master Wington will want to have a look at it. I did wear gloves of course, you'll be pleased to know, Professor Sprout drummed that into me from the time I started in Herbology - if you don't know what it is and you must touch it, wear protective garments! I've put it in the glasshouse next to the sofa for now, and I'm going to fetch it before I go into work tomorrow. Speaking of work, Jim's fine, he's eating well and I'm managing to feed him just lovely with that extra arm. He's a big softy really, with all he makes a noisy fuss with his roots, and calms right down after a meal so we're getting on famously!
That's all I've got to say at the moment apart from to tell you that Hobnob our kitten isn't a kitten any more and she's had kittens! There are four of them, two brown tabbies and the others are tabby and white. They're really pretty but of course we can't keep them all so if any of you are looking for a new familiar, or know of someone lovely who wants one, please let me know. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 11th, 2009|01:33 pm] |
I've got a Helping Hand! Professor Lupin came over for dinner with us last night and taught me a brilliant charm, it's one that gives you an extra arm for a little while and I haven't tested it out with Jim yet because I've really got to practice with it so I can use it almost without thinking but I can do it and it's really useful! Although I have to admit I had a couple of problems with it at the beginning, always do with new spells really so none of you will be surprised to know that when I first tried it out I got the incantation - Tertimano - completely wrong and ended up with only one arm! Course, it didn't last so I didn't have to nip into St Mungo's which is probably just as well because every time I do, like the time with the Nomblypods, I bump into someone I know and they always get horribly embarrassed and then of course I get embarrased and then all we do is um at each other til one of us is called in! So although I was a bit shocked, Professor Lupin knew what to do and that it'd wear off just fine in an hour, which was great only I'd got so excited about learning the charm I begged Professor Lupin to make a start before I'd actually finished cooking the dinner, but that was fine as well because it wasn't my wand arm that had vanished so I could magic the gravy to stir itself so it didn't skin and Ernie got the pie out for me and Professor Lupin helped with the plates! Then we had a really lovely dinner - I mean the talk and that, not boasting about my Wizard's Pie, mind, though it's one of a few things I always think tastes just right, and then my arm came back and then Professor Lupin helped me with the charm again until I got it right and now I'm getting it right every time!
I'm really thankful to Professor Lupin to have this new charm, it's already proved really helpful with watering the plants in Kew's nursery house and now I know I'll cope if I ever have triplets! Not that we're thinking of starting a family yet of course, we haven't even planned the wedding yet, we've both been so busy! I got a lovely letter from Dewi this morning. Mum and Dad are still rebuilding Llaregybb Farm, and they're getting a new flock in, and they've got a new puppy! Old Shep really is getting on a bit so he's going to be retired as soon as Baggins is trained properly. And Dewi has a new girlfriend called Monica who is apparently really lovely. We'll have to go over there sometime and get together, I feel like we've all got masses of catching up to do and I bet I'm not the only one who feels like that, either and I hope all your families are well and that you've all had a chance to be with them now all this horrible war is over.
Love
Suse x |
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| You'll never guess what I've just done! |
[Feb. 9th, 2009|02:58 am] |
Well it might not sound very special to lots of people but I've just fed a Hydera! Master Wington said that I could be responsible for it since I fed it so nicely which is of course a really big responsibility for me since they're such rare plants! But it seemed to take to me after the initial hissing and lunging so I've been given the key to that greenhouse - it has to live on its own - and I've called it Jim!
Everything's going really well this end of things, Ernie started his job and he's doing really well and very organised with all his inkwells and colour coded quills and official stamps and we've been out and bought a proper bureau because you can't really do things with flour and eggs when there's important paperwork on the kitchen table isn't it! Once we've moved some furniture around I'm sure it'll fit just tidy in the guest bedroom and I'm making some lovely cushions to turn the guest bed into a sofa in the living room and the sofa can go in the little glasshouse which hasn't any plants in yet because they're all in the bathroom since they're too wee to be out in this weather even in the glasshouse and I've always wanted a conservatory, so it all works out pretty well I think!
Hope everyone's well,
love, Suse x |
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| Locked to Allies. |
[Oct. 22nd, 2008|02:36 pm] |
Duw, what a morning! I've had a lovely time whispering the roses - always loved that job on the farm, so much better than going at them with the secateurs and expecting them not to find some way to hack into your arm, poor things! And Kew has masses of the things, rows and rows in between white columns all up and down and round corners and Master Wington asked me to make sure I didn't miss one, and I don't think I did but after a few hours it becomes a sort of blur and then I found it! I found a tiny, wee little spike of green, growing in a crack between the flags in the rosary, and neither me or Master Wington could work out what it was, given it's not really much to look at. All the autumn-shooting plants that grow here don't look a thing like it though, if that makes any sense because as I just said it doesn't really look like much at all, anyway Master Wington said that perhaps a bird had dropped the seed, which of course means it could be from anywhere in the world! And cos nothing's really meant to grow in between the flagstones especially at a place like Kew, it means I could lift it up and take it back with me! It's a lovely strong little plant and I'm keeping it in a pot so I can watch it grow, and maybe I'll find out what it is!
In other news, does anyone know what to do with hair that's grown nearly a foot overnight and is so shiny it'll actually dodge a pair of scissors? We've tried loads of ideas, including sand and even reapplying the whitewash. Poor Ernie's starting to feel a bit self-conscious. |
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| Locked to Allies |
[Oct. 4th, 2008|03:45 pm] |
Duw, what a day we've had and it's only just teatime! This morning Ernie and I went to Kew where we got shown through from the Muggle bit into the magical bit - if you've never been, you have to walk into one of the glass windows when none of the Muggles are looking your way and we did fine but there was a lady there whose dog definitely noticed something was up, but no matter really since it's not likely the dog can talk is it! Anyway, once we were through the first thing we saw was Ernie's Audrey! She's so big now they've had to put her in the entrance hall but apparently she's been very good and hasn't eaten a single person though she's been doing a great job on keeping the pigeons under control. I don't know what it is about London and pigeons, but they're everywhere! When you're in the country and you hear a pigeon you sort of go "aww, there's lovely" but when you're in London and all you can hear is this DOO DOO DOO they make, it's deafening and nonstop and...well it's annoying anyway, so well done Audrey! Well once we'd said hullo to Audrey for a little while, while we were waiting for Master Wington and soon enough he appeared and shook our hands and asked us about how we did in our NEWTs which seems so long ago now I'd forgotten I got an O for Herbology! Fancy that, when I heard how I'd done that was all I could think about for months but of course then we had to fight Voldemort and all so I suppose it was easy enough to forget it, see. Anyway, Master Wington took us all round the lovely greenhouses and there were Hogwarts' own plants, all carefully marked with a little plaque saying "On loan from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". They've got some marvellous specimens at Kew and you could tell our plants had been really well looked after but he never made any mention of my Sally and I was starting to think that she'd pined away, or should that be willowed away? Anyway, I had a great big lump in my throat by the time the tour had finished and then Master Wington said to us we could stop for a cup of tea and I really wanted to go but you know, I didn't want to be rude. So we went into his office and THERE SHE WAS! On his desk in a lovely patch of sunlight, looking as lovely as ever and I just cried then. I was like a big howling thing and so embarrassed and of course I'd left my hankie at Hannah's hadn't I after that little accident with the bottle of coal - that's a Muggle drink. Looks like coal but of course doesn't taste anything like it, it's lovely! Anyway once I'd calmed down and borrowed Ernie's hankie and then Master Wington's hanky he was really nice about it and we sat down and had tea, and some little cakes! AND THEN Master Wington said he thought Sally should stay at Kew and I felt my lip wobble a bit but THEN HE SAID HE THOUGHT I SHOULD AS WELL!!!
I've got a JOB, at KEW GARDENS IN LONDON!
I can start any time I like but as soon as possible please, if that's okay? Of course I'll help with the others to get Hogwarts back to right again, and I told Master Wington that and he said that was admirable of me and he was sure I could be spared from lifting great big stones, so can I?
The job comes with a tiny, tiny dear little cottage but it is a total wreck - Kew was broken into last year by some of Voldemort's werewolves and... well it wasn't nice. And it's sort of why I've got the job, in a way. The poor man, they never recovered his body.
So sad.
Anyway, we're now at my Auntie's and we're about to have tea, so I'll stop writing and give her a hand with the plates and things!
Love,
Suse x |
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| Excited!!!! |
[Oct. 1st, 2008|05:07 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | excited! | ] |
| [ | I'm feeling absolutely totally and utterly |
| |  excited | ] |
| [ | All around me I can hear |
| | excitement! | ] |
Ernie and I are going to London tomorrow! Hannah's going back to St Mungo's now, they need her more over there because just because there isn't a war on anymore people still splinch and kiddies will still get teapots stuck to their elbows and borrow their dad's wands and end up with four noses and things like that. Looks like they've rebuilt enough of it now to open up, and we're going to go with her to make sure her flat's still okay! And, Professor Sprout's asked me to go and talk to Master Wington who's a famous herbologist at Kew if you didn't know, and arrange to get the plants that were evacuated from Hogwarts when things started going hairy like the staircases and that means I'm going to see my Sally again! Aunt Amelia's said she'll look after her for me until we're a bit more settled. And I'm looking forward to seeing my aunt again too, but of course I haven't seen Sally in absolutely years.
Yay! |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 6th, 2008|09:13 pm] |
Has anyone seen my yellow wool? I had three balls of it and I'm halfway through a sock for Professor Hagrid and I'll have to use a different colour for the leg bit of it if I don't find my yellow!
[Private]
Just checking this bit is private because really it's not nice to gossip...yes it is, goodie.
I went to see Professor Lupin just now, brought him over some chocolate though I did check with Madam Pomfrey first that it was okay to, since I don't know you can overdose on chocolate but it's not worth risking it especially if you don't remember some things and you might have way too much if you forgot you'd just had some! He really does look a lot better than he did when I saw him last but then again last time I looked at him properly he was under a lot of stones so there really wasn't much chance of him looking worse mind. He liked the chocolate and I don't think he remembers me at all which is probably just as well because when I was in his classes I really wasn't in the top twenty not even in a class of twenty five...so it's sort of nice that I'm not remembered just for not being really very good with Defence most of the time.
From what he's said he talks like he doesn't remember anything magical at all. He doesn't think of himself as a wizard at all. That must be really weird 'cept it wouldn't be weird if you couldn't remember it at all I suppose but even so it's got to be strange being surrounded by magic all the time if you find it hard to believe. I told him lots about the school and how it was famous and how we'd won the tournament against Beauxbatons and Durmstrang and what it looked like and the ghosts and the staircases that moved and the four houses and even that he and Professor Snape once exorcised a demon right out of me and basically anything I could think of but I have to say I didn't say one thing though I thought about it a few times, not to mention it but wondering when they're going to tell him...
Duw, I hope Ernie gets back soon. I've got halfway through this packet of biscuits without even realising it. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 30th, 2008|11:37 am] |
Duw.
I got myself sat down here to write something and now I'm not sure what to say.
I just wanted really to say hello...and it seems silly to say get well soon to you in the infirmary because Madam Pomfrey's such an excellent mediwitch of COURSE you all will get well soon. But I'm thinking of you all.
Specially you, Fred Weasley. |
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