[HPFGU-OTChatter] HP merchandise I'd like to see

[Catherine Keegan]

At 06:34 PM 1/9/02 +0000, you wrote:
>A Hogwarts robe (adult sized, please) with the Hogwarts insignia plus
>a secret pocket for a wand.

http://halloweencostumes4u.com/harrypotter.htm I can't tell from the 
pictures whether they're worth the money or not.  If you can sew, I think 
you'd do better to make it yourself.  Any robe pattern with a hood should 
work.  I've been looking for the insignia in a patch form but haven't been 
able to find it.  If you find one, let me know!  I've more or less decided 
to embroider one if the fit takes me to make up the robe.  I'm way too old 
to be a student though so I'm thinking staff robes would be fine.

>Those goofy little student hats.

These are also easy to make.  Buckram, flannel and your "fashion 
fabric".  You could probably hot glue the whole thing together (shudder) or 
do the proper millinery thing and hand stitch it.  I've made hennins before 
and these are close.  They don't take more than an evening if you're really 
fussy.

>Gryffindor (or any house) scarves and gloves.

I killed some time today looking for these on the net and have only found 
them on auction sites.  Knitting them wouldn't be that hard.  The yarn 
looks more chenille-ish than wool-ish which might make it go faster.  If 
you know someone with a knitting machine, you could probably crank one of 
these out in a night.  It would take me several evening to knit one and the 
edges would look kinda bumpy.  I haven't knitted in years.  Crocheting 
would probably work, too and the color changes would be pretty easy.  It 
was also pointed out that universities with similar colors would probably 
carry those scarves.  USC = Gryffindor.  Maybe the NFL sites would have 
scarves?  Eagles = Slytherin?

>Pet owls.  Real ones.

You don't want to keep an owl as a pet.  Really.  "Magic" owls as JKR 
writes of might be ok but real owls are not cuddly creatures.  If you 
hand-raised them (thereby making them un releaseable and forcing them to 
lead lives inside of an aviary), they might be ok but I wouldn't count on 
it.  Make sure you're willing to feed them rats/mice/chicks.  They need a 
complete animal to keep healthy.  I've seen a few that were fed hamburger 
meat and, if they were chicks at the time, their bones degenerate and they 
shake.  Adults also have degeneration but I can't recall if they shake, too.

>Size 2 pewter cauldrons.

I still wonder at pewter.  Pewter melts at such a low 
temperature.  Obviously, the fires they use in potions must be magic, too, 
or the silly things would melt all over the floor.

>Seeds for a wizard's garden (Aconite and other actual plants)

These are available.  I picked up aconite seeds at a really nice chi-chi 
garden store in Berkeley.

I'd be happy with a trip to Flourish and Blotts.  Ollivander's would be 
nice, too...

Catherine in California