I tried to spread my reading of Book 1 over a few days, but alas, I was done by Sunday afternoon. So then I began to listen to Stephen Fry’s audiobook of it while I knit (finished audiobook by night and completed a fingerless glove). I think this will be my format for the first three books more or less, read and listen to the audiobook. For the longer books, it depends on the knitting project, but I think I’ll continue to do a mixture of both because it gives me something to listen to while I’m knitting. I also recently acquired all six of his audiobooks for it so I’ve listened to 1 and 6 now. I’ve decided to blog my reactions to the book, but possibly two books at a time for the moment. I have to bide my time until Saturday when another book begins. The anticipation is starting to simmer in me. I just want to read them all in one big marathon.
Finished Book 1
Okay, I do admit to having started the book Thursday. But I was also making sure to read really really slow for me. So Saturday at midnight, I was only finishing Chapter 2. But I finished Book 1 last night about 10 pm. Can I go ahead and start Book 2 if I promise to read really slow again? I just started a different book though so that will slow me down some. And yes, I am a fast reader. I read Book 6 when it came out in less than 48 hours.
Have you started?
I happened to be up just after midnight, so started in on Sorcerer’s Stone. Heading to the kitchen right now for a nice cup of herbal tea, and a little more reading before I go back to bed.
Headstart
Because of timezones (I’m in New Zealand) I just realised I’ll get a headstart on most of you with the reading *chuckle*
Catch me if you can!
Are You Ready?
I am!
Is anyone going to a knit in public event? I am hoping to go up to Minneapolis, which means an hour each way to listen to Sorcerer’s Stone on the ipod! Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Today they are talking about tornados in the region …
Day after tomorrow
I’m psyched. I’m ready. I’m furiously reading my current book so I can start fresh first thing Saturday morning.
Are you ready?
Four days and counting
Are you psyched? Are you excited? Is your copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone jumping off the shelf, opened to page 1?
I must resist. I must resist. I must resist.
Until Saturday. 
The Sorting Hat Says…
Well, I must be a Hufflepuff because this is the third time I have been sorted that way with three different quizzes. Get Sorted Now!
My Read Along will actually be more of a Listen Along…audio books are great for maximizing knitting time! Can’t wait!
12 days to go
And I’m chomping at the bit to get started.
A month from now…
In just a little over a month we’ll start reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Do you have your book? Do you have all your books yet—well, except book 7? Do you have a line on book 7 yet? Have you pre-ordered it somewhere? Will you get it in the mail, or will you go pick it up?
I have all the books, sitting on the shelf, ready, waiting, expectant. I plan on running over to the nearest Costco to pick up Deathly Hallows the day it’s released, like I did last year with the Half-Blood Price. They had a lower price than anyone else, plus I didn’t have to pay shipping. All good.
I’m also getting pretty excited. Looking forward to starting in…
Buttons
I made a couple new RAL buttons. If you want to use any of them on your blog, or whereever, please remember to upload them to your server first, don’t link to the button here. Thanks!
I’ll go put these in the sidebar, too. Speaking of the sidebar, be sure to check out my list of Harry Potter-related links. I found a bunch more, and they’re all there.
House Yarns
Jennifer of canCalcar Acres is dyeing up yarn for the different house colors. She is looking for opinions on what people are looking for. Go on over and check it out than let her know. I do have a new HP related book to review on Monday. I need to finish reading first.
Two knit alongs
For those of you who are interested, I just added links to two knit alongs to the sidebar: Hogwarts Sock KAL and Charmed Knits KAL.
New HP Related Swap
I just saw this earlier today and signed up for it. It is a Hogwarts Sock Swap. I will use any excuse to knit a pair of socks. I think it is a great chance to get some HP related knitting done.
Different Covers
Have you seen the two different covers for the British edition and the American one? I like the British one better. Here is a link to an article in the Chicago Times about the covers.
Cover art!
They’ve released the cover design 
for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Love it! The whole thing is here. And, as usual, the British edition art is different. Very different (I love that “S” pendant!).
I am so looking forward to reading this book.
Tell your friends about this RAL. We need more people!
Members
We have 14 members, which considering that we won’t even start reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for months yet, I think is pretty cool.
There are as yet two outstanding invitations, membership invitations that were requested, but have languished unused. The invitations went to email addresses that start this way:
- pontiacje2000
- tashage
If either of those is you, and you need me to resend your invitation, please let me know. My email address is in the sidebar (click the “Click here to join” link).
If you’ve signed up and have a blog already, please, please, please put a link to us in your sidebar. You can borrow on of the buttons I made, or make one of your own. The important thing is to get the word out! Thank you.
Laura
Horcrux Sock Pattern
I don’t know how many of us are sock knitters, but Susan over at I’m Knitting As Fast I Can has posted a pattern for Horcrux Socks. The pattern looks like it will be fun. The pattern is done in a worsted weight yarn but I am planning on doing mine in sock weight. I am just strange like that.
Book to Read While Waiting
I don’t know how many of you had seen the book written by several of the people behind Mugglenet.com called What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7 but it is worth picking up and reading. This book was published before J.K. Rowling released the name for Book 7. I picked up the book yesterday in the bookstore because my niece called me and asked me to pick it up for her. Of course, I am reading it first before I give it to her. There are several very good points and arguments in the book that will have you reading the books again with a new perspective.
The HP Movies
I would like to suggest that we all watch the movies and compare them to the books. Last night, I popped in The Sorcerer’s Stone to watch while I knitted. I am always curious to see how the movies differ from the books. Plus with the movies, you can knit and watch. And it is always interesting to see how the actors have grown since the first movie.
Related books
Since there seem to be a lot of knitters in the group so far, I added Alison Hansel’s upcoming book Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter to the sidebar under Links. If you know of any other related knitting or stitching books, please let me know, and I’ll add them to the list.
I don’t see why we need to limit ourselves to just reading about Harry and his friends… 
Snape?
This is my first time using WordPress so it took me a few to figure it all out. So here’s my first post.
Last weekend I went to Border’s to preorder the final book. While the clerk was entering the information, another clerk held up two stickers and asked me “For Snape or against Snape?” After some deliberation I said For Snape. So I got a pro Snape sticker. It was a popular decision with the clerks. Anyone else For Snape? And does anyone else have a sticker??
Peace
Jill
It’s growing
Our membership, that is. Including me, we are already 11 strong. Woohoo! Harry Potter fans. Cool. I still have a couple of memberships pending, people I haven’t heard back from. This is the list of current members. If you think your name should be here, but you don’t see it, let me know.
- Laura (that’s me)
- Amy
- Jill
- Kathy
- Mia
- Kim
- Siran
- Michelle
- Stephanie
- Lisa
- Terby
And they’re off…
Woohoo! The RAL is only a few days old, and already we have a number of members, and several pending. If I sent you an invitation, please follow the link to get a WordPress account. Once you have done that, you can log in to WordPress (see the link in the sidebar under Meta) and post.
Welcome to all!
If you take a look at the sidebar, you can see that I made a couple of buttons for your blogs. Please remember to upload any button you use to your own server before linking to it. Also, if anyone’s good at making buttons, please feel free to make a stab at it for this RAL. I’ll happily share good buttons in the sidebar so everyone can use them.
I’m so excited about the final book coming out that I can hardly stand myself. LOL
An idea for a read along
Deb and I were talking the other day, and I was struck by an idea. This little read along blog is the result.
The idea—really, it’s Deb’s idea to do this, but mine to make it into a RAL—is to read one of the existing Harry Potter books per week in the six weeks leading up to the release of book seven, the final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, when it is released on Saturday, July 21, 2007.
Be sure to check out the reading schedule. You have plenty of time to gather the current books, place your order for the seventh book, and get ready to read.
