OWLs

For the most current OWL subject prompts, go to the House Cup group and find either the OWL proposal thread or the current year's OWL Advisory thread.

Completed OWL Spreadsheet 

Checklist - are you ready to propose your OWL?

OWL basics

OWLs are challenging projects that take 2–3 months to complete. Students must submit a proposal during the first three weeks of term in order to do an OWL, and must wait until their proposal has been approved before they can start their OWL project--unless you have achieved Fledgling or higher status (see below for more info). Students may submit a half-finished OWL during the second month of term to earn 75 points. Students may submit a completed OWL during the third month of term to earn 125 more points. Students may only attempt one OWL or one NEWT or one DRAGON in a term.

There are 12 basic OWL subjects (Detention and Alchemy are not included in this count.) A student must complete an OWL of each subject before being allowed to repeat a subject. That is why we keep track of who has completed what in the spreadsheet linked above. 

• Students who have completed 6 OWLs have reached the Fledgling level and may begin their project while waiting for approval.  

• Any student can check their OWL count any time on the Completed OWLs spreadsheet which is linked in the Owl thread.  Fledgling status applies regardless of when the  6 Owls were finished. 

• Students who have completed all 12 are inducted into the Order of Minerva. OM members may choose to not swatch in addition to being able to start their projects right away.

• Those who complete all 12 a second time achieve Order of Minerva, Level II. Students who achieve all 12 a third time become Order of Minerva, Level III.

Each OWL must satisfy one of the prompt options for the chosen subject. For the list of prompts, navigate to the House Cup group and locate the current OWL thread or the current year's OWL Advisory thread.  There is a handy spreadsheet that may help you place your project in a subject and option here. There is a required template for proposals, change requests, and turn-in posts, which are linked in the current OWL thread.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Wait, wait, wait. I heard something about a Detention OWL. What is this and how do I do it?

Once a year in the Winter term (January-March), we run a special Detention OWL subject just for finishing works in progress. It only runs in the Winter, it does not count towards NEWT eligibility, it does not count towards being an OWL Mistress or Master (all 12 regular subjects), and you can do it once per year. You get an OWL's worth of points and do an OWL's worth of work from what remains on your WIPs, ending up with finished objects.

Do I have to stick with Ravelry-sanctioned crafts for an OWL?

No, you may absolutely submit a proposal for an OWL using a non-Ravelry craft. You can check that spreadsheet linked above for the subjects and options where your non-Ravelry craft project may fit best. 

So what about socks/mitts/mittens/gloves? Do those count individually like in classes?

No, we are old-fashioned about the pairs rule in the OWL area and require at least 2 socks/mitts/etc. for a pair. You can turn in odd numbers above 2, but you must turn in at least 2.

Do I have to include a swatch in my proposal?

Yes. For knit or crochet projects, your OWL proposal must include a swatch to show that you have properly planned for your OWL. Swatching can tell you whether you will produce a fabric that is pleasing to you, and give you information about gauge, if the size of your project is important.

For candidates seeking to attempt multiple-object OWLs, a swatch is required whenever there is a change of yarn/fiber, stitch pattern, or needle size, up to a maximum of 5 swatches per proposal.

Your swatch cannot be the start of your OWL project (a rule change for the Fall 2014 term.)

Those who have reached Order of Minerva, Level I do not currently need a swatch/sample, though by all means provide one if you wish. 

Swatcher's Manifesto by serial swatcher Clara Parkes.

Here's what Knitty has to say.

But.. what about if I need to knit my swatch in the round? 

Some sample scenarios

§ You are making 30 dishcloths out of the same cotton yarn with the same size needle(s), you only need to submit 1 swatch. 

§ You are making 8 berets with 8 different patterns, 3 different yarn weights and 6 different needle sizes, you will have to choose 5 of these patterns to swatch. 

(You may always submit more swatches; not only are we are delighted to see extensive research but having a complete picture of how your materials work together will often prove valuable while you work on your OWL.)

For spinners, sampling is a good idea and we would like to see some element of sampling in your proposal, but it is not required.

For weavers, talk to your examiner about sampling. 

For non-Rav, sampling is encouraged, but not required

I've missed Sorting this term! (or I chose to take a term off)  Can I still attempt an OWL?

Absolutely! Anyone who is a member of the HPKCHC group is welcome to attempt an OWL. Each student may only attempt one OWL, NEWT, or DRAGON each term. (Although they may also choose to attempt an Order of the Phoenix Mission the same term if they wish.)

NQFY (Not Quite First Years) and SoS (Students on Sabbatical) can't earn points for a house, but if they finish their OWL they still earn the relevant badge (they're all at the bottom of the page) and gain completion credit for that subject.

I didn’t finish my OWL last term. Can I repeat it?

If you were unsuccessful, you may repeat an OWL subject. However, you must start the project over or propose a new one—you may not continue to work on the same project you originally proposed and started.

I need to make 3 sweaters for Christmas 2020.  Can I do Muggle Studies for all 3 terms this year to get them done?

We completely understand this particular situation (many of us have been in similar ones ourselves) but, unfortunately, students are not able to repeat an OWL subject they have already passed until they have successfully completed all 12 subjects when they can start over again (and repeat in sets of 12 after that)! However, you could probably find a way to fit your other two sweaters into prompts for two other OWL subjects!

Why does it take so long to get approval?

OWLs are approved on a first-come-first-served process. 

The Examiners truly want you to succeed at your OWL, so we check the complexity of your pattern, your past crafting experience, and the average completion time for similar items to decide if your project is both OWL-worthy and doable for you. You can help them by talking about similar projects you have done in the past and how long those projects took you to finish.

Your examiner may reply to you with additional questions or suggestions to enhance your OWL; they may consult with other examiners, or they may research some details contained in your proposal. All of this does take time, and until time turners become legal, our all-volunteer OWL staff will have to take that time to correctly assess all the OWL proposals.  There are many proposals, and we ask that you please be patient.

So...while waiting for your examiner to reach your proposal, let your mind be inspired by the marvelous class prompts and work on your required class for this month. Your proposal will be addressed as soon as possible.

Why do I have to go through an approval process?

OWLs are supposed to be more complex, challenging projects. We want to make sure that you realize what you are about to get yourself into and have read all of your pattern and thought about any potential problems (if there are any). If we think you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, we’ll suggest ways to make your project more achievable in 3 short months.

Something went sideways in the approval process. I need to talk to someone about it.

OWLs are very important to a lot of people, so sometimes the process gets a little emotionally charged. OWL Examiners will often ask questions to clarify what a student is planning to do and get a grasp on what the student has shown they can do before. Sometimes they will request that a student add or subtract work. As stewards of 200 points with every decision up for critique, Examiners are under some pressure to get things just right. Ideally, the OWL staff wants everyone who wants to do an OWL to be able to find something that challenging but doable for them. 

If you have a concern about the approval process, please talk to the Person in Charge of Testing, or PICOT. Their identity is listed in the Staff List.

How long should my OWL take to complete? 

An OWL is a  project that will be a personal challenge to you which you will be able to complete in 2 to 3 months.

We expect that the average amount of time available for crafting will vary widely from student to student.  Some students may be fortunate if they can squeeze in an hour on a Sunday afternoon by locking themselves in the bathroom so they can't be interrupted, other students may be able to spend a minimum of 3-4 hours a day crafting while travelling to and from work.

Rather than consider a set number of hours needed for an OWL, students should consider challenging projects that realistically they will need to work on throughout the term (while still feeling comfortable finishing within the term.)

Why do I have to have all of my yarn before I can get approval?

For a level playing-field, and because we want you to have every chance to complete the OWL in the time you have.

Can I create my own pattern?

Certainly! Original designs are encouraged. 

If you will be designing as you go along, you do need to alert your Examiner to that fact and be able to describe the key features of your finished project. 

Example: “A stuffed nargle with a cabled body and cats-paw lace wings. The body of the nargle will be at least 16 inches long. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll use a 4-stitch or a 6-stitch cable. It will depend on where I start the lace wing inserts…”

If you are interested in designing an object and creating a publishable pattern, see Option 3: Pattern Writing under the Astronomy OWL, but you may of course design (with or without making a pattern) for any OWL subject.

Can I attempt a weaving project for an OWL?

Yes. Submit your proposal under the OWL category that best fits.

Can I attempt a quilting project for an OWL?

Most OWL subjects are limited to knitting, crocheting, spinning, and weaving. There are a few that allow non-ravelry crafts such as quilting. Read the OWL subject descriptions for more detail.

Can I make a big pile of blanket squares for an OWL?

Blanket squares (or other-shaped motifs for a blanket) aren't really finished objects in and of themselves. OWL projects have to be finished objects at the Final turn-in and so if you want to make squares/motifs, you're going to have to attach them into a blanket. The only exception to this is Arithmancy Option 2, where the point is to have many objects. Unattached blanket motifs may comprise a finished OWL in Arithmancy 2 only. Arithmancy will also accept finished blankets.

Oh, no! I just discovered I don’t have the right needle/yarn/pattern/(insert other catastrophe here)! Can I change my OWL?

Changes are approved on a case-by-case basis by the OWL Examiner throughout the term. Changes to reduce work after the proposal window closes will not be approved. Changes must be posted before the final turn-in. Change-requests are very rarely refused, never a bother, and are not binding--so if you want to go back to your original plan, that's fine (and doing so does not need a change request).

To change your OWL Subject after approval, you will need to mark your old proposal as #withdrawn, and your new proposal must be posted before or on the twenty-second day of the first month of term.

To submit a change request, fill in the change-request template (In the template post in the proposal thread, or in the header for the Midterms and Finals threads) and post it in the current OWL thread. If you are very confident your change is not a reduction of work, and does not remove a required feature of the OWL subject, you do not have to wait for approval. If you are unsure, it is better to wait. Your Examiner will be with you as soon as possible. If there has been no answer within 48 hours, or if your request is last-minute, earburn your Examiner.

Change requests in the last few days of term are risky because we may not see them in time. 

I’m not going to be able to complete 50% of my OWL by midterm. Can I still finish?

Yes. You won’t receive the 75 midterm points, but you are still eligible for the 125 completion points and credit for finishing that subject if you finish your OWL by the end-of-term deadline.

I’ve successfully completed my OWL How do I get a badge?

You’ll find the badges below, (aren't they pretty!) Just right click on the image to get all the usual options to save.