Dear Friends, let’s have a chat about our beloved HP Craftalong. As you’ve probably noticed, I didn’t get the points tallied and winner announced yesterday, like I normally do. And I haven’t announced a new term as being open yet. That’s because, I just don’t have one up my sleeve at the moment. I’ve been trying to carve out time to research and write prompts all month, and I just haven’t been able to.
Partly this was because I found myself unexpectedly making a twin size bed quilt for a Ada, on a very short deadline. I hadn’t been planning on switching her to a twin bed for awhile yet, and it threw me for a loop. But it’s only part of the reason. The rest, is that I’m in the crazy-busiest part of my Mom journey right now. Ada is in preschool part time, 3 days a week, and no longer takes naps. After I drop her off there, do a workout and grab a shower, I get about 1 hour - 90 minutes to either do errands, catch up on chores, craft, OR do Lettuce Craft Mod work/HPC work. On the days she doesn’t have school, I might get 30 minutes of time to cover any one of those things, before I start cooking dinner. Despite being a super organized person, with a set schedule of chores and tasks for each day, and despite outsourcing tasks like grocery shopping (thanks Walmart delivery!), I feel like I’m barely keeping up with everything in my life. And sometimes that barely becomes not at all.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I simply can’t keep running this Craftalong by myself. I need either 1 or 2 people who legitimately have the time and dedication to help me (more than that would be too many cooks in the kitchen); or I need to pass the Craftalong to someone else entirely, to do with as they wish; or I need to let it go until Ada’s in school full time.
So, is there anyone who does have the time, who is seriously interested in helping run the Craftalong?
And just something to talk about in general about the HPC… I know it has come up before, but we used to be a much bigger Craftalong. When pinkleo started it, we often had 45 active members on any given Term. We now average 8 members. I don’t know if people have left the fandom because there are no longer new books and movies coming out. If so, will that change dramatically when the new show premiers on HBO next year? Will we suddenly be full up with active participants again? Or perhaps J.K. Rowling’s problematic opinions on the Trans community are turning people away from the fandom in general. Will LGBTQIA+ folk & allies boycott the new show, the way many did with the Fantastic Beasts franchise?
I have tried revamping the Craftalong, changing points and rules to be easier to understand. Switched up themes for prompts, after things got tired over the 14 years this Craftalong has been running. I’m really not sure what else to do to bring us new members, and make our Craftalong a more busy & vibrant group. Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Honeyduke’s 
