Many people, knitters and non-knitters alike, have been charmed by the world of Harry Potter. But knitters in particular have an affinity for the books and movies of J.K. Rowling because of the emphasis on knitting.
All the kids have house scarves and wear knits a lot of the time they aren't in robes. Mrs. Weasley is the best magical knitter around, knitting gifts for her family and Harry every Christmas. Even Hermione gets in on the act by trying to free the house elves through knitting.
Charmed Knits by Alison Hansel brings the knits of Harry Potter to life with patterns knitters of all skill levels will love.
Charming Knits
Alison Hansel has gathered Harry Potter-inspired knitting projects from all over the web, as well as new, original patterns to delight fans of the books and movies.
Some of the patterns, like the scarves and sweaters, are actually seen in the movies, while others, such as knitted capes, wand holders and socks, are inspired by the characters, colors and costumes in the books and movies.
Thirteen designers contributed projects to the book, which is very cleverly designed and thought out. Projects take readers (and this is a knitting book you'll want to read) from the Burrow to Diagon Alley to Hogwarts and include patterns to give, patterns to make for yourself, and patterns for your favorite little elf.
Patterns
The book has more than 30 patterns, many with multiple variations for different house colors and the changing stripe pattern in the later movies. Some patterns are perfect for kids, while others are made for adults and some offer a broad size range that encompasses people of all ages.
There are sweaters, socks, scarves and bookmarks in house colors, as well as Weasley sweaters, Ron's "animal crackers" hat and Mrs. Wealey's knitting bag, which is a must-have.
Other special patterns include a knit Errol the owl and a throw inspired by Mrs. Weasley's clock that tells her where her family is.
Patterns are arranged by theme and each one is ranked by skill level: first year, ordinary wizarding level and nastily exhausting wizarding test.
Most of the techniques in the more basic and intermediate patterns are straightforward, and a few pages in the back explain the terms and abbreviations newer knitters might not be familiar with.
Knitting for Muggles
The great thing about this book is that all of the patterns have nice, classic shapes. Knit in a different color scheme or without the giants Rs and Hs on the fronts of the sweaters, no one would ever know that you got the pattern from a book of Harry Potter knits.
This book is whimsical and a lot of fun for Harry Potter fans, but it's usefulness doesn't end when you've made a hat, scarf and sweater in your favorite house colors.
