Book Description Review Doubles over as a solid collector’s item for those fans who can’t stop adding new things to their mountain of stuff. There’s no judgement here, especially since this knitting guide looks pretty awesome., Nerdist”A how-to manual designed to delight all fans of J.K. Rowling’s fantastical series.” , Martha Stewart.com”Fans who knit have even more options for expressing their love of all things magical.” , Apartment Therapy”Calling all wizards! Do you want to make magic with nothing other than your knitting needles? Then look no further… this guide will help you create Hogwarts magic in your own home, with something for every level of knitter.” , Simplemost“With a little creativity, you can bring some of the warm and fuzzy feelings of Hogwarts into your home.” , Mental Floss Read more About the Author A graduate of RISD and mother of two, Tanis Gray is the author of 9 knitting books and has over 500 published knitting designs. She has worked for Vogue Knitting, Martha Stewart, HBO, and Focus Features, was a regularly featured guest on Knitting Daily TV, has multiple stranded colorwork classes on Bluprint, and teaches knitting worldwide. Read more Customers Review: Wow – this book is gorgeous. It’s much larger than I expected – 207 pages, including 27 patterns. The photos and book design are wonderful. Throughout the book there are photographs, drawings, anecdotes about and quotes from the Harry Potter films. These “Behind the Magic” sections are a delight for fans of the series. The book is definitely not a beginner’s knitting book! Though there are a few easier patterns (4 are labeled 1 lightning bolt / ‘ beginner’), most of these involve more complex knitting techniques and will be fun and challenging for an experienced knitter. If you are a beginner or brand new knitter interested in this book – you will definitely need to use other resources to teach yourself the basics as well as eventually the advanced techniques like stranded colorwork and beading.There is a wide variety of objects to make here. 6 sweaters, 3 amigurumi knit animals, 6 scarves and cowls, a beaded shawl, 4 mittens, 2 socks, a blanket, and some delightful additions like a Beauxbatons capelet and a hanging Hogwarts mobile. The book is clearly and obviously designed with the films in mind (Ravenclaws take note – they use the screen house colors of blue and silver). There are several patterns for items that are seen on screen, particularly the House Cardigans, House Scarves, Mrs. Weasley’s Christmas Sweaters (yes, they include charted alphabets for each letter!), and Umbridge’s Cat Scarf. These appear to be very close to the versions seen on screen, with recommended yarns and colors to match them closely. I own an “official” Harry Potter cardigan from the screen used mill, and the pattern in the book isn’t an exact match, but it’s very close and a wonderful design. It’s obvious that Tanis Gray worked with Warner Brothers – this is very much an official, licensed book.Each pattern is written, with some also charted, including all colorwork. The patterns begin with a skill level rating (1 to 5 lightning bolts), an introduction about the design, and critical info such as sizing, measurements, gauge, notes, and suggested yarn, colors and needles. There is a glossary of stitch terms in the back with very brief instructions as well. The yarns suggested are mostly specialty yarns that can be found at local yarn stores and ordered online. I have already sourced the recommended yarns for several of the projects from my local/online yarn store, and ordered two others from online. Yarns recommended include some from Cascade Yarns, Berroco, Blue Sky Fibers, Quince & Co, Shibui Knits, Wool and the Gang, and more. If you can’t easily source the yarn or want to choose your own, each pattern gives the name, weight, fiber content, and skein size of the pictured yarn. Most of them are easy to substitute – of course you will want to try to match fiber content and weight when possible. I wouldn’t encourage anyone to try to substitute with big box store yarn for most of these patterns – most big box store yarn in the US (Hobby Lobby, etc) is acrylic and would be a poor substitute for the beautiful wool, silk, and blends in this book.I won’t list all of the patterns because part of the joy of this book was discovering them in the pages! There are some beautiful and fun surprises here. In addition to Tanis Gray’s designs, multiple other designers contributed their unique patterns. Many knitters may be familiar with Paper Tiger / Dianna Walla and her Norwegian mittens, Sara Elizabeth Kellner’s knitted toys, Casapinka, Dana Williams-Johnson, SpillyJane, Stephanie Lotven / Tellybean, Tiny Owl Knits, Susanna Ic, Susan Claudino, Martaschmarta, Heather Zoppetti, Joan Forgione, and Lindsay Henricks, who all contributed designs.If you are looking for a fabulous yarn store that carries many of the recommended yarns, as well as many options for suitable, high quality substituted, I highly recommend the store “Eat, Sleep, Knit” found both online and outside of Atlanta.Patterns by given project skill level (rated 1-5 lightning bolts):Beginner: 4Easy: 4Intermediate: 9Advanced: 6Complex: 4
I’m not sure what JK Rowling was thinking when she allowed this book to be the :official Harry Potter Knitting Pattern Book. The photography is nice yes, there are lots of projects yes, but some of the projects are gosh awful ugly (Professor Umbridge’s Cat Scarf- looks more like an albino snake). And there are more “inspired by” projects than actually anything we saw in the movies. I will go page by page for the rest of my review. Crafty Creatures: While the pixies where fun in the movies and I would like to make a pixie, I feel crochet might have been a better choice to get a better shape for the pixie, the one in this book looks more babyish than the ones from the movie. Fluffy looks good and scary. Hedwig, fine I guess, but I am not interested in creating this version of the famous owl, she seems fat. I wish they would have included a Monster book of Monsters in this category. Wizarding Wardrobe: There are all ready so many Harry Potter Scarf Patterns and Wesley Sweater patterns out there all ready I feel like these two where added for filler and to “fatten” the book. It would have been nice for instance if they instead included the pattern for the matching sweaters Fred and George are wearing on page 41. Also a nice change of pace would have been including the Hogwarts vest some student wore pictured on page 51. Again Umbridge’s cat scarf looks like nothing from the one in the movie and is down right scary to look at. It would have been nice if they included the nice pull over pictured on page 57. Also I would have loved to see a pattern for either Professor Dumbledore’s hat or Profession McGonagall’s tartan hat. Inspired Apparel: Is just that, and here are some really great items and a few flops. “Harry Potter Wizarding World Sweater” is nice and cute, looks comfortable. The “Mirror of Erised Cabled Cowl” is quite beautiful. The “Golden Snitch” socks and mittens ok, put them in the book, I’ll accept them. The Wizarding Transportation Scarf looks fun, I love the yarn choices. The “Dueling Club Fingerless Mitts- I love the idea of adding some beading to a project, however these just don’t hold the shape of the moon phases well and they look a little blobby. The “Show your colors Quidditch socks” look fun. I LOVE the “Owl Post Pullover” I am pretty sure I am going to make this at some point. The cable doesn’t really make me think of Harry Potter, but the owl on the cuff is a neat idea and the hidden message is clever. They should have added a pattern for Uncle Vernon’s sweater pictured on page. 102. The “Expecto Patronum” Mittens are very nice, and I think I will make some for my sister for next Christmas! The “Buckbeak” Pullover does not immediately make me think of the great hippogriff, but it is a beautiful piece that I think would make a great project. The “Beauxbatons” caplet I am a little disappointed in, the collar does not match the original, and it should, and they should have included a pattern for that adorable hat the Beauxbatons students wore. The “Chamber of Secrets” hat is ugly and doesn’t really look what I think they where going for, maybe some beaded work should have gone on this. “Hermione’s time-turner” seater is beautiful, and I hope to make this one too. The “Dark Mark Illusion” Scarf is neat, if your into that dark look. The Nagini Lariat is again ugly and I feel a book filler. Luna’s “Spectresoecs” Gloves are interesting, I never would have put the two together, but the gloves are neat and Lunaish. The “Deathly Hallows Lace-Knit Beaded Shawl” is meh. Delightful Décor: The mug cozies are simple enough for beginners. The “Sorting Hat Hanging Display is interesting, I cant decide if I like it, yet I might make it as a baby mobile for my sister in laws new baby….. The washcloths again or great for beginners. I would like to see a pattern for Rons jumper pictures on page 190, not to mention his hat worn in the movies in the scene where the boys are in their dormitory eating those candies that make them create animal noises. I would LOVE that hat. The “Order of the phoenix Blanket” is neat and looks like quite the undertaking. For them most part a nice book, but I would have expected more items from the actual movies.
I gave this two stars instead of one because there is a pattern I’m interested in knitting. I am so disappointed with this book. I was expecting “official” patterns from the movies with a couple of fan items for good measure, because that’s what the title eludes to, but that’s not what this is. Not even close. There are a couple of things that might qualify (re-print / re-design of Ron Weasley’s “R” Christmas Sweater), but are in no way “official”. If you’d like to knit Harry Potter stuff find a copy of “Charmed Knits”, by Alison Hansel, it’s closer to the films, offers alternate Ravenclaw House Colors (Book Bronze or Movie Silver/Grey), and has projects that are recognizable, fairly straight forward, and far more “film accurate”. These projects just aren’t. You can knit a Pixie, an overly fussy and complicated Hedwig, a revamp of Storm Moon Knits “Dark Mark” scarf, now with words, and sweaters. Sweaters, sweaters, sweaters (“jumpers”), none of which was a costume piece from the film (only one of which is actually from the films). Not even the house’s cardigan is close to accurate save the color accent to denote the student’s House on sleeve, neck and waist bands. Not to mention the cover is filthy and damaged. Just a bummer all the way around. My knitting needles are sad now. |
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