Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Oliver Wood Quidditch Practice Sweater, Sorcerer's Stone




While Oliver Wood is not featured prominently in the movies, we knitters are treated to several hand knit sweaters modeled by the young Quidditch player in the first film. The first sweater worn by Wood is the simple brown turtleneck he wears while teaching Harry to play Quidditch.

Seamed sleeves and a simple wide rib make this sweater ideal for everyday wizarding wear, and perfect for those of us Muggles who love to emulate wizarding fashion. While no "official" Potter approved pattern exists for this sweater, I found a pattern that would be perfect for whipping up a brown sweater just like Oliver's.

Mandalay Turtle, by Norah Gaughan, is from Guy Knits: Sweaters & Vests (Best of Knitter's Magazine series), and features every aspect of Oliver's cardigan! This book features a full 28 patterns for men, so you can round out your Oliver-approved wardrobe easily!

Image Source: Home of the Nutty (some images were cropped and edited)

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Harry Potter Quidditch Practice Sweater, Sorcerer's Stone





The first time we see Harry in hand knits of any kind is the sweater he wears when Oliver Wood begins to teach him about Quidditch. Harry's navy blue sweater features a large cable motif running from each shoulder down the length of the sweater both front and back, as well as the same cable motif on each sewn in sleeve. Separating the cable motifs is a section of seed stitch on both the front and back center sections of the sweater.

There is no "official" pattern for this sweater, which is a surprise to me. Patterns exist for other sweaters worn in this first movie, and this sort of cable and seed stitch idea seems like one a pattern writer would jump on. I'm hoping someone will decide to write this pattern up, and then I can include it here!

Monday, December 29, 2014

Fred and George Weasley King's Cross Sweaters, Sorcerer's Stone



We meet Fred and George in dark grey/blue mock turtleneck sweaters. While definitely not the last time the twins will dress alike (and use it to their advantage), it is our first time seeing them, together or apart, and we are met not with their sameness, but their trickster nature.

The sweaters the boys wear have raglan sleeves and a mock turtleneck, making them similar to - although not identical to - the traditional "Weasley sweater" all of Molly's children will wear time and again in the series.

While I didn't find a pattern specific to the twins' sweaters, I did find three sweaters whose construction is so similar as to be used easily for these sweaters.

Big Kids Bulky Mock Turtleneck, by Amy Thompson (free Ravelry download)
Firenze, by DROPS Design (free on the DROPS website)
Purl Soho Pullover, by Purl Soho (purchase the pattern on their site)

Image Source: Home Of The Nutty (some images have been cropped)

Percy's King's Cross Station Sweater, Sorcerer's Stone



Percy's sweater is only seen in a few blurry shots, as we don't truly meet Percy until later in the series. A simple v-neck pullover with sewn on sleeves, the sweater appears to be knit from marled brown yarn, and fits a bit baggy - I'm assuming it is either a hand-me-down from one of the older Weasley boys, or it was made large to fit Percy for the entire year, if not longer.

While no pattern can be found for this specific sweater, because it is a more generic v-neck sweater, any pattern can be used to achieve this look.

Image Source: Home Of The Nutty

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Ginny's King's Cross Station Sweater, Sorcerer's Stone




While we only see Ginny in these moments at King's Cross in The Sorcerer's Stone, Ginny is wearing a Molly-made sweater just like most of her brothers. Ginny's cardigan appears to be made in a few asymmetrical color blocked pieces that are sewn together, giving the true feel of a "Molly Sweater".

I couldn't find a pattern for this sweater, but the pieced look wouldn't be hard to replicate on any cardigan pattern.

Image Source: Home of the Nutty (some images were cropped)

Molly Weasley's King's Cross Hat, Sorcerer's Stone




Along with wearing her fair isle cardigan in the first King's Cross meeting, Molly Weasley also wears a dark green cabled beret. It's hard to find a good screen capture of just the hat, and these are the best of the bunch.

You can tell from the first shot the hat has not only cables, but also several garter stitch sections within each cable, making the work intricate and fun. So many of the items attributed to Molly Weasley (or implied as having been made by her) feature distinct and difficult color work, but this hat features a more intricate stitch pattern instead. It is one of the few single-color items worn by Molly (or knitted by Molly) in the series of movies.

Image Source: Home of the Nutty (some images were cropped)

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Molly Weasley's King's Cross Sweater, Sorcerer's Stone





The first time Harry meets Molly Weasley, she is wearing this amazing fair isle cardigan. From these first scenes, Molly's knit wear speaks to her desire to use every scrap, her love of color, and especially her fondness for the handmade.

A Ravelry search left me with no links to a pattern for this exact sweater,but the construction appears to be a basic seamed cardigan with an afterthought button band.

Image Source: Home of the Nutty (some images were cropped)

Harry Meets The Weasleys


Hand knit items aren't introduced to the Harry Potter world until Harry is at King's Cross Station, attempting to find Platform 9 3/4. It is there he sees the Weasleys for the first time, decked out in hand knits and headed for the train.

I love that the costume department brought hand knits into the movie with the Weasleys. This family has always represented comfort and home to Harry, much as knitted items do the very same for those of  us who knit them. And so it is no surprise that as Harry meets the people who will become his emotional family, we are visually treated to the comfort of hand knits for the first time.

Over the next week or so, I'll share the sweaters and hats shown in the King's Cross scene, as worn by the Weasleys, and hope to find some patterns as well!

Image Source: Home Of The Nutty

Friday, December 26, 2014

Welcome!

Welcome to Harry Potter Knits, my quest to document every knitted item in the Harry Potter movies.

A hat knitter by trade (and passion), I've knit my way through many of the hats worn by the characters in the Harry Potter movies over the years. However, there are quite literally hundreds (maybe thousands?) of other knitted items featured on the characters in the movies.

Over the years knitters and crocheters alike have written patterns that pay homage to these knitted items, and I hope to link to as many of these patterns as possible as I share each knitted item.

The plan? To work my way through screen captures from each of the movies, sharing knitted (and crocheted!) items one post at a time. I will categorize by movie, character, and more as I see fit, and will share as many photos as I can find of each item.

As I share each item, I will share links to patterns made in honor of that item (where patterns exist). When I find I have missed a pattern, I will go back and edit the original post to reflect the patterns, and will most likely write a new post for this new addition.

This is most definitely a labor of love, and so I cannot promise to get everything up super fast, but I will work at it one day at a time. My current plan is to start with the first movie and simply work my way forwards. If you notice I've missed a knitted item in a movie I've already finished, or I've missed a pattern for a knitted item I've already featured, feel free to e-mail me at shemakeshats(at)gmail(dot)com.

Enjoy the space!