For most Harry Potter fans right now there is a giant, gaping hole in our lives. The last book is read, the last film has been seen (possibly more than once), and there we sit twiddling our wands and wondering what now?
How about a Harry Potter knitting book? After all there is a lot more knitting in Harry Potter than the average muggle realises: Mrs Weasley charms her needles to knit, Hermione knits her elf hats and socks, in the Half-Blood Prince Dumbledore says “I do love knitting patterns…”, and even the unknitterly Hagrid is said to be “knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent” in the first book.
For those of us who generally keep two wands handy at all times there is Charmed Knits, a Harry Potter knitting pattern book by Alison Hansel. If the title wasn’t exciting enough then chapter headings like “Weasley Knits”, “House Colours”, and “Home at Hogwarts” will give you an idea of the treasure it holds.
The patterns are categorised as First Year, OWL (Ordinary Wizarding Level), and NEWT (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test), and there is a standard book of spells with abbreviations and techniques to help you if you accidentally cast a bat-bogey hex instead of purling.
As for the 30 patterns inside, they are just what a Potter fan dreams of. The traditional Weasley Sweater is just as cosy-looking as you’d expect and the pattern goes from toddler to adult XXL (I love that she realises grown ups want them too), the Invisibility Shawl is chic and lacy, the House Scarves (in both first and third-fourth year patterns) are simple but fabulous, Hermione’s knitting bag has Goth-style, and the Phoenix Tears scarf will have you singing like Fawkes.
In short the book is magic. The Room of Requirement couldn’t have produced better. I heartily recommend you jump on your Firebolt for the nearest bookshop, in order to threaten your bookseller with an unforgivable curse until they hand over a copy.
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