Knitting

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Potter’s Snitch Needles

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I admit it, I’m a Harry Potter fan. I have all the books, (I’m almost finished with the last book – don’t tell me the ending!!!) all the DVD’s and have seen all the movies in the theater except this last one due to my son’s wedding. I have also bought the [tag]Charmed Knits[/tag] book by [tag]Alison Hansel[/tag].

But, this is the cutest idea yet – [tag]Golden Snitch Knitting Needles[/tag], now why didn’t I think of that? Lisa Stringfellow writes on the [tag]Lion Brand[/tag] Customer Project site”I am an avid [tag]Harry Potter[/tag] fan and have been helping to organized a Charmed Knits KAL event in my area. I had the inspiration to make some Golden Snitch knitting needles to display in the yarn shop where our event will be held. Hopefully these needles will make knitting “fly” even faster!”And if you want to make a new [tag]Hogwarts scarf[/tag], Lauren Kent has a scarf pattern on her website showing Hogwarts House colors and recommends yarn that best matches the House colors.


Gryffindor
scarlet and gold
Slytherin
dark green and silver
Ravenclaw (books)
blue and bronze
Ravenclaw (films)
medium blue and silver

Are you hosting a Harry Potter party? Check out these DIY Harry Potter crafts on Craftbits.com that we made and take a look at them in our very own Harry Potter Party we hosted. We also created these Harry Potter cupcakes and share the tutorial here. Check out the Harry Potter Cookbook too for fun party food.

If you are looking for Harry Potter gifts check out these on Etsy.

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Comments

  3. Looks like a wooden bead painted gold on the end of the needle and the wings are maybe paper or white fabric. There’s no pattern there so I’m not 100 percent sure…

Have you read?

Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]