I am a fan of the Harry Potter novels. I loved them and couldn't read them fast enough. I always think a book is better than a movie, but I've enjoyed the movies as well.
I've knit many, many Harry Potter inspired projects, designed some of my own, and share some of my favourite free Harry Potter pattern links as part of my web site.
But, I haven't tried to specifically copy any of the knitted items from the movies. Until now. Hermione's colour work scarf in the Half Blood Prince got me. I think it's partly due to my latest obsession with all things Fair Isle!
I looked at every image I could find and here are some of them. There's also a wonderful shot during the movie of Hermione on the train where both ends of the scarf are clearly visible. I've Photoshoped and used Knit Visualizer until my eyes see nothing but tiny charted squares. I've swatched and knit and ripped, knit and ripped some more.
Here are my thoughts on the scarf
There are four different colour patterns that appear in the scarf.
I’ll call them A (blue circles), B (x’s), C (green circles), and D (star).
My best guess from the pictures I’ve been able to find is that there are 8 full pattern repeats and then a partial repeat of A and B. The scarf ends do not match.
A B C D, A B C D, A B C D, A B C D, A B C D, A B C D, A B C D, A B C D, A B.
There are 58 rows to a full pattern repeat, 435 rows for 8 full pattern repeats and the partial. I believe the scarf is at least 60 inches long, more likely 72 inches.
A full round is 72 stitches and again, my best guess is that the scarf is about 4 ½ inches wide or 9 inches wide for a full round.
These measurements would make for a gauge of approximately 8 stitches/6 rows to 1 inch or 32 stitches/24 rows to 4 inches.
The colours have been harder to determine. I believe the background is white, but a white with a grey tone. The blue circles are a shade of royal blue, a brown, and a purple. The darker colour has been the most difficult. I’ve debated about whether there is a black, a navy, and a green, but have finally decided that the darker colour might be all the same green. But, I think it is a tweedy green, possibly a two ply with one ply a dark green and the other a dark brown. Maybe. My best guess.
I’m more certain about the actual chart. I’m fairly confident that it matches the movie scarf pattern.
The scarf is knit in the round and the ends are seamed.
I’ve knit a number of swatches with various yarns and needle sizes and although some of them are close, I don’t think any of them are exactly right. The swatching continues, the search for the perfect yarn continues.
Hopefully others will enjoy the chart.
All of my ideas and my chart - crazy or correct?? - are available here as a free .pdf file.
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When my sisters and I were little, our Bitish
Mom knit tams, sweaters, and gloves for us. We wore Fair Isle for years and nobody else did. I have always loved the patterns, but it is too hard for me.
Posted by: Angela Becks | August 10, 2009 at 07:22 PM
Wow! Pretty darn close! Especially the furthest one in back!
Posted by: Zonda | August 10, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Things like this are precisely why I love knitting - beautiful objects with a dash of obsessive behavior thrown in. Nicely done!
Posted by: Donna | August 11, 2009 at 08:50 AM
I love it!hope you figure it out. I so would not have the patience
Posted by: judy | August 11, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Yes, thank you! I loved that scarf in the movie too (once you become an obsessive knitter, you experiences movies and TV in a totally different way--don't even get me started on the anonymous little boy in The Christmas Story who is wearing a black and white houndstooth sweater!). I am downloading your patterns now! And Angela, I thought Fair Isle was hard too (I think everything I haven't tried yet is hard) but it was so easy. If you want to convince yourself, try the Vyridia hat on ravelry. You'll find you are entirely capable of it.
Posted by: Stacie | August 12, 2009 at 08:24 PM
What color yarns did you use for the one farther back? That seems like the truest, while the largest swatch seems to be the right size. But that's just my opinion based on what you've posted.
Posted by: Alison | August 12, 2009 at 09:12 PM
Just a dash of obsessive behaviour!
The one farthest back is my own Mixed Breed single ply and was the first swatch. It's close, but the chart had some errors in it and the colours aren't quite right. The largest swatch is my own Suffolk wool and in person, it's huge! Far too wide, I think.
I'm working on dyeing some of the single ply into colours that more closely match and I think that may be the answer.
The obsession continues.
Posted by: freshisle | August 13, 2009 at 08:16 AM
I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, too, and love all the knitting in the movies and books! Your scarf is going to be grand!
Posted by: Leslie | August 13, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Hi! I'm very interested in knitting this scarf....or trying to! How many stitches did you cast on? Can you post a full pattern? I'm not that great of a knitter, and I need all the help I can get.
Thanks!
Posted by: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1260458029 | October 23, 2009 at 09:29 PM
John - my version of the chart and ideas about how to knit the scarf are available here -
http://www.freshislefibers.com/Patterns/hermionescarf/hermionescarf.pdf
Posted by: freshisle | October 25, 2009 at 08:16 PM