Jackie just started hp_knitting, a LiveJournal community "devoted solely to those who have / had / are planning to knit their way into Harry Potter fandom."

Check it out!

Also on the knitting news front, Cindy has sent me an update on her Ravenclaw scarf. I think I spy 10 trapped bars. Fabulous! About 2/3 of the way done.

Mary Jo has started her scarf. It looks to be quite a big scarf!

Drealle finished a Slytherin scarf for her friend! Woo hoo! She wove initials into the scarf, instead of using a duplicate stitch. Loverly!

Kari just put the fringe on her Gryffindor POA scarf! She knit it to mid-thigh, just so they wouldn't be too long. Check out her pictures! Her next project is a classic Ravenclaw and then a POA Slytherin scarf for herself. Impressive!

We also have a new PoA knitter, Jackie of Wake Up One Morning and You're Famous. She's working on one scarf each of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin in the SS/CoS style, and a special Hogwarts Scarf in the PoA trapped bar pattern. She says she'll post pictures as each scarf is completed.

Hmm, never thought I'd use the words "Azkaban" and "Goodness" in a row, but anyway, a lot of new knitters and two updates:

I met Kristin, of Lost Geographer, at the Harry Potter IMAX showing. She's best known as being the fabulous associate editor of The Leaky Cauldon, one of the best sources of Harry Potter news. I believe she has one of the few photographs of me in costume. Anyway, she informed me that she's unsure what kind of scarf she'll be working on (either Ravenclaw which is her assigned house or Gryffindor, where her heart belongs), but she's joining the knitalong.

Renata of The Wild Renacerous (who I also know personally as anarchistinde from LiveJournal) has been requested to knit a scarf for a friend. She is joining the knitalong and doing a Ravenclaw à la the book (blue and gold).

Lily of Caprice is a brand new knitter (woo hoo!) and is going to do a Gryffindor scarf. She's got the yarn already and is just waiting for the needles so she can cast on.

Karyn sends her stats...
from: Singapore (teeny tiny tropical island. which is why people always stare when i knit on the bus or train :P)
scarves made: 1 half-sized ravenclaw (with CC initialed), 1 half-sized gryffindor (sold! *grinz*), 1 full-sized gryffindor, 1 full-sized slytherin all in PS/CoS colours.
presently working on: final sleeve of gryffindor quidditch sweater and about to embark on a PoA gryffindor full-sized.

Jesslyn of is this thing on? bit the bullet and is knitting a Ravenclaw, her house colors. She watched the movie and opted to do a scarf in movie colors instead of book colors. (She does like the Slytherin colors though.)

Jenni of A Fuzzy Dream has been knitting off and on for the past year and knitting the PoA scarf will be her first attempt at circular knitting. She is starting out with a Slythern scarf for a friend, but is planning to knit all of the house colors. Woo hoo! (She's seen it atleast five times already. Woah.)

Anne of Yet Another Discalceate Hoyden is about to start Ravenclaw movie version scarf. She's in high school, has been knitting for six years, and is teacking others to knit at her school, so she's got a little knitting community going on!

Mary Jo of VWChick's Knitting Musings is going to do either a Gryffindor or a Ravenclaw scarf, depending on which yarn she picks up. She indicates that she'll probably do both eventually.

Mori is done with her old-style Gryffindor scarf and is starting a PoA thin-but-long tie-like scarf in Slytherin followed by Ravenclaw.

Heather had to frog her Gryffindor scarf and her mother's Ravenclaw scarf because she didn't like them as wide. They've been restarted on smaller needles.

New knitters!

Stacey of sheep in the city, a fellow Salt Peanuts knitter, is going with her LYS to the Brown Sheep factory/mill and will buy her Nature Spun for a Gryffindor scarf there! Woo hoo!

Kim of coolwalkingsmoothtalking was taught by her grandmother to knit many years ago and picked up her needles for the first time in years to knit a Gryffindor scarf for herself! Her niece is keen on a Ravenclaw one. This is her first foray into circular knitting. Woo hoo!

Rani from Boston, MA is knitting a her nephew a Gryffindor scarf. She wants to let everyone know "at Patch Palace you can get mini patches for each house or even the Hogwarts patch to put on the scarf. I am awaiting my patch so once I get it I will email again and let you know about the quality of the patch. Be aware though that you have to order 2 or more patches to qualify for free shipping and there is no way to add in shipping at checkout, so read carefully, also you have to scroll down a bit to see the patches, don't click on those links! The people I dealt with seemed very nice though when I only ordered one patch."

A few updates:
I added Kari's link to her website. Very cool! She's got a little more than a foot so far and has worked through two repetitions of the trapped bar pattern. She's using US8 for the new scarf design (she used US7s for her old design scarf).

Check out MA's 'hat'. That makes me want to break out the leftover yarn and make one for myself.

So many new knitters for the Prisoner of Azkaban knitalong!

Emily of faces the fanfare.only the fool is working on a Ravenclaw scarf. Wow, lots of Ravenclaws!

Luvtocraft of Luvtocraft's creations is currently working on a knitted Gryffindor scarf and will also tackle a Ravenclaw one. She also crochet, so check out her crochet pattern for the scarf.

Nikki from Woodinville, WA (near Seattle), has two sons that are Harry Potter nuts. She's going to knit one for each: one Ravenclaw and one Gryffindor. She's also a new knitter (welcome to the new knitter club!) and says she'll send pictures when she's done.

Kari of turn to page 394... finished a Slytherin scarf using the first two films' design. Now, she's working on a Gryffindor scarf in PoA colors, influenced by seeing Hermione in the Hogsmeade scenes. She might make a Slytherin one later.

MA of Tales of a Nutty Single Mom was someone I noticed had linked to me and joined the knitalong, but I never received an email from her. I emailed her if she wanted to join and she said yes! It turns out that she was at the NYC IMAX showing too. She's making a Hufflepuff scarf outof Cotton Ease and is making it half the width, since she wants it skinny.

I updated Cindy's link to her journal. She let me know that she works in a library and teaches a weekly knitting/crochet class. Half the girls are knitting HP scarves and they will be displayed at the library in a few months! Woo hoo! I can't wait for pictures!

I spotted a tip sheet for knitting jogless stripes in the round. I need to test it, to see how effective it is, but it looks like a good technique to marry with Lauren's PoA pattern.

One new knitter to the HP knitalong: Cindy (from Bartlesville, Oklahoma). She's a relatively new knitter (4 months), but is already a third of the way into a Ravenclaw scarf. She also plans on making a house sweater! Woo hoo!

Some updates from the knitters:
Julia discovers that the PoA scarf is good for mindless midnight knitting. I, too, am generally sorted into Ravenclaw despite my love for Gryffindor colors. I do note that, according to the Hogwarts Sorting Hat Quiz, I am a Gryffindor.
Amysue has worked on it; I wonder if Noah was able to wear it over the weekend.
Siobhan posted a great account of the IMAX showing on Saturday, along with notes about us meeting. She rocks! Check out her scarf.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban opens today!

Can you believe Siobhan is already finished with her Hufflepuff scarf? She just started! It was her first knitting project. She says she plans on finishing one for each house.

Jaime of Daydreaming Reality is making the film version of the Ravenclaw scarf. She finished a Gryffindor in the older design last year.

Three days to go and two more knitters into the fray! Siobhan is hoping to finish her Hufflepuff scarf by the NYC IMAX showing this Saturday (yes, I am going too!). She says that, despite just recently picking up the needles, she found the knitting pretty easy and is enjoying it. Linda T emailed me a question about weaving-in ends for her PoA scarf. I invited her to join the knitalong, so she's in!

All those still hestitating should just do it!

Less than a week! Less than a week until it opens! I can hardly contain myself.

Just in time, Jen of Hey! Jen Knits! finished her Ravenclaw scarf. Very Cho Chang!

Amysue of Random Meanderings at Middle Age has cast on started her film Ravenclaw scarf. She says the kids would like their Gryffindor scarves and her husband would want the green and silver of Slytherin. Drealle is from Australia and just cast on her first scarf! She's working on a Slytherin one for a friend and a Ravenclaw one for herself.

I just picked up my skirt and shoes. I have the materials for a robe, but I'll work on that for the next film. So exciting!

Three more knitters for the PoA Scarf Knitalong!

Laurie E. is doing her scarf in book Ravenclaw colors. As she describes it, they are "navy and cognac". Kate is starting her daughter's Gryffindor scarf. Beth, in Texas, is knitting up a Gryffindor with some thrift store yarn.

Thirteen more days until the movie release and we have three more PoA knitters!

Julia of Moth Heaven is making a Gryffindor scarf for the son of a friend of hers. Heather is also knitting a Gryffindor scarf, with a possible Ravenclaw one in the future for her mother. Stacy of Sisters of the Skein is knitting a Ravenclaw scarf.

Fifteen more days until movie release and one new knitter for the PoA scarf! Carrie of ...just keep knitting... plans on knitting a Slytherin scarf. There might be a Gryffindor one on her needles too.

Mori (or Morrigan) of both .x]..B.A.S.I.L.I.C.A..[x. and The Third Floor has already crocheted three scarves (two Gryffindor, one Ravenclaw in book colors). Mori recently learned how to knit and is currently working on a Gryffindor scarf and plans to knit a scarf for each house eventually! She's currently working with the old pattern but plans on knitting PoA versions.

I'm done!

I spent the evening weaving in all the ends and binding off.

I love the Three Needle Bind-Off. It looks sweet on both sides, so it's my new favorite thing and I plan on using the technique whenever I can.

Although I haven't officially measured it, Mike estimated it to be over eight feet long, containing 15 repeats (16 trapped bars). I have enough yarn, I think, to add the decorative rows for a vest or cardigan, which I plan on doing in the future. Today, I ordered my skirt from Flynn & O'Hara. The grey is light, but I think if I get a grey yarn that matches when I make my vest/cardigan, it won't be too big a deal. I decided not to do the fringe, primarily because I don't like fringe. If I happen to have appropriate yarn after I make the matching vest/cardi, I'll consider adding fringe to look accurate. I also bought fabric and Simplicity 5840 from someone on LiveJournal that wasn't making a robe. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it in time for the showing, but next year I'll be doubly prepared.

So, all I need to get are socks, mary janes, a wand, and I'm all set! I have tickets to both the HP Line Party and Fiction Alley's IMAX showing on Saturday. Can you tell I'm really excited about this film?

I'm done!

I spent the evening weaving in all the ends and binding off.

I love the Three Needle Bind-Off. It looks sweet on both sides, so it's my new favorite thing and I plan on using the technique whenever I can.

Although I haven't officially measured it, Mike estimated it to be over eight feet long, containing 15 repeats (16 trapped bars). I have enough yarn, I think, to add the decorative rows for a vest or cardigan, which I plan on doing in the future. Today, I ordered my skirt from Flynn & O'Hara. The grey is light, but I think if I get a grey yarn that matches when I make my vest/cardigan, it won't be too big a deal. I decided not to do the fringe, primarily because I don't like fringe. If I happen to have appropriate yarn after I make the matching vest/cardi, I'll consider adding fringe to look accurate. I also bought fabric and Simplicity 5840 from someone on LiveJournal that wasn't making a robe. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it in time for the showing, but next year I'll be doubly prepared.

So, all I need to get are socks, mary janes, a wand, and I'm all set! I have tickets to both the HP Line Party and Fiction Alley's IMAX showing on Saturday. Can you tell I'm really excited about this film?

Two more knitters have been added to the Prisoner of Azkaban Scarf Knitalong!

Alysha (from Australia!) of Retrochic (alyshajane.com) just bought her yarn for a Gryffindor scarf.

Jennifer of Madelah will be doing a bunch over the next few months for her friends: 3 Gryffindors and 1 Slytherin. Wow!

Two more people have joined the knitalong!

Jen of Hey! Jen Knits! was planning on Hufflepuff colors for her scarf, but changed her mind and is now doing the blue and grey of Ravenclaw.

Katy of not without my effects is doing a Slytherin scarf.

The first not-me knitter for the PoA Scarf Knitalong is Trista. She says she's doing a PoA Gryffindor one. She sent me a link to Beaverslide Dry Goods and recommends their yarn as an alternative.

She writes:
"I've used Beaverslide Dry Goods merino yarn, and though my scarves are a bit 'fluffier' or 'fuzzier' than the ones on Lauren's site, the yarn is wonderfully soft and fun to knit with. I can't reccomend them enough if you've not tried them. (http://www.beaverslide.com/) I'd reccomend the 90% merino 10% kid mohair with two skeins of each color, using Alpine Spruce / Frosted Smoke (Slytherin), Prairie Coneflower/Charcoal (Hufflepuff), Winter Rosehip/Prairie Coneflower (Gryffindor), or Glacier Blue/Frosted Smoke (Blue/Silver) or Glacier Blue/Chokecherry Heather (Blue/Bronze) (Ravenclaw)."

We didn't have ice cream after my knitting circle last night, perhaps due to the rain and the dreariness of the evening. I worked on Sara's scarf for a while, but I think the US11 needle is too large. I think I need to utilize a US9 or US10. The seed stitch was pretty, but I might try something a little fancier. Perhaps the crocus bud stitch I worked with previously.

I frogged the piece and worked on my PoA scarf again.

A bit better picture. Just started the 10th repeat.

Perhaps in future I will make a Ravenclaw scarf. The Gryffindor colors are my favorite, but I think I would be sorted into Ravenclaw.

I'm almost done with my ninth repeat! Please excuse the really bad picture.

However, new images from the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban playing card set have cropped up (graphic taken from mugglenet.com) of the new scarf:

Long! Very long!

In the ideal world, I would wear the scarf once around my neck and it would fall in the same way that scarf falls, with long tails that stretch to my knees.

It looks like I'm not close to being done with the scarf. I think I'll knit until I run out of yarn.

...the Harry Potter Prisoner of Azkaban Scarf Knitalong!

29 days and counting until the movie's release in the US and even though I'm almost done with my scarf, I thought it would be nice to start a knitalong for those who are anxiously working away on their scarves.

The permanent location for the knitalong page is http://www.woolgathering.net/archives/knitalongs/hppoa.html; it contains information, icons, a list of knitters all participating, and updates/progress reports for participants. Woo hoo!

Speaking of icons...

Gryffindor
Slytherin
Film Ravenclaw
Book Ravenclaw
Hufflepuff

If you take one, please save it to your own server.

Email me with your information (name, URL if you have one, and what scarf you are creating) at iko[at]woolgathering[dot]net. I will add you to the participants list.

It will be a never-ending knitalong, so there is no timeframe to when you start or end so if you've already finished your scarf, you can sign up as long as you make it yourself.

When you've updated your journal with progress of your scarf, let us know and I'll post it here.

The pattern is from Lauren Kent, goddess of the Harry Potter scarf patterns. Thank you so much, Lauren!

I went to the Maryland Wool and Sheep Festival with my mother yesterday. She insisted on driving the entire way and I got a lot of knitting done.

I'm almost done with the seventh repeat. Two more to go! I'm actually debating whether or not it should be only two more. I still have a lot of yarn and I'm considering continuing on until I run out of yarn. I'm only a little bit into my third ball of yarn and I have a whole one still remaining in my stash cupboard. That way, the scarf can be really long; I'll be able to twirl it around my neck and have it hang down quite low, perhaps waist-length or lower. Hmm. Decisions, decisions.

I opted not to participate in the roleplaying convention. Again, much to Mike's chagrin. Primarily, this was because I knew I would be gone on Saturday and Friday evenings/Sunday mornings are dead times at conventions. So, I stayed in my hotel room and knitted away. I watched Law and Order, which is always good. Whenever I get into hotel rooms, I become TV junkie, which is why I try to avoid it like the plague when I'm home.

I'm probably going to finish the scarf next week, which is pretty scary since I thought I wouldn't get it done until really close to the June 5th deadline. I've been experimenting with a row of Continental knitting here and there. I can see how it can be faster than English knitting, but it's still slow and awkward for me. Knowing it will come in handy when I do two-color knitting in the future, so I'm trying to learn.

As you can see, I'm into my fifth repeat.

A progress picture:

I've finished the first section and I've started the first repeat and a half. Only 8 and a half repeats to go! I love working with this yarn on my Addi needles. It's so smooth and quick and my hands don't get itchy or feel rough. I really like Brown Sheep. I like the feel of all their yarns I've worked with so far: Lamb's Pride Worsted, Handpainted, and Nature Spun. Plus, it's not particularly expensive compared to other yarns. I have yet to wear any of the items I've made (they are all bags), so I might not like it against my skin, but I'm finding Nature Spun quite tolerable.

Tonight, I need to return the ugly iron-on patches I got from A.C. Moore and exchange them for some pin-backs and appropriate glue to adhere the pin-backs to my knitted flowers. My swap needs to be mailed tomorrow.

I've started my Prisoner of Azkaban Hogwart's Scarf in Gryffindor colors!

Last night, I popped Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone into the DVD player and began knitting away. I had a heck of a time trying to do a provisional cast-on, so instead I took some waste yarn and did a traditional cast-on with it. I then started my second row with my real yarn. I plan on either unravelling my waste yarn (somehow) or just cutting it out when I pick up the stitches. We'll see; it's an "I'll deal with it when I get there" situation.

I finished the first 34 rows while watching Sorcerer's Stone, watched an episode of Law & Order for the trapped bar, then turned on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets until I was too tired and stopped.

I think I'll get it done with by the time the premiere of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban comes out in late June. I recently bought a replica tie in the PoA Gryffindor colors and I plan on buying my Four Kick Pleat Skirt in charcoal grey from Flynn and O'hara sometime in May. Alas, I cannot find the appropriate pattern for the school sweaters, otherwise I woud make myself one in time for the premiere as well.