A quick check-in...

...to let you know I'm still breathing AND I'm re-picking up knitting in the next ten seconds.  It's been too long.  Time to re-CO the second Starstuff mitt!

Knitwear at the Movies: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1

I <3 the Harry Potter series.  I work in the children's department of a public library for four years during the major Potter boom times, and let me say, it was fantastic!  We had all sorts of Potter-related events; one very special seven-hour party was done in partnership with a local bookstore, culminating in the midnight sale of the newest book at the time (Order of the Phoenix was the only one published in that timespan, so that must've been it).

I've recently attempted to join the Ravelry group Harry Potter Knitting & Crochet House Cup.  It looks like a fun time; unfortunately, I missed the Sorting Hat cutoff for this semester (by three hours!).  Since I haven't been knitting at all in the last two weeks, that's probably a good thing.

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I have seen every Harry Potter movie in the theatres EXCEPT the most recent release, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 1, or as I lovingly refer to it, HP7a.  Netflix came through for me, and I was able to get screenshots of some pretty fine knits.

No spoilers.  Are you surprised by people wearing sweaters in England in winter?  Then OK.

Ron's Cabled Cardigan
The first sweater featured here belongs to Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint).  I caught myself staring and had to rewind to catch the dialogue of the scene!

A bit grumpy, but well dressed

My husband does not find cardigans to be sufficiently manly -- try telling that to Mr. Rogers, honey! -- but this one might actually fit the bill.  The dark gray color plus the heft of the cabling combine: so cozy!

Harry's Pullover

And then, there's Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) in a subtle tweed:

Again with the dark gray

When he was moving around a lot, it was difficult to see that there was any pattern at all; standing still here, one can see the small cables and braids that wind through the front.  Very classy.

Hermione's Hat

My girl Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) has good taste in stocking caps:

Very pensive

I love the dusty rose color, I love the stitch pattern...  all in all, I want this hat on my head.  But not right now, it's a little warm.

FO: Grape Gobblin'

Soooo my awesome friend Laura lent me her camera until I get a new one!!!!!!!  Whooooooo!!!!!   Thank yoooouuuuu!!!!!

I finished the teeny tiny T-shirt I started during Startitis...

 

 

Cute Summer Top by Anna & Heidi Pickles, knit in South West Trading Company Bamboo, colorway 138 Purplexed

The top photo is truest to color; photos are pre-blocking and the button is purple.

I had to do a supersized mod on this one to get it to fit.  All the Ravelry projects make reference to "sizing issues," but what they really mean is, this is NOT written to fit a 9-12 month old, as the pattern states.  This is 0-3 months tops.  There is no gauge given, so you have three choices:

1. make this for a newborn
2. size up the needles and yarn to US 6 or 7 and worsted weight
3. cast on extra stitches and do the math along the way

I opted for the third choice; my mods are listed on my Ravelry project page.

Action Jackson wouldn't stop moving around; blurry shirt!

As you can see, it fits perfectly; ergo, the mods are necessary if you want to make this for an eleven-month-old.  Only took me two failed starts to figure it out... DUH.

Knitwear at the Movies: Nanny McPhee

 So I've decided to do an occasional feature, detailing all the handknits I notice/covet in the movies I watch.  Yay!

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Nanny McAwesome-Teal-Sweater
"Nanny McPhee" is a 2005 film starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth.  Not only does it feature Angela Lansbury being fantastically crotchety (I almost typed "crochet-y"), it has seven adorable children in sweaters sweater sweaters!!

My fave: the teal tweedy pullover worn by the oldest child, Simon (Thomas Sangster), in the kite-flying beach scene...

Situationally appropriate and adorable

 It's difficult to see in these pictures, but there are subtle stripes created throughout by switching stitch patterns.  The sleeves are mostly stockinette with seed stitch on the bicep and garter stitch near the seam.  The tops of front and back have a seed stitch background with thin garter stitch stripes; the bottoms are stockinette.

Back detail!:

also, it goes really well with his hair

The strongest draw for me is the delicious color.  Jewel tones in general are great, but... I worship this color.  I want to spend the rest of my life writing poetry for this color; giving this color foot massages; hand-feeding it chocolate.

Are there any cinematic knits you covet?  Comment away!