Harry Potter Bookscarf Pattern
I have long admired the house scarves worn in the Harry Potter films. Since I don't have much use for a woolly scarf here in San Diego, I decided to make this bookscarf in anticipation of the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Yarn - DMC Pearl Cotton, size 5 (abt 27 yd/5 g per skein): #815 garnet (MC), 2 skeins; #976 gold (CC), less than 1 skein. [Note that these are the colors used in the pictured bookscarf and are not necessarily the most authentic Gryffindor colors. Substitute your favorite house or school colors as desired.]
Needles - US size 0 (2.0 mm) set of 5 double-pointed. [Since gauge isn't vital, you may wish to experiment to find which size produces a fabric you like.]
Notions - US size 4 (2.0 mm) steel crochet hook [This is used for the provisional cast on and for adding the fringe. I matched my hook size to my needle size, but any relatively small size will do.]; tapestry needle.
Gauge - 11 sts and 15 rnds = 1" in St st worked in the round. [Obviously you don't need to worry too much about matching this gauge. I'm just letting you know what my gauge was.]
Finished Size - 1.5" wide by 9" long including fringe. [This is the size of the pictured bookscarf. Your size may vary depending on your gauge.]
Leaving a tail of approximately 12", cast on 32 sts in MC using a provisional cast-on and CC as scrap yarn. Divide sts evenly onto 4 needles (8 sts per needle), and join for working in the round. [If the thought of knitting something this small in the round sounds like too much trouble, you could knit it flat and seam it up one side. Alternatively, knitting it flat in 1x1 ribbing should produce a similar looking fabric which would lay flat with no need for sewing.]
In St st (knit all stitches) work 16 rnds in MC, *2 rnds in CC, 4 rnds in MC, 2 rnds in CC, and 16 rnds in MC.* Repeat from * to * 3 more times. [When changing colors, you do not need to cut your yarn. Just carry the color not in use up the inside. As you pick that color up again, pull it snugly enough to tighten up the last stitches in that color but not so tight that it bunches up the rounds in between. Feel free to do more or less repeats of the stripe pattern to make your bookscarf whatever length you like.]
Slip final round onto 2 needles (16 sts per needle) making sure the beginning of the round (where the jog in the stripes occurs) is at one edge. Leaving right side out, take another needle and do a 3-needle bind-off across the end of the bookscarf. [Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page for a video on the 3-needle bind-off. However, in this case, leave the wrong sides facing each other.]
Cut yarn leaving a short tail. Pull tail through to inside bookscarf with tapestry needle or crochet hook. Turn bookscarf inside out and weave in any ends that need to be secured -- except the tail from the cast-on which you will need next.
Turn bookscarf right side out and return to the provisional cast-on. Remove scrap yarn while slipping these live stitches onto 2 needles (16 sts per needle). Double-check that your stitches are correctly arranged on the 2 needles so that this end is aligned with the other end and the side edges are straight. Do another 3-needle bind off across this end to seal the bookscarf completely up. Leaving a short tail, cut yarn and use tapestry needle or crochet hook to pull tail to the inside.
For fringe, wrap MC yarn around a 1.5 to 2 inch wide piece of cardboard about 54 times and then cut across. [I actually wrapped mine around the end of a ruler.] Take 3 of these strands of yarn and fold them in half to form a loop. Use the crochet hook to pull this loop through the end of the bookscarf at the side edge. Put the yarn ends through the loop and pull tight. Continue across both ends of the bookscarf spacing tassels about every other stitch. Fold bookscarf in half and trim the ends of the fringe even.
Pattern © 2005 Laura K. Miller.
More photos (click thumbnails to enlarge):
Bookscarf Gallery - pictures sent to me by people who have made their own bookscarves.
Have you made a bookscarf? I would love to see it and (with your permission) add it to my gallery. You may send your picture to lkmiller(at)gmail(dot)com.
thats a great bookmark thatnks for sharing!
How very, very clever! Worth of admission to Hogwarts.
How great is that! I love your book scarf! Very creative and very nicely
done! Thanks for sharing.
I love this! Size 0 needles scare me a bit but I want one to use with the
new book. I may have to give it a try.
Thanks so much for posting this pattern. I plan to knit one next week for
my new book! Can't wait!
What a great idea! Will definitely make one for my husband who is WAITING
for the new book - and I will get them both when he is done... Thanks for
sharing!!!
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the pattern. I believe I will make one, though my preferred
house is Ravenclaw. :)
Very cool! What a clever idea. I may just have to make one for my new
book! Thanks again for sharing the pattern. :)
Aww, that's the cutest thing ever! I have leftovers from the full sized
scarves I made from your pattern; I so have to try this one, too!
Very cool idea! I may just have to whip a few up for the HP lovers in my
life. :) (Of course, that means one for me too, lol.)
What a fantastic idea! I'm pulling out the DMC this evening. I've got a
bunch of HP fans here at work who'll love 'em. Thanks for sharing!
I love it--what a great idea; thanks for sharing! I'll be looking for
materials for a Ravenclaw bookscarf :)
Very clever - I'm starting mine today! I anticipate much screaming when
they're handed out. Will send pix, but will spare you the audio file.
Greatest idea as I've told already, have made one, will show it on my blog
tonight...
Ohmygoodness! So cute--must make one! Um, does yarn dieting also apply to
embroidery floss?
This is great! My friends and I are all HP obsessed - this'll be much
quicker than trying to make them full-sized scarves! Thanks for sharing
this!
Very cute idea. Thanks for writing up a pattern!
This is absolutely adorable. Thank you so much for posting the pattern.
Thank you so much for this wonderful pattern. I have never knitted in the
round before and am trying to get the hang of it. IF I manage it I am
planning to make these beauties for each of the members of my Harry Potter
book club. I'm starting with my family and will send in photos of my
results once I finish. I am so grateful for you sharing this wonderful
idea!!!
Huggles, Tonks
It's perfect! Something I can do for my books!
The idea of knitted bookmarks is great, but your little scarf and its
realisation are absolutely gorgeous!
Just popped over from Potter Point, this book scarf rules!!!! you are so
clever!! Chat to you later
Can circular needles be used instead of the double points for this
wonderful bookmark?
Thanks for the pattern, Laura! I completed one in Gryffindor colors for
one niece. Next I'll have to make one in Ravenclaw for the other niece.
Thank you for sharing this pattern! I just started knitting again, after a
rather long absence and was looking for something fun! I don't have a lot
of time so this is perfect! Can't wait to use it for book seven!
wow what a compliment to the harry potter books
I love it! I can use your pattern to knit any one of the other houses as
well. It is going to make reading Harry Potter more memorable.
These are adorable,but could I knit them flat?I have zippo experience with
dpns and I 'm not starting now:D
THESE ARE ADORABLE!But could I knit them flat?I have zippo experience with
dpns and since this is a Xmas persent I don't intend to start now:D
Shennie -- Yes, you can definitely knit these flat and sew them into a
tube, or you can try knitting flat in k1, p1 ribbing. Look through my
Bookscarf Gallery (http://knittingwithlaura.blog-city.com/bookscarf_gallery.htm
), and you'll see a couple examples of both methods.
Laura I think I'll knit it flat in K1,P1 ribbing thank you!