Knitting House Stripes - From Plain To Magical

How do you transform a plain grey, v-neck pullover sweater into "wizard wear"?

Its as easy as knitting house stripes in your chosen colors!

The House color "pattern" consists of a stripe, which is nothing more than a sequence of rows in a yarn of contrasting color.

If you are knitting your sweater in 100% pure wool, make sure you knit the stripes in wool.

The same goes for an acrylic sweater...knit the stripe in an acrylic yarn.

Why you ask? The different fibers will react differently when it comes time to wash or clean your sweater. As long as the yarns are compatible in gauge and fiber content, you are “good to go”.

You do not really need any set of instructions when it comes to this wizard wear pattern.

• Decide how wide the stripe will be using the row gauge. We suggest you keep the width of the stripe in proportion to the size of the sweater.

• Will the stripe pattern represent the original version of the wizard school uniform - dark/light/dark color sequence in even color bands or the newer, "Prisoner of Azkaban®" style in the light dark/light color sequence and the narrow/wide/narrow color bands?

• Depending on the row gauge, you may have to alter the width of the neck band in order to center the stripe on the neck band.

• Add the stripe pattern to the main body, the sleeves, and the neck band depending on the uniform style.

The task of selecting an authentic looking House color is entirely up to the knitter. A color someone perceives as authentic may not look authentic to the next person. Add to this the many "high resolution" graphics seen on any number of websites and it is easy to come up with half a dozen shades for any one color. Select the color you feel is correct.

Unless you have an original garment in your hand [as in worn by the cast members during the filming and not the "official" reproduction] , or you know exactly which yarn was used to knit those original sweaters, it is virtually impossible to claim a particular color as either canon or absolutely authentic.

The wizard school uniform sweater is a very basic style - straight body, with modified set in sleeves or a square armhole and a v-neckline.

None of us, other than the original manufacturer, can be certain of the materials or colors used to knit the sweaters we see in the movies. These sweaters are manufactured using industrial weight fibers [see photo of sample fabric knit using an industrial weight yarn], at a gauge, which easily comes close to 15-18 stitches per inch and 12-15 rows per inch.

By strict definition, every wizard wear item you knit is an authentic looking reproduction. Even the "official" merchandise does not accurately reflect what we see in the movies. It is designed to be mass produced.

As long as the yarns are compatible in gauge and fiber content, the next step is decide where you want to place the stripe.

Our suggestion...Knitting house stripes 1 or 2 rows above the ribbing at the bottom of the sweater body and at the bottom of the ribbed sleeve cuff.

When designing the original, "Chamber of Secrets©" style sweater, knit house stripes centered on the neckband. Consider the row gauge - you do not want the stripe to be too wide. Keep it in proportion to the size of the sweater.

So relax and enjoy knitting house stripes Its as easy as can be and you are literally transforming a plain sweater into an recognizable costume accessory.

Choose a simple pattern such as those found in our knitting pattern collection and transform what is typically a plain sweater into wizard wear!

Happy Knitting!

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