This review is for the first HP Knitting Magic book, without More in the subtitle. The two books are completely different but LibraryThing, along with the rest of the world, is having trouble coping with the identically-titled works.

I have now had a chance to make one of the pattern from this book -- one of the most challenging patterns, Luna Lovegood's Spectrespecs Gloves (seen to the right of Hedwig on the front cover). It's rated at 5 lightning bolts, the highest level of difficulty (another nice thing about this book is the ratings). There were errata listed for this pattern, but Every. Single. Problem. was corrected by the publisher by the second printing. Impressive! The instructions are clear. The charts are easy to read. The book is, in short, well edited and the patterns dependable. I've also made three patterns from the other HP Knitting Magic book, and found it equally reliable. ( )

(1-1/2 star deducted because this is an officially licensed book and I don't support JK's ignorant and transphobic statements).

nonfiction - knitting (advanced techniques, for people who love to spend a lot of time on their projects and also want to show off their fandom for Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts)

I can knit okay but am not that crazy about knitting, so I wouldn't be interested in actually making any of these patterns (maybe some of them if they were sewn from fabric rather than knitted), but overall the designs look good -- actually bearing a close resemblance to the things they are supposed to resemble. it was fun to see the creations next to the pictures of what inspired them. Since I didn't make any of them I can't comment on the quality of the instructions. ( )

Through this book, one can discover more knitting magic that features brand new knitting patterns inspired by the creatures and characters of the wizarding world. The book includes full coloured photographs and details on more than 28 projects pulled straight from the Harry Potter movies, including patterns for toys and costume replicas. This book is great for knitters of all skill levels as it features many different knitting techniques and projects ranging from simple to complex ones.
read more: https://globalartsbooks.com/design-industrial-and-commercial/harry-potter-knitti... ( )

This review is for the second HP Knitting Magic book. LibraryThing and the rest of the world is finding the identically titled books (with the word More in the subtitle of the second) confusing.

Tanis Gray has once again outdone herself.. She's edited... maybe they call it curated these days... a second remarkable selection of knitted garments, accessories, and playthings designed by some of the best knitting designers in the world. I bought it because of the dolls (on the cover) and the adorable niffler, but the subtly understated Hufflepuff scarf and the clever replica of Hermione's famous beaded bag of holding might lure me to knit them first.

I haven't knitted anything to try the quality of the instructions, but I have knit other things by some of the designers and short of major typos, they should be clear and easy. The charts and schematics are very good. The narrative and photography, both finished-object and movie-still, are excellent. Update: I have now knitted two nifflers, five dolls, and the Hufflepuff scarf. All instructions, charts, and schematics were clear and reliable. The scarf was designed by Tania Gray, the dolls and stuffed animal by two designers well known for their creative work. All three were well edited and presented in a standard format. In the case of the pocket dolls, this was different from the designer's usual work but equally clear if not more so.

My only quibble is that they should have credited the designers on the Contents page, not just on the pages for each individual project. That wouldn't just give them more visibility, it would give the browsing reader a chance to recognize a familiar name. ( )