Knitting Pattern Books to Geek Out Over

My stash is knitting pattern books. Some knitters prefer to collect skeins of yarn, but I love the endless possibilities that knitting pattern books represent.

My favorite knitting pattern books are inspired by characters that I know and love. I’m a passionate fan of many things, so when I found these books of knitting patterns about my favorite universes, I completely geeked out.

Harry Potter

It’s no secret that I am a big Potterhead. I have been since my niece, 10 years my junior, roped me into reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter: Knitting Magic and its sequel, More Patterns from Hogwarts and Beyond, contain all of the knitting patterns I dreamed about two decades ago! These two knitting pattern books are a godsend. And I’ve already knit a Weasley sweater!

Star Wars

My sisters and I were each born in different decades, yet we all grew up with the epic stories of the Star Wars universe. Our kids have, too! Star Wars: Knitting the Galaxy is a celebration of the best of Star Wars. I loved these fun patterns with practical uses: Yoda mittens, Wookiee socks, and a Millennium Falcon cowl.

Outlander

You couldn’t hop on Ravelry a few years ago without running into an Outlander-inspired pattern. I expected the patterns based on 18th-century Scotland would all be boring; I anticipated a lot of plain stitching and yarn in drab colors.

Well, they did use a lot of drab colors and plain stitching! Somehow the results were elegant, too. The simplicity of most of the Outlander-inspired patterns is what makes them shine. My favorite pattern, I Found Him (Outlander Knitting), uses a beautiful allover lace stitch and is worked in cranberry yarn. The results are stunning.

Literary Knits

Though I don’t get to do it as often as I like, I love to read. The patterns in Literary Knits are homages to an assortment of characters, but none are too on-the-nose. There are nods to Lyra Belaqua, Daisy Buchanan, Edmund Pevensie, Billy Pilgrim, and dozens of others.

As I was looking through the book, I noticed that I could easily make and wear most of the patterns here without anyone guessing their inspirations… with one exception. Galadriel is an elegant –and obviously elven — knit. It’s also quite beautiful.

Disney

While Knitting with Disney doesn’t officially come out till November 2021, I had to include this one! It looks like these knits will focus on the animated films of Disney. Gus and Jacques from Cinderella, Ursula’s shell necklace (the Little Mermaid), and Carpet (Aladdin) are some of the patterns I’m anticipating knitting when the book is finally released!

It’s no secret that we are Disney Parks fans. I’m hopeful that a book of Disney Parks-inspired knits will come out next!

What fandom do you want to celebrate with knitting?