Tucked away between mountains and situated by a lake filled with mysterious creatures, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a thousand-year-old school of magic founded by Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin. Each founder created a house within the school, each with its own common room, dormitories, colors, and sigils. Gryffindor is symbolized as a lion, Ravenclaw as an eagle, Hufflepuff as a badger, and Slytherin as a serpent. Students’ houses are determined on their first evening at Hogwarts by the Sorting Hat, as seen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

A perfect way to use up leftover yarn bits, this decorative display celebrates the Sorting Hat and each of the four houses, represented by their respective crest animals.

Knit in the round from the center out, the Sorting Hat is worked in stockinette with simple increases and decreases. The face is worked post knit by cinching and stitching, allowing the maker to create the desired expression. Stuffing as you go allows the creatures take shape and come to life quickly.

Gryffindor’s proud lion is worked flat in stockinette with simple wrap and turn short-row shaping in the body section, with the head worked in the round and attached. Once the pieces are together, a shaggy mane is worked around the face in a manner similar to making a pom-pom.

Hufflepuff’s industrious badger is worked in the round beginning at the nose. The body is increased out while the face is duplicate stitched on.

Ravenclaw’s intelligent eagle is knit in the round starting with the head. The beak and wings are made by picking up and knitting stitches from the body.

Slytherin’s sly snake is worked in the round beginning at the nose. Worked as a simple tube with increases and tuck stitches, it knits up quickly.

Once finished, the creatures are attached to string and fixed to a hanging structure to create a magical decorative piece.

Bits of 7 colors are used.

ERRATA:
The Sorting Hat Hanging Display
Page 182

LEFT WING section under RAVENCLAW EAGLE
Holding both dpn together, knit tog first st on both needles, (knit tog next st on both needles, lift first st over st just worked and off needle to BO 1) 3 times, k1 from front needle, lift first st over st just worked and off needle,then working rem sts on each dpn separately, knit to last st of front needle, k1f&b, then on second dpn, k1f&b, k3—12 sts rem.

RIGHT WING section under RAVENCLAW EAGLE
Holding both dpn together, knit tog first st on both needles, (knit tog next st on both needles, lift first st over st just worked and off needle to BO 1) 3 times, k1 from front needle, lift first st over st just worked and off needle,then working rem sts on each dpn separately, knit to last st of front needle, k1f&b, then on second dpn, k1f&b, k3—12 sts rem.

FINISHING section under SLYTHERIN SNAKE
Shape snake into a coil, and use tapestry needle threaded with color D and straight sts to secure the snake into shape, allowing the tip of the tail to curl up a bit.