"Room of Requirement" Hogwarts Scarf

This is no ordinary scarf.... nor an ordinary Hogwarts scarf.... this is a scarf with a secret.

Shhhhh.

It's a secret pocket. Yes, "room of requirement" for all those things that bog you down when wandering about in the cold, eftpos cards, chapstick, cellphone, copy of "Harry Potter". You can make this in any colour, but for this instructable, the instructions will refer to red and yellow, as the main colour and the striped colour respectively.

You will need (other than knitting skills)

1 skein of red DK (8ply) yarn (or another colour if making a house other than Gryffindor) I used a skein that was 400m long (link is on the next step)
1 half skein of golden yellow DK (8ply) yarn (you will need about 50-70m of the yellow)
3 double pointed needles - size 5mm
1 set circular needles - size 5mm (at least 60cm in length)
1 zip in yellow (or co-ordinating with the stripe colour)
Sharp darning needle
Crochet hook (for doing tassels)
Scissors
Optional: 2 stitch markers (to mark the sides)
Optional: 2 Hogwarts sew-on crests

Otherwise, this is a pretty easy knit..... as long as you have the basics of knitting in the round.

Step 1: Yarn

Now, I will recommend the yarn I used for this scarf, but any DK (8ply) yarn works.

I used the Skeinz Southlander in Red and Cream. These are 400m skeins so are brilliant. You only need 1 of the red, and you will have heaps left of the yellow.

Clearly the cream wasn't the golden yellow I needed. So, I dyed it. Literally this is the best yarn to dye, I kid you not. I used the RIT Golden Yellow dye, and basically followed their instructions and the yarn came out in the perfect yellow shade.

Step 2: Starting the Scarf at the "Hidden Pocket" End

This is the only tricky bit, I promise.

Cast on (or Bind on) 30 stitches on one of the 5mm double pointed needles.
On your first row, knit each stitch in the front and back, placing the front stitch on one needle, and the back stitch on the third needle. (Refer to the images which show this step for 9 stitches.) This gives you 2 rows of stitches on 2 needles.... that are crucially joined in the middle. This is the very bottom of the pocket and stops things falling out.

Knit 30 rotations (rows over both needles) in the main colour. You should now have something that resembles a pocket. Congratulate yourself on being awesome, as I usually do at this point. Keep the knitting on the double pointed needles at this point, just as things are about to get a little tricky to create the space to put the pocket zip in.

Change to yellow, and knit 2 rotations.

Change back to red, and knit 2 rotations.

Change back to yellow and knit 1 full rotation. Then follow the next instructions carefully. You are going to create an opening to sew a zip into at the end.

ZIP ROW: Knit 4. Cast off the next 22 stitches. Cast on 23 stitches. Slip the 4 stitch from the start of the row from the right hand to the left hand needle. Pass the 23rd cast on stitch over the slipped stitch, this anchors the opening into the scarf. Knit to the end of the row. Knit the second needle normally.

Change to red. Knit 4 rotations

POCKET CLOSURE ROW: Now, holding both needles in your left hand, use the 3rd needle for a 3 needle bind off technique, but without actually binding off... just knit the 2 together, one from each needle. Knit one stitch from each needle together onto the 3rd needle. This will close the pocket you created at the top.

At the end of the row, pick up your circular needle. Pick up each 'cast off' loop from the back side of the knitting (as shown in the pictures).

Now you can begin knitting in the round.

Knit 25 more rotations.

Step 3: Finish the Scarf

Now, you are currently up to the second set of yellow stripes.

Change to yellow, knit 2 rotations

Change to red, knit 2 rotations

Change to yellow, knit 2 rotations

Change to red, knit 30 rotations.

Repeat these sections until you have 8 sets of stripes (or until you have a length you are happy with). 8 sets of stripes made a scarf approx 160cm long for me.

Now, you are going to end with a 3 needle bind off. Hold both sides of the scarf in the left hand. Cast off with a double pointed needle in the right, picking up a stitch from each needle and knitting them together before casting off.

Now, stitch the zip into the pocket slit as shown in the images. And if you are using house crests, sew one onto each end, on the non-zip side of the scarf.

To make the tassels:

Take 8 x 20cm lengths of yarn, fold in half. Using a crochet hook, pull through the end of the scarf. Pass the tail end through the loop end and pull tight. I used 5 red and 4 yellow tassels on each end of the scarf. (The helpful images are shown using fewer lengths of yarn so that it is easier to see)