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Book Review: On Skein of Death

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I’m not normally a mystery reader but if you add a knitting-related hook I can be persuaded.

On Skein of Death by Allie Pleiter takes place in Collinstown, Maryland, where Libby Beckett has just opened her dream yarn shop called Y.A.R.N. (she says it stands for “you’re absolutely ready now” but she invites customers to add their own acronyms).

She’s excited to welcome up-and-coming knitwear designer Perle Lonager to her shop for a weekend of knitting events, and her handsome beau Henrik coming along just adds to the fun. The town is even planning a yarn day to coincide with the events, where Perle is going to launch a new line of knitting needles.

Instead she’s found strangled by a skein of red yarn before her public lecture was set to begin, setting off a mystery that could put the future of the yarn shop at stake.

The author is both an expert knitter and a mystery writing pro, with more than 50 novels published, so you don’t have to worry that the knitting lingo is going to seem forced (or, worse, be incorrect).

I won’t reveal more but it’s a pretty quick and fun read for those who like knitting and cozy mysteries. It’s a fun one for summer (it looks from Amazon like it will be a series, too!) and available now!

About the book: 302 pages, mass-market paperback. Published 2021 by Berkley Prime Crime.

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Comments

  1. Thanks for the kind words! Yes, it will be a series, with KNIT OR DYE TRYING releasing in February. By the way, there’s a full knitting pattern for a the dog sweater mentioned in the story at the back of the book (or via pdf if you get the audiobook version). I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Have you read?

Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]