Ravelry Knitters discussion

Here we'll discuss Last Wool and Testament. I've already started this one, and I'm always glad to see a new yarn series in fiction. This store apparently highlights weaving as a specialty, although I must confess, I DO get a little irked at the setup. I will try to avoid spoilers (If you've never read a cozy mystery, it might be a surprise) but I do get a little irked with the common writer's theory that "A Young person would never own their own yarn shop, so we have to open the story by killing off an old woman". I know that the demographic of the average knitter changes quite a bit, but I think the average age of knitters gets younger and younger all the time. (We're incredibly hip, what can I say?"

Aside from that, looks interesting so far!

Just bought the ebook from B&N. I'm finishing up book 1 of Seaside Knitters (we did a selection from that series a couple of months ago) tonight, I hope, and then I'll start this one.

Hi, young knitters ARE incredibly hip! I hope you don't mind if I hop in and out of the discussion - It's not that a young person would never own her own yarn shop, but in real life my grandmother did own a yarn shop - The Little Wool Shop - from the mid 1930s to the late 1940s. So the setup in Last Wool is a salute to her, her strength, and her knitting. Also, I was a museum person (back when I was incredibly young but probably not hip)so that's why I gave Kath her profession. But I'll make sure I cover the gamut of knitters in books to come (if I'm so lucky to be writing them.) Cool that you're reading my book!

Molly, cool that you are visiting our reading group reading your book!

It wasn't this setup that bugged me, it was just that so many of them inherit yarn shops from other, older women, and I guess yes, I really do want other people to know how ....hip knitting is! That so many young people do it, and do It incredibly well, with Lots of math and technology. I still feel that people have an opinion of whata 'knitter' is that is no longer true!

That said, love the weaving aspect of it as well!

Hi Zoe,

Yeah, I know what you mean. I hadn't realized how cliched the whole inheriting a shop from a grandmother thing is these days. I just returned from Malice Domestic, a mystery convention dedicated to traditional mysteries (a LOT of fun) and heard book after book described as "and she inherited the shop from . . ." It's a way of creating a fish out of water character, but maybe over done by now.

I'm so glad knitting IS hip these days. It's time for the image of Miss Marple sitting and knitting quietly in a corner to be mothballed! (Although I think Miss Marple would be pleased to see so many hip young knitters, too. She was one smart old lady.)

Well, I just connected the fact that Molly is the author of the book! Wow, I think it is wonderful that she will be adding to our discussion. I had read the first bit that B & N allows for a tease the other night and just completed the purchase for the e-book, so will be reading right away. I have read quite a few mysteries in my time, and so am looking forward to seeing what Molly has to add to the genre.

I enjoyed the book. I actually swallowed it up in about two days, which was a big change from last month. I also appreciated the fact that I could download it to my Nook and start right in. I found it to be a quick, light, and entertaining read, and am looking forward to the next one. Molly, if you check back in, when is the next book in the series due to be released?

There is a second book already published:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...

also, the author has a few other titles in other series.

I'm about half through this; I'll be on Greyhound for nearly 24 hours Monday AM into Tuesday, I was saving the remainder of it to help pass that time.....

Hi Kim, I'm so glad you liked the book. The second one, Dyeing Wishes, comes out July 2nd. It involves dyeing and dying, and sheep. It's available for pre-order, but won't ship until it's out. The third one, Spinning in Her Grave will be out next April, but I'm still writing it!

I read this book in just a couple of days. I found myself wanting to read throughout my days. I just forced myself to stay up (later than I should have) so I could finish it. I liked how the knitters were of different ages.

I can't wait until the next one kn the series is out.

Is anyone up for discussion yet, or are folks still in progress?

Isabel wrote: "Is anyone up for discussion yet, or are folks still in progress?"

Still finishing up the book but enjoying it so far. I've been so busy at work I haven't had the chance to finish yet.

Finished this book last night, it was a perfect weekend read, I thoroughly enjoyed myself with an entertaining story and lots of hot tea.I will be looking forward to the next book in the series.
Thanks Molly, I admire your talents.

Enjoyable easy read! I liked the characters and found myself wanting to go to that fiber store! I wasn't sure how I was going to like the super natural stuff, but it worked in the story. I really wanted to go eat at Mel's!

Knowing that the author is popping in to this discussion is to me both a bit intimidating and exciting. I would never want to say something that could distress her yet knowing that we could saying something that would influence where she goes with the series is a bit wonderful. I agree with Sheri, who stated it was a perfect weekend read. To me it fits that light and easy, downtime niche. Knowing that the book is first in a series means that the characters will be developed more in issues to come, yet I couldn't help wanting more within this first book. We got that Grandma Ivy was a significant factor in each character's life, yet I would have like to have gotten to know her better. I would have liked to dig deeper into the character of the young woman [whose name I've forgotten already!] who was highjacking herself into Ivy's life and Kath's position of heir-apparent. I also felt as Sara has stated, that I wasn't certain about the presence supernatural character. I think the author could dig more deeply into that aspect, the rational vs. irrational/emotional interaction between the characters. I think the resolution was a bit abrupt with the attorney being guilty. I read the teaser of book 2, and am looking forward to reading that one as well, so in that sense I am giving the book a thumbs up, yet only gave it three stars because I think the author could go beyond the formulas and give us so much more.

Once I got started on this book, I pretty much read it through. Fast and mostly enjoyable.

That said, I'd have to file this under paranormal instead of my usual mystery cozy since paranormal circumstances were required to resolve the mystery. I do like the ghost though.

The end of my ebook included a chapter of her next book. It's a pre-order right now, but I might get that. It's not very often that I pick up a book and read it right through - obviously, happy vibes.

As I was driving down the dirt road today, I was pondering this book, which is a bit of a surprise to me since we read it a couple months ago. I was thinking about what I had written at the time and what it has taken me these few weeks to realize as it is worked its way into my book-reading history. I do hope the author is still checking in on these posts.

From the first few paragraphs of this story we get Kath in a hurry. The entire book felt that same way, I felt hurried through getting to know the characters and I felt hurried through the resolution of the mystery. This was definitely for me a case of the beginning setting the tone for my entire experience of this book. I hope as Molly continues to develop these characters and this story she might consider that thought.