Reading suggestions

We love stories, histories, and reading at H.W. Since Marcia remains an active scholar, we'd like to share some reading suggestions. Bear with us; this is not an exhaustive list, but it will give you some ideas if you are interested in doing more reading.

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Sections:

Fun Fiction (and some non-fiction) about Fiber

Mystery Novels about Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, and Crochet

Histories, Criticisms, and other Non-fiction and Scholarly Examinations of Fiber

Fun Fiction (and some non-fiction) about Fiber

Alcott, Louisa May. Spinning-Wheel Stories. Cambridge: University P, 1884. Kindle File.

Barbieri, Heather. The Lace Makers of Glenmara (P. S.). New York: Harper, 2009. Kindle file.

Bartlett, Anne. Knitting: A Novel. New York: Mariner Books/ Houghton Mifflin, 2005.

Bretton, Barbara. Casting Spells. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

---. Laced in Magic. New York: Berkley, 2009. Print.

---. Spun by Sorcery. New York: Berkley, 2010. Print.

---. Charmed: A Sugar Maple Short Story. Barbara Bretton, 2011. Kindle file.

---. Spells & Stitches. New York: Berkley, 2011. Print.

Dark, Juliet. The Water Witch. New York: Ballantine Books, 2013. Print.

Dickson, Nicole. Casting Off. NY: Penguin, 2009. Print.

Dulong, Terri. Spinning Forward. New York: Kensington Books, 2009. Print.

---. Casting About. New York: Kensington Books, 2010. Print.

Friend, Catherine. Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet. Philadelphia: DaCapo, 2011. Print.

Fryer, Jane Eayre. The Mary Frances Knitting and Crocheting Book. Grantsville, MD: Hobby House P, 2013. Print.

Geary, Debora. Witches in Flight (WitchLight Trilogy: Book 3). Eugene, OR: Fireweed Publishing, 2012. Kindle file.

---. Witches Under Way (WitchLight Trilogy: Book 2). Eugene, OR: Fireweed Publishing, 2012. Kindle file.

---. Witches on Parole (WitchLight Trilogy: Book 1). Eugene, OR: Fireweed Publishing, 2011. Kindle file.

Harding, Robyn. Unravelled. New York: Berkley Trade, 2008. Print.

Herron, Rachel. How to Knit a Love Song. New York: William Morrow, 2010. Print.

---. Wishes & Stitches. New York: William Morrow, 2011. Print.

---. A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss, and Laughter. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2011. Print.

Hood, Ann. The Knitting Circle. New York: Norton, 2008. Print.

Jacobs, Kate. The Friday Night Knitting Club. New York: Berkley, 2007. Print.

---. Knit Two: A Friday Night Knitting Club novel. New York: G. P. Putnam Sons, 2008. Print.

---. Knit the Season. New York: G. P. Putnam Sons, 2009. Print.

LaZebnik, Claire. Knitting Under the Influence. Phoenix, AZ: 5 Spot, 2006. Print.

Macomber, Debbie, Susan Mallery, and Christina Skye. The Knitting Diaries. Ontario: Mira Books, 2011. Print.

Macomber, Debbie. Twenty Wishes. Ontario: Mira Books, 2008. Print.

---. The Shop on Blossom Street. Ontario: Mira Books, 2013. Print.

---. A Good Yarn. Ontario: Mira Books, 2010. Print.

Marsman, Jaime. The Knitting Fairy: A Crabapple Yarns Mystery. Beckley, WV: Shade Tree Publishing, 2012. Kindle file.

Martini, Adrienne. Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangerously. New York: Atria Books, 2010. Print.

McNeil, Gil. The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club. New York: Voice/Hyperion, 2009. Print.

---. Knit One, Pearl One. New York: Voice/Hyperion, 2011. Print.

---. Needles and Pearls. New York: Voice/Hyperion, 2011. Print.

Parks, Clara. The Yarn Whisperer. New York: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 2013. Print.

---. Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2016. Print.

Pattillo, Beth. The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook P, 2008. Print.

---. The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love. Colorado Spring: Waterbrook P, 2009. Print.

Pearl-McPhee, Stephanie. Yarn Harlot. Riverside, NJ: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005. Print.

---. At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2005. Print.

---. Free-Range Knitter. Riverside, NJ: 2010. Print.

---. All Wound Up. Riverside, NJ: Andrews McMeel, 2011. Print.

Pierce, Tamora. The Circle Opens: Cold Fire. New York: Scholastic Point, 1997. Print.

---. Circle of Magic: Briar’s Book. New York: Scholastic Point, 1999. Print.

---. The Circle of Magic: Tris’s Book. New York: Scholastic Point, 1998. Print.

---. Circle of Magic. Daja’s Book. New York: Scholastic Point, 1999. Print.

---. The Circle Opens: Magic Steps. New York: Scholastic Point, 2000. Print.

---. The Circle Opens: Street Magic. New York: Scholastic Point, 2001. Print.

---. Circle of Magic: Sandry’s Book. New York: Scholastic Point, 2002. Print.

---. The Circle Opens: Shatterglass. New York: Scholastic Point, 2003. Print.

Ridgway, Christie. How to Knit a Wild Bikini. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

---. Unravel Me. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

---. Dirty Sexy Knitting. New York: Berkley, 2009. Print.

Sarnoff, Allison and Melody Moore. Knit Princess 1. Delmar, NY: Exiern Comics, 2009. Print.

---. Knit Princess 2. Delmar, NY: Exiern Comics, 2010. Print.

Scribner, Patricia and Adam Scribner. Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater. New York: Patricia’s Yarns LLC, 2011. Print.

Sharpe, Isabel. Knit in Comfort. New York: William Morrow, 2010. Print.

van Allen, Lisa. The Wishing Thread. New York: Ballantine Books, 2013. Print.

Vogel, Karen Anna. Knit Together: An Amish Knitting Novel. Ephrata, PA: Helping Hands P, 2014. Print.

Wilde, Lori. The Sweetheart’s Knitting Club. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Print.

Wooding, Chris. The Weavers of Saramyr. London: Gollancz, 2003. Print.

---. The Skein of Lament: Book Two of the Braided Path. London: Gollancz, 2004. Print.

---. The Ascendancy Veil: Book Three of the Braided Path. London: Gollancz, 2005. Print.

Mystery Novels about Knitting, Spinning, Weaving, and Crochet

Canadeo, Anne. While My Pretty One Knits. New York: Gallery Books, 2009. Print.

---. Knit, Purl, Die. New York: Gallery Books, 2009. Print.

---. A Stitch Before Dying. New York: Gallery Books, 2010. Print.

---. Till Death Do Us Purl. New York: Gallery Books, 2012. Print.

---. The Silence of the Llamas. New York: Gallery Books, 2013. Kindle file.

---. A Dark and Stormy Knit. New York: Gallery Books, 2014. Print.

Fagan, Vivienne. Hilda Hopkins, Murder, She Knit (Hilda Hopkins, Serial Knitter). Whalan, Australia: StreetWise Publications, 2011. Kindle file.

Goldenbaum, Sally. Murders on Elderberry Road. Kansas City: Kansas City Star Books, 2003.

---. A Murder of Taste. Kansas City: Kansas City Star Books, 2004.

---. Murder on a Starry Night. Kansas City: Kansas City Star Books, 2005.

---. Death By Cashmere. New York: Obsidian, 2008. Print.

---. Patterns in the Sand. New York: Obsidian, 2009. Print.

---. Moon Spinners. New York: Obsidian, 2010. Print.

---. A Holiday Yarn. New York: Obsidian, 2011. Print.

---. Wedding Shawl. New York: Obsidian, 2011. Print.

---. A Fatal Fleece. New York: Obsidian, 2013. Print.

---. Angora Alibi. New York: Obsidian, 2014. Print.

---. Murder in Merino. New York: Obsidian, 2014. Print.

---. Murder Wears Mittens. New York: Kensington Books, 2017. Print.

Grace, Veryl Ann. Murder Spins a Tale: A Flock and Fiber Mystery. Kea’au, Hawai’i: Pele’s Hair Publishing, 2010. Kindle file.

---. Murder Comes Unraveled: A Flock and Fiber Mystery. Kea’au, Hawai’i: Pele’s Hair Publishing, 2012. Kindle file.

Hechtman, Betty. Hooked on Murder. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

---. Dead Men Don’t Crochet. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

---. By Hook or By Crook. New York: Berkley, 2009. Print.

---. A Stitch in Crime. New York: Berkley, 2010. Print.

---. Behind the Seams. New York: Berkley, 2011. Kindle file.

---. You Better Knot Die. New York: Berkley, 2011. Print.

Kruger, Mary. Died in the Wool. New York: Berkley, 2005. Print.

---. Knit Fast, Die Young. New York: Berkley, 2007. Print.

MacRae, Molly. Last Wool and Testament: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery. New York: Obsidian, 2012. Kindle file.

---. Dying Wishes: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery. New York: Obsidian, 2013. Kindle file.

---. Spinning in Her Grave: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery. New York: Obsidian, 2014. Kindle file.

Marsman, Jaime. The Knitting Fairy: A Crabapple Yarns Mystery. Beckley, WV: Shade Tree Publishing, 2012. Kindle file.

Martin, Jill-Ayn. Organize This! A Two-Old Biddies Mini-Mystery. Jill-Ayn Martin, 2011. Kindle file.

---. Knitting Can be Murder: 2nd Two-Old Biddies Mini-Mystery. Jill-Ayn Martin, 2013. Kindle file.

---. Hooked on a Cold Case: 5th Two-Old Biddies Mini-Mystery. Jill-Ayn Martin, 2013. Kindle file.

---. Smothered in Yarn: 3rd Two-Old Biddies Mini-Mystery. Jill-Ayn Martin, 2013. Kindle file.

---. A Tangled Yarn: 4th Two-Old Biddies Series. Jill-Ayn Martin, 2013. Kindle file.

Sefton, Maggie. Knit One, Kill Two. New York: Berkley, 2005. Print.

---. Needled to Death. New York: Berkley, 2005. Print.

---. A Deadly Yarn. New York: Berkley, 2006. Print.

---. A Killer Stitch. New York: Berkley, 2007. Print.

---. Dyer Consequences. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

---. Fleece Navidad. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

---. Dropped Dead Stitch. New York: Berkley, 2009. Print.

---. Skein of the Crime. New York: Berkley, 2011. Print.

---. Unraveled. New York: Berkley, 2012. Print.

---. Cast On, Kill Off. New York: Berkley, 2013. Print.

---. Close Knit Killer. New York: Berkley, 2014. Print.

Histories, Criticisms, and other non-fiction and scholarly examinations of fiber

Bean, Susan. “Freedom Spun.” Asian Art & Culture 9.2 (1996): 53 – 67. Print.

Bennet, Jane. Vibrant Matter: A Political Ecology of Things. Durham: Duke UP, 2010. Print.

Boivin, Nicole. Material Cultures, Material Minds: The Impact of Things on Human Thought, Society, and Evolution. New York: Cambridge, UP, 2008. Print.

Boyer, Lisa. That Dorky Homemade Look: Quilting Lessons form a Parallel Universe. Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2002. Print.

Bryant, Levi R. The Democracy of Objects. Ann Arbor: Open Humanities P, 2011. Print.

Connolly, Sybil. Irish Hands: The Tradition of Beautiful Crafts. New York: Hearst Books, 1994. Print.

Cooke, Ariel Zeitlin. “Common Threads: The Creation of War Textiles Around the World.” Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory. Eds. Ariel

Zeitlin Cooke and Marsha MacDowell. East Lansing: Michigan State U, 2005. 3 – 29. Print.

---. and Marsha MacDowell, eds. Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory. East Lansing: Michigan State U, 2005. Print.

Coole, Diana and Samantha Frost, eds. New Materialisms: Ontology, Agency, and Politics. Durham: Duke UP, 2010. Print.

Dobson, Silvia. “’Shock Knit within Terror’: Living Through World War II.” The Iowa Review 18.3 (Fall 1986): 232 – 245. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 21. February 2013.

Drunchunas, Donna. Ethnic Knitting Exploration: Lithuania, Iceland, and Ireland. Fort Collins, CO: Nomad P, 2009. Kindle file.

Duncan, Ida Riley. The Complete Book of Progressive Knitting. New York: Liveright Publishing Co., 1966. Print.

Fisk, Anna. “’To Make, and Make Again’: Feminism, Craft and Spirituality.” Feminist Theology 20 (2012): 160 – 174. Print.

Friend, Catherine. Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet. Philadelphia: DaCapo, 2011. Print.

Griffiths, Mark D. “Excessive Knitting and Addiction: A Brief Look at the ‘Dark Side’ of Knitting.” Psychology Today 26 Jan. 2017. Web. 5 Feb. 2018.

---. “It’s No Fabrication: A Brief Look at ‘Quilting Addiction.’” Dr. Mark Griffiths. WordPress. 23 Apr. 2015. Web. 5 Feb. 2018.

Groeneveld, Elizabeth. “’Join the Knitting Revolution’: Third-Wave Feminist Magazines and the Politics of Domesticity.” Canadian Review of American Studies 40.2 (2010): 259 – 277. Print

Harmuth, Louis. Dictionary of Textiles. New York: Fairchild Publishing, 1915. Print.

Harnetly, Paul. “Deindustrialization’ Revisited: The Handloom Weavers of the Central Provinces of India, c. 1800 – 1947.” Asian Studies 25.3 (1991): 455 – 510. Print.

Harper, George Mills. “Conrad’s Knitters and Homer’s Cave of the Nymphs.” English Language Notes 1 (1963): 53 – 57. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 21. February 2013.

Hedges, Elaine. “The Needle or the Pen: The Literary Rediscovery of Women’s Textile Work.” Tradition and the Talents of Women. Ed.

Florence Howe. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1991. 338 – 364. Print.

---, Pat Ferrero, and Julie Silber. Hearts and Hands: Women, Quilts, and American Society. Nashville: Rutledge Hill P, 1996. Print.

Hood, Ann, ed. Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting. New York: Norton, 2014. Print.

Howe, Florence, ed. Tradition and the Talents of Women. Urbana: U of Illinois P, 1991. Print.

Jacobs, Lisa. “Needles of a Nation: Knitting at the Great Exhibition of 1851.” Knitting Traditions 13 (Fall 2017): 14 – 21. Print.

Kilburn, Kath. So You'd Like to Open a Wool Shop… Seattle: Amazon Digital Services, 2013. Kindle file.

MacDonald, Anne L. No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting. New York: Ballantine Books, 1988. Print.

MacDowell, Marsha, Mary Worrall, Lynne Swanson, and Beth Donaldson. Quilts and Human Rights. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 2016. Print.

---. “A Document of Cloth: Interpreting History in a Traditional Textile.” Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory. Eds. Ariel Zeitlin Cooke and Marsha MacDowell. East Lansing: Michigan State U, 2005. 37 – 45. Print.

McPherson, Susan. “On Being ‘Tempted to Knit’: Writing, Reviewing and Reading Biography.” Nineteenth-Century Contexts 28.1 (March 2006): 49 – 65. Print.

Mandell, Hinda, ed. Crafting Dissent: Handicraft as Protest From the American Revolution to the Pussyhats. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019. Print.

Murphy, Nora. Knitting the Threads of Time: Casting Back to the Heart of Our Craft. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2009. Print.

Nadzeika, Bonnie-Lynn. “Embracing Progress At the Great Exhibition.” Knitting Traditions 13 (Fall 2017): 6 – 13. Print.

Okumura, Sayaka. “Women Knitting: Domestic Activity, Writing, and Distance in Virginia Woolf’s Fiction.” English Studies 89.2 (April 2008): 166 – 181. Print.

Radcliffe, Margaret. The Knitting Answer Book. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2005. Print.

Schlegel, Lee-lee. Arans—A Saga in Wool: A Study of the History, Origins and Development of the Aran Island Gansey and its

Ornamentation. Detroit: Harlo, 1980. Print.

Sharrad, Paul. “Trading Yarns: India, Australia, and Ethel Anderson.” Nlr: new literatures review 41 (April 2004): 85 – 103. Print.

Shaw-Smith, David. Hands: Wool Spinning. Ireland: RTÉ National Television Service, 1978. DVD.

Sivasankari. Knit India Through Literature: Volume 1: The South. Chennai: Eastwest Books (Madras), 1998. Print.

Turney, J. D. “Making Love with Needles: Knitted Objects as Signs of Love?” Textile 10.3 (2012): 302 – 311. Print.

The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches. New York: The Reader’s Digest, 2003. Print.

Wheat, Patricia H. “Dickens and Faulkner: Still Knitting.” Publications of the Mississippi Philological Association (1990): 185 – 191. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 21. February 2013.

Zelinka, Elisabeta. “’I Mapped The Knitting-Ball’: Woolf Versus Cunningham: Femininity and Androgyny in Literary Cartography.” Gender Studies 1.1.0 (2011): 153 – 162. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 21. February 2013.

Fiction

mysteries

Scholarship