Knitting is therapeutic, I tell you (except, of course, for those times you discover a mistake several rows back and you must unravel an hour’s worth of work while cursing quietly). But for the most part, curling up in a comfy spot with a hot cup of something and a giant pile of fluffy yarn…well, there aren’t many better ways to wind down at the end of the day. Or in the middle of the day. Or ALL day.
Sometimes you need to mix things up, though. Sometimes you’re just in the mood to unwind with a book and a hot drink, instead of the knitting (especially when you have just unraveled a day’s worth of work and you need to put it all away before you stab someone with your needles, though I’m sure they would deserve it).
For times like those, I have here six novels about knitting.
I didn’t realize until I started looking, that knitting novels are almost a genre of their own. There are a lot more out there than I expected. Many of them are mysteries – perhaps because people sitting and knitting have plenty of time to think? If the books are to be believed, the body count around knitters is shockingly high. I haven’t noticed this myself, but if people keep getting murdered in strange and mysterious ways around the rest of you, I’m interested in hearing about it.
Most of these books aren’t great literature – they’re fluffy reads that aren’t too taxing. Comfort reading. But a few tackle some more serious subjects and would be good picks for book clubs…even if not everyone in the group is a knitter.
Also, if you can’t decide whether to knit or read (I know! Decisions!) …you could always download the audio version and do both at once. It’s an amazing time we live in.
I’m sharing links to order these books via Amazon, which is an easy way to do it. However, if you’d like to support local bookstores, I’m also including a link to Bookshop. They allow you to choose a local bookstore from their list, but if you don’t, profits go into a general pool that assists all local stores that participate.
Six novels about knitting
1.) The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil – When Jo Mackenzie’s husband is killed in a car crash just after he asks her for a divorce, she packs up her two small boys and moves from London back to her seaside hometown. She takes over her Gran’s knitting shop and finds new friends in the women who drop in.
I just started this book and I didn’t expect to love it as much as I do so far. I expected it to be twee and cute, but it’s actually funny and snarky and feels very much like Bridget Jones’ Diary. There is, however, more swearing than one might expect in a knitting novel. You’ve been warned.
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2.) The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs – Once a week, a group of women from all walks come together in a New York City yarn shop to knit and talk. And when single-mom Georgia, who owns the shop, faces a crisis, her knitting friends band together. This definitely feels formulaic and people seem to either love it or hate it…for that reason alone, I say it would make a great book club pick.
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3.) The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber – four women are brought together in this Seattle yarn store to learn to knit a baby blanket (for four very different reasons, of course). Although their ages and backgrounds vary wildly, their time in the shop brings them together and helps them make unexpected discoveries about themselves and each other.
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The book also has a companion book of baby blanket patterns, so if you’re inspired to knit up a baby blanket or two, you can try these! (or try one of the ones we have here on the blog)
4.) Knit to Kill by Anne Canadeo – I hadn’t heard of the Black Sheep & Co series, but they’re a bunch of light, breezy mysteries. In this one, the Black Sheep knitting circle heads to a New England island for a girls’ weekend before member Lucy Binger gets married. Shortly after their arrival, the body of a prominent resident is discovered on the rocky coastline below the cliffs and the group investigates whether his death was an accident or something more sinister (spoiler alert – it’s something more sinister.)
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5.) Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton – not quite as well-reviewed as The Black Sheep mysteries, but still a nice, cozy book (and it takes place here in my state! I’m intrigued…) Kelly is a CPA who returns to Colorado after her aunt is killed. She befriends the owner of a local yarn shop, and takes up knitting to help her with her grief. Then she discovers that her beloved aunt has a secret past that may shed some light on her death. Bonus: the book includes a pattern for a cable knit scarf and a recipe for chocolate mint fudge.
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6.) A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie – or any Christie novel featuring the marvelous Mrs. Marple. While this isn’t directly a book about knitting, Mrs. Marple is one of the most famous knitters in literature I think. She’s a little old lady who usually sits before a roaring fire (or in this case, on the beach), knitting something fluffy and solving violent crimes at leisure. She’s a classic.
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If you’re looking for more suggestions, try these books, recommended by readers of this blog – 7 More Enchanting Books For Knitters.
What do you like to read when you’re not knitting?
Knit One, Kill Two is an awesome novel, I’ve read it twice (so far)
You may also like Terri DuLong’s series Cedar Key and Ormond Beach. They are wonderful and full of knitting ladies (and gents) as well. I just love them!
The Yarn Harlot has several different books and they’re all great, so funny! Not fiction but they are fun. I read the book by Jacobs a few years ago, was good and I think there’s a follow-up to that one.
I read the novel The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber. I enjoyed that book. Thank you for the other suggestions.
A big fan of Debbie Macomber’s. If you are looking for something faith related try her book, Knit Together Discover God’s Pattern For Your Life.
Haven’t tried audio books while knitting as often times it’s my prayer time, especially when working on a prayer shawl.
Easter blessings to all.
I love the idea of knitting time being your prayer time! I know someone who used to pray over the person she was knitting for and that’s such a beautiful idea…I’m going to look up the book you suggested – thank you!
Penny Reid, Knitting in the city series.
Love love love!
I’m going to have to try that one – I’m getting a ton of great suggestions here!
I just stubbed onto your site. Thank you for all these wonderful suggestions. I just started listening to audio books while Knitting. Perfect way to relax.
I do that, too! Or I listen to podcasts sometimes…
It’s Pamela Reid not Joy, and of course Rachel Herron is super.
If you like erotic romance you should read Amy lane’s books: The grandby knitting series
1. The winter mating ritual of fur bearing critters
2. How to raise an honest rabbit
3. A knitter in his natural habitat
4. Blackbird knitting in a bunny
Each book also has a knitting pattern at the end of the book
I am glad I stumbled across this pin! Im not much of a reader but they all sounded good! I just might give one a go.
So far, I love the first book the best!
I. Love to listen to audio books while knitting. Wonder if any of the above mentioned books are on audio…
Try the Seaside Knitters series. They are light but fun.
Beach Street actually has more books in the series. They are really pretty good. I think I have them all.
I have read Macomber, Sexton and Jacobs and enjoyed their books also. You might want to check out Joy Reid. At least I think that is her name. It is Knitting in the City series. Really nice too.
I have read all the Sefton books and she develops a pretty good story line including one based on the terrible wildfires in CO a few years ago. I didn’t try the shawl pattern in the 1st book but I did make the peppermint fudge. It was delicious & a big seller at my church bake sale.
Another yarncrafting series I like is by Betty Hechtman. The 1st book in the series is “Dead Men Don’t Crochet.” The first few books are mostly about crochet but several books in she introduces books involving knitting. I’ve read them all and enjoyed them.
Another series involving a knitter is an old series by Patricia Wentworth. She published her 1st book in 1910. Her protagonist is Miss Silver. Miss Silver is an older lady like Miss Marple and she knits in every book I’ve read in the series. She is a retired governess but she then opened her own private investigator business and is often consulted by the police and even the government. I found this pretty progressive for a woman of that era. There are none of her books in the library, but Amazon has all 32 in the series for sale as ebooks. I also found them in paperback in Barnes and Noble.
Lastly there is an author named Monica Ferris who owns a shop called Crewel World. Her books seem to deal with a different type of needle work in each one of the series and I’m pretty sure there was one about knitting.
I got a little long winded there but I wanted to point out these other series to you.
thank you so much! I’m getting such great suggestions to add to my list…we’re headed on a spring break trip in a few weeks, so these come at the perfect time
Love the Black Sheep series! Exactly as you described them: light fluffy reads that are the perfect timeout from knitting.
I’d like to try the Debbie Macomber book; while I’ve read many books by her, I haven’t read this one, and I can always use another baby blanket pattern!
I’m excited to have another series to follow! And the picture on the Debbie Macomber book is my dream – to own a cute little yarn shop on a street with unrealistic amounts of flowers…sigh…
Love knitting books. One I picked up at a book fair is not a novel, but hilarious. The Secret Life of a Knitter by the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. It’s a funny little book and I could relate to most of what she said. Especially the Christmas story. Been there, many times. 🙂
I’m going to have to try that one! I’ve heard of her but I hadn’t heard of the book. It’s going on my list!