Thursday is one of the busiest and best days in my week. Busy, because my yarn shop is the only one in town—and I have the most amazing collection of cashmere and alpaca, cotton and wool, that you’ve ever seen.
Best because it ends with Thursday night knitting and sitting in the cozy back room of my shop with my three closest friends, my Aunt Nell, Birdie Favazza, and Cass Halloran—and, of course, A magnificent ‘thrown together,’ she always says, dinner that Aunt Nell spreads out on the old library table. Usually seafood with pasta, always garlic and wine and cheese, and sometimes a surprise. Birdie brings a favorite wine, and we close out the world, basking in friendship, a little bit of gossip, and solving all the problems occurring at that moment in Sea Harbor, MA.
But Thursdays sometimes bring unexpected people into the shop. Like this one. It was like all the other Thursdays, except it wasn’t. Take a look and tell me what you think.
It was shortly before closing when a small girl wandered in. Cass and Nell were already there for knitting night. Birdie hadn’t yet arrived.
“Hi,” I said. “May I help you?”
The girl looked to be about nine or ten. Her hair was blue-black, like a raven’s feathers–shoulder length and wildly curly. It was held in place—barely—by a crochet green beanie with an enormous orange flower in the center of the brim. Long, skinny legs bore bruises of various colors and sizes, and hanging over one shoulder, held in place by a wide canvas strap, was the likely source of the injuries—a battered skateboard. I knew most of the kids in Sea Harbor, but I had never seen this girl before.
“This is the yarn shop, right?” she asked.
I told her it was. Did she want to buy some?
The shop cat, Purl, jumped down from a pile of new summery cotton yarn and rubbed against the girl’s leg. That was a good sign; Purl is an extraordinary judge of character.
Gabby leaned down and rubbed Purl’s back, chewing on her bottom lip. She looked at the tables of soft yarn, the neat white cubbies filled to the brim. “Actually,” she said—her manner of speaking was very adult for a child, I thought. “Actually, I don’t have money right now. But I’ll come back. Or maybe when Nonna comes …”
Nonna… Nana? Nell asked her, “So you’re vacationing here with your grandmother?” We thought of Esther Gibson’s granddaughters. She had so many that we never could tell them apart from one summer to the next.
“Yes. No. Well, sort of, I guess.” She grinned, then followed it up with a shrug. “It’s very confusing, isn’t it?”
Confusing was an understatement. Little did we know how connected to us Gabby already was. Nor how she would worm her way directly into our hearts. Into our lives, really. Yes, into our lives.
And it wasn’t only the four of us. By the time Gabrielle Marietti left Sea Harbor a few weeks later, she’d have befriended an old fisherman named Finnegan, touched more lives than I can count, and walked with us through the sad and troublesome path of solving a murder. Two, in fact.
And it all began on that Thursday. My favorite day in the shop.
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To read more about how the holidays brought an enormous change into Izzy Chambers’ life, A HOLIDAY YARN, the fourth book in the “Seaside Knitters” mystery series is now available in paperback and e-book and you can read more about Gabby in THE FATAL FLEECE, coming in May 2012.
Sally Goldenbaum is the author of more than two dozen novels, most recently the national best-selling Seaside Knitters Mystery Series. In another life she taught philosophy, edited bioethics journals, and once, long ago, worked for WQED public TV where Mr. Rogers lived in his wonderful neighborhood. When not writing she spends as much time as possible with four amazing grandchildren. She lives with her husband in Prairie Village, KS. Visit Sally at www.sallygoldenbaum.com
** To celebrate the paperback release of A HOLIDAY YARN, I’m giving away one copy of the book, thanks to the publisher. To enter, you must leave a valid e-mail address in the comment box with your comment. This is only open to US addresses at the publisher’s request. Contest ends on November 10th at 6pm EST. Winner will be notified by e-mail and has 2 days to respond. The book will be shipped directly from the publisher. **
I want to learn more about Gabrielle!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
This is the series that got me knitting again after about a decade. I can’t wait to read the newest.
I wish we had a shop like that in our town, because it would be so much fun. This sounds like another wonderful series that I want to read! Thank you for the chance.
And I did it again:
TerryParrish 2010 (at) hotmail (dot) (com)
Up till the age of 5 or 6 Mommy Dearest owned a yarn shop and gave knitting lessons. I loved to feel all the wools and look at all the colors of the rainbow. I would love to win a copy of this book.
NoraAdrienne (at) gmail (dot) com
Thanks, Karen and Mare. Mare–I’d love to hear what you’re knitting. And Karen–I came to love Gabrielle (Gabby, they call her) and hope you do, too. There’s a sweater pattern in the A FATAL FLEECE designed just for Gabby by Cheryl Erlandson, owner of In The Loop yarn shop in Norfolk, MA. I’ll put a photo of it on the website soon.
While I don’t knit I love Cozies with knitting in them. Would love to win.
nlb1050(at)yahoo(dot)com
Good luck, Nancy!
I love to knit whenever I have time. My mom and I share knitting advice. Last year I knit a fun hat that looked like a fish! Unfortunately I’m allergic to wool, so I have to be creative with the yarns I purchase. I recently purchased a super soft bamboo yarn. I can’t wait to make something with it.
I look forward to reading this holiday mystery!
The Seaside Knitters have inspired me to learn how to knit, be a more willing and thoughtful hostess, plus I love the mysteries.
Dorothy–there was actually a fish hat pattern in one of the Seaside Knitter’s books. I am wondering if it’s the same one you knit!
NoraAdrienne–I agree about the feeling of yarn. It’s so sensual and wonderful. I am not a great knitter–just a passionate one!
Thanks for the note, Terry. Hope you get to know the seaside knitters. They are a nice group and love new company!
I love knitting so a book that has that as a background is a real treat. Both the reading selection and the book cover are so inviting.
Thank you for this giveaway.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks, Tina! What a nice comment. One of the benefits of writing fiction is you can project your own wishes and have the characters act the way I sometimes wish I had acted, or say the things I wish i’d said.
Thanks, Carol. Hope you enjoy my sea harbor friends.
Love the Seaside Mysteries. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Thank you, sue!
I have such fond memories of watching my mother knit–but I could never learn, my fingers just seem to get tangled when I try. The holidays are my favorite time of year, so I’d love to read this cozy.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
hi Sue,
I had the same experience watching my grandmother knit. It’s a warm memory I love to bring out on cold winter days. Although knitting binds the women in the seaside stories together, the books are also about friendship and living in a small seaside town.
I tried knitting but couldn’t do it. I did a little better at crocheting and got to the second row but it unraveled easily. I’ll just do embroidery: stamped cross-stitch. I can only do the ones with X’s.
I have the first in the series and two of the quilting mysteries.
spookycat72(at)gmail(dot)com
Knitting and a little girl, what more could you want? Oh, a good mystery, too – that’s great!
Hi Michelle and Jo Ann–
Michelle–you may not like knitting, but I have a feeling you’re very good at friendship. The seaside knitters are too (and they love eating a good meal with a fine glass of wine…). (And I am a master at unraveling projects!)
Jo Ann, you’ll have to let me know what you think of Gabby. I was slightly nervous about trying to get into the mind of a little girl, since my daughter hasn’t been little for some time now! But I talked to a wonderful reader with a daughter this age and she gave me many tips, along with friends with older grandchildren. And out of it all came Gabby of whom I became very fond by book’s end. Hope you do, too!
Wish I could knit….I end up with nice little bunches of wool from pulling it too tight! I love to watch my friends knit…their fingers flying!
I love the seaside stories…..
idlivru1(at)gmail(dot)com
Risa
Knitting and reading two of my favorites things to do. And in a book besides, Can’t wait to read this
jplungas at gmail dot com
Thank you Sally and Izzy for telling us about your day and introducing us to Gabby. I can’t wait to hear more about her.
Risa, I’ve had the same experiences–little bunches of wool. But with each project it gets smoother and easier. i figure in 10 years or so….and in the meantime it keeps my fingers busy during meetings and sometimes lectures that aren’t so interesting. Go for it!
Josephine, thanks for the nice comment and I hope you enjoy the book.
And dear Dru Ann, thank you for letting me drop in today. I’ve had a lovely time. Thank you thank you.
Sally
Sally, I’m glad you had a good time.
What a tease! I need more. I so miss my friends between books.
We Read and Knit a lot in VT..Black Sheep Wool Dorset,VT my go to : ) Would love to read Sally’s Books and Share The Love of Knitting..Thanks Dru for introducing us to Sally
And thank you, Susan, for giving the seaside knitters a try. We drove up to VT last week (from Cape Ann). I love Vermont. So beautiful.
Hi Joan! Nell, Izzy and friends miss you, too!
I just finished reading “The Wedding Shawl” and wish I could join the Seaside Knitters and visit while they eat and knit! Like others my grandmother was a knitter, so this book brings back memories. All I knit is squares and rectangles 🙂 but am inspired to try a more ambitious pattern like the wedding shawl? Thank you Sally for the escape.
Looking forward to reading The Fatal Fleece.
Thanks,Sherri and Sharon! (Sherri–I haven’t gotten up the courage to do the wedding shawl myself….but I AM going to try the little cardigan that Nell is knitting in THE FATAL FLEECE.)
I love a series with crafts and cats. Sounds like a wonderful series to read. dgwatson(at)wildblue(dot)net
My mother is the knitter of the family, but I always enjoy cozies and this series sounds intriguing. Thanks for the contest, dru!
lola777_22 at hotmail dot com
Hi Diane–and toss in friendship, which the seaside knitters pay much attention to (and food…they love food, along with knitting. And along with Purl, purring on someone’s lap.) Hope you enjoy! Sally
…and thank you, Lynn, for joining in. Hope you enjoy the seaside women and the lives they lead. Warm wishes,Sally
Contest is closed.
Congratulations to our winner: Lynn in Texas!