The yarn bombing TGIF has planned for Thursday night in downtown Blue Plum is probably the most exciting thing going on right now, and I’ll tell you about that in a minute, but first let me tell you about the “oof” I heard from Deputy Cole (known only to me as Clod) Dunbar. I was hiding, well, not really hiding, but doing some clandestine pre-yarn bomb measuring behind one of the columns at the courthouse, when I heard this interesting exchange between Clod and the mayor’s mother:
“Ms. Weems, ma’am—oof—now, that was uncalled for.” (That was Clod.)
“You’re a quack, and I’ll tell anyone who asks.” (That was the mayor’s mother.)
“Let’s step inside then, ma’am, and you can tell the sheriff.” (That was Clod again.)
I have no idea what that was all about, but I did get to see the mayor’s mother give Clod a kick in the shin as he escorted her through the courthouse doors. For a tiny little old lady, the mayor’s mother has a lot of pep and carries a fairly large handbag. It’s a good thing she was wearing tennis shoes. I know about the shoes, because I inched around the column in time to see her foot make the connection with Clod’s shin. The “oof” had come earlier, though, and from the look Clod gave her handbag, it was easy to guess the mayor’s mother was good at whopping it into annoying people’s midsections.
So back to the yarn bombing. I was at the courthouse that morning measuring the girth of one of the columns in preparation for Thursday night. In fact, I was having trouble measuring it because of its size, and that’s how I met Hugh McPhee. Although at the time, I didn’t know that’s who he was; I just thought he was a helpful stranger who didn’t mind giving me a hand. He assumed I was measuring the column for a child’s school project. I didn’t correct him, because we’re keeping the yarn bombing hush-hush, and I didn’t think anything more about him until Clod blustered into the Weaver’s Cat, later that morning. The bluster went like this:
Clod: “Ms. Rutledge, outside the courthouse earlier this morning, was that Hugh McPhee you were talking to?”
Me: “Beats me. We didn’t exchange names.”
Ardis (behind the sales counter with me): “Never. I haven’t seen Hugh in years. Are you sure, Cole?”
Clod (after thinking about it for several seconds): “I can’t make a positive ID, but I will find out. And I’ll find out before Rogalla does.”
I have no idea what was all about, either. About all I do know is that Clod left, and then Ardis left . . . and then Joe arrived with a slice of cake from Mel’s café. But it wasn’t just cake; it was Mel’s new tunnel of fudge cake with crystallized ginger. Oh my. (Mel let me include the recipe in our new book – oh my.)
But I still haven’t told you about the yarn bombing. We (TGIF – Thank Goodness It’s Fiber – the needle arts group that meets at the Weaver’s Cat) have planned it to coincide with Handmade Blue Plum, the annual arts and crafts fair. We’ve been knitting and crocheting for weeks, and the night before the fair opens, we’re going to add touches of whimsy to benches, signposts, tree trunks, and the courthouse columns. We’re going to spread arts and crafts anarchy with yarn graffiti – we’re going to yarn bomb Blue Plum. Part of the fun should be creeping around town after dark to do it, right? And it should work out fine. Really, I’m sure it will. After all, we’ve made meticulous plans. What could possibly go wrong?
You can read more about Kath and the yarn-bombing in Knot The Usual Suspect, the fifth book in the “Haunted Yarn Shop” mystery series, published by Obsidian. The first book in the series is Last Wool and Testament.
GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment by 12 a.m. eastern on Monday, September 21 for the chance to win a print copy of Knot The Usual Suspect. (US entries only, please.) Good luck everyone!
About the author
The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries from NAL/Penguin. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine since 1990 and she is a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. After twenty years in upper east Tennessee – the setting for her stories, short and long – Molly and her family live in Champaign, Illinois. You can find out more about Molly at www.mollymacrae.com or connect with her on Facebook or Pinterest. And you can find her blogging on the first Monday of each month at www.amyalessio.com and on the 23rd of each month at www.killercharacters.com.
Yarn bombing how fun
Knot The Usual Suspect sounds like a fun read. Love yarn bombing!! Thank you for this opportunity. 🙂
Knot The Usual Suspect sounds like a great cozy! Thank you for the giveaway.
myrifraf(at)gmail(dot)com
Love the yarn shop mysteries, thanks for the chance 🙂
jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
Yarn bombing, very interesting. Thanks for the giveaway.
Yarn bombing sounds fun and interesting. Thanks for the chance to win.
Sounds like a great book. 🙂
Sounds like a fun read.
I want it! I want it! I want it!
What a fun thing to do for advertising the yarn shop during the festival.
An enjoyable read I am sure. Glad to be able to enter for a chance to win a copy. robeader53@yahoo.com
Sounds like a fun book.
What a great book! Thank you for the contest. pfistersk@yahoo.com
A yarn bombing sounds like fun. have to see if I can get my fellow stitchers to do something like this. Love books about stitching – any kind of stitching. thanks.
We could use some yarn bombing in our town. Would love to read this book! Thank you for the chance,
Sounds like a great read.
This is a great series and can’t wait to read this one. Thanks for the chance to win.
Wonderful series and great giveaway. Thanks.
I would love to win a copy of Knot the Usual Suspects. I love the idea of yarn bombing!
Sounds like a fun read. Would love to win a copy of this one.Thanks!
Yarn bombing, lol would love to win this book, ty for the chance
Oh dear. Are they going to need a knitted coffin cover?
This book sounds like a lot of fun, thanks for the chance to win a copy.
I enjoy Molly MacRae’s knitting series. Would love to win this book. Thanks for the chance Molly and Dru Ann.
As a resident of Champaign, I always wait for Molly’s books–can’t wait to read this one.
Sounds like a fun book, I love to work with yarn.
Sounds like a great read
Thanks for the chance to win a copy. Sounds like a fun series.
Oh my goodness! Sounds like an awesome read! Thanks for sharing!
This sounds fun! I haven’t yet started reading this series, but have the first two in my tbr pile in hopes of starting soon. I do love yarn, and miss working with it…
Nothing good happens after midnight, right?! Looks like a great read, thanks for the chance to win!
yard bombing — awesome — sounds like a great and fun read — thanks for the chance to win a copy
Love these contests! lydnatmom84@outlook.com
This is the series I want to read next. Thanks, Dru & Molly MacRae. I’d love to share this series with the library patrons.
I’d like to see a yarn bombing. I put this series on my TBR list when promotion for this book started. The series sounds good with some fun characters. This author was new to me but luckily there are other books in the series before this one. I love to find new series & then I get to enjoy “catching up”.
Great tittle, colors and content make a great cover. Looking forward to reading it. Thank you for your giveaway.
This is a great series. I can’t wait to read this book!
I really enjoy the yarn shop mysteries and am excited to learn the author is from the Midwest! Thank you for the opportunity
What a super duper cute cover on this new book!!!! I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, but would love to win this one and then the awesome thing is I can go ahead and get the first four books in this series and what an awesome time I will have reading one book right after the other. I love doing that!!!! Thanks so much dearest Dru for the chance to win!!!! Sounds like a really great mystery!!!!!! God bless!!!!
Thanks for the giveaway! I would like to see a yarn bombing someday. Too funny.
Thanks for the opportunity to win Knot the Usual Suspect– sounds
fun.📖📚
Reading this right now and enjoying as usual! Made me think of having a Yarn Bombing care the knitting group I attend weekly with. Sounds like so much fun! Can’t wait to finish reading!
I’ve not read this series but plan to remedy that! Thank you for the chance!!
A haunted yarn shop. What’s not to like? Sign me up for the fun.
Unique and interesting. I would love to read this book. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’m not usually into haunted series but this one has me. Can’t wait to read the newest addition to the series.
Thank you all for your kind – and funny – comments! And thank you, Dru Ann for hosting me. What a cordial welcome from everyone!
LOVE the cover!!!!!
Thank you for the giveaway….
Contest is closed