Inquisitive Felines and Fibers

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Maggie Sefton at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival and I wanted to mention the first book in her Kelly Flynn series for a few reasons. First, I loved the idea of a non-knitter inheriting a yarn shop…it was a fun concept and I enjoyed reading about Kelly’s introduction to knitting. Second, the characters and the mystery were most enjoyable. Ms. Sefton created a community that I could easily picture and would love to visit. This is always important to me. Lastly, and most importantly to me, this is the book that got me knitting again.

For many years I was an administrative assistant/bookkeeper in several different businesses. Over the course of the years it affected my ability to knit…my hands would go to sleep. I’d always been quicker at crocheting, but now it became the only way I could do any serious amount of fiber creation. When I found this book I’d been out of offices and working as a bartender for a couple of years. As I watched Kelly stumble through her “lessons” I got the itch to pick up some needles and give it a shot. It worked. Apparently the profession of bar-tending was not as tough on my wrists and hands as keyboarding was so knitting again I was!

Now comes the really fun part. When I discovered Maggie Sefton’s booth at the wool festival, purely by accident also – I almost didn’t go to the book aisle because I was there for tools this year – I was delighted to find her a warm and charming person. We chatted for a bit and I learned that all of Kelly’s trials and tribulations were drawn from Maggie’s own experiences. Just knowing this little fact has made me appreciate her writing and characters even more. She was not only happy to hear me say that her book was my inspiration for the return to knitting, but she was more than generous with her time and conversation. I do recommend this series if for nothing else the enjoyment of watching a brand new knitter learn the ropes. The wonderful mysteries are just an added bonus!