Page 28 of The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge

‘Well, yes of course. But—’

‘In exactly the same way, there is no rule that says a man can’t knit. I know quite a few men who do. And there are male knitting fashion designers too. So that’s no excuse.’

‘Yay!’ said Vicki beside her.

Matt looked at his daughter and then at Bree. His blue eyes began to crinkle and he laughed.

‘Well, okay. You’ve got me there.’

‘What are you going to knit, Daddy?’ Vicki was back at the table of kits. ‘I want to knit this.’

The package she presented to Matt was for a jumper made from Bree’s finest alpaca yarn. She saw Matt’s eyes widen when he looked at the price tag.

‘That’s for a really experienced knitter,’ she jumped in. ‘And it takes a very long time to knit. I’m not sure that’s the best one for you, Vicki.’

Matt put the package down. ‘You listen to Miss Johnston. She’s the expert.’

‘I’ve got a good idea.’ Bree reached for two kits at the other end of the table. ‘These are for someone who has never knitted before. They are scarves and really quick and easy to make.’ She presented them for inspection, making sure that Matt noticed the much cheaper price tags. ‘Vicki, you could take this brown one and knit it for your dad. And Matt, you could knit this pretty cream one for Vicki. How does that sound?’

‘That sounds lovely, Vicki.’ Lou joined the conversation. ‘Now, Bree, what do you suggest for me? I used to do crafty stuff when I was a kid, but never knitting. I always wanted to try.’

While Bree suggested kits for Lou, another two women arrived. Bree could barely contain her happiness. This was shaping up to be the first success of her new life, and it was time to get it properly started. With a wave of her arm, she invited everyone to take seats around the work table.

‘Thank you for coming, ladies—and gentleman.’ She smiled at Matt. ‘For those who haven’t met me officially, I’m Bree Johnston. I’m going to be farming alpacas at a place called The Gums, which some of you may know. This knitting club is associated with that—but no pressure at all. There’s no joining fees or anything like that. I have kits and yarn and accessories for sale, but you don’t have to buy from me. Feel free to bring any existing projects or yarn bought anywhere at all. This is all about sharing the joy of knitting.’

There was a movement across the table as a woman lifted a multicoloured bundle of yarn and some needles from a bag she’d hidden under the table. ‘That’s good to hear,’ the woman said as she spread her work out in front of her.

‘But if anyone does want to buy a kit or some yarn, there is a discount for regulars. I have met some of you before. But not everyone, so why don’t we start by everyone telling me your names, how much you already know about knitting, or showing us all what you’re currently working on.’

***

Rose was the last to introduce herself. She pulled a half-knitted cardigan out of her bag. She’d been knitting most of her life and the enjoyment had never faded. She’d taught Bree to knit when she was about Vicki’s age. Strangely, though, she’d never joined a knitting club like this one. She’d never felt the need, probably because her life had been full of people.

She turned to the woman sitting next to her. ‘So, you run the mobile library? That must be fun.’

‘I love it,’ said Lou. ‘It’s a community project, not funded by the council at all. It serves more than a dozen small towns and we also have a swap system going for resources for school groups and that sort of thing.’

‘And everyone chips in?’

‘They do, in some way or other. I used to live in the city but I’ve never regretted moving here. It’s a great place to live.’

Rose let that sink in, then turned her attention to Lou’s attempts at casting on. ‘Do you need some help with that?’

‘I think so.’ She grimaced. ‘What am I doing wrong?’

‘Are you right-handed or left-handed?’

‘Right.’

‘Then let’s try changing the way you hold the wool. You need to keep a constant tension as you knit. Otherwise you end up with loose knots and holes and things. Try it like this.’

Rose took a spare ball of yarn from her own knitting bag and picked up Lou’s empty needles. In a few easy moves, she had a couple of stitches cast on. Then she cast on a few more, very slowly.

‘Now you try.’ She pulled her stitches off and returned the needles.

Lou got her first two stitches cast on, then dropped the wool. ‘Damn. I’ve got no idea.’

‘Wrap the yarn around the other side of your finger.’

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