Books have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I was the kid you’d find happily sitting in a quiet corner absorbed in Misty of Chincoteague. A trip to the public library was always a treat. Even now, there are bookshelves in nearly every room of my home, and they aren’t for the display of decorative objects.
Knitting came into my life in my late teens. In the days before everyone had a computer in their home, not to mention in their pocket, I picked up a magazine in the grocery store check-out line. I don’t remember the title, but I suspect it was one of the Family Circle or Woman’s Day special crafts issues that were so common in the late 1970’s. The magazine included a knitted vest project, striped, in shades of brown. Fortunately, the magazine also had illustrated “How to Knit” instructions in the back. I found a yarn store, bought the yarn called for in the pattern, and used those instructions to make the vest. It never occurred to me that this might not be a “beginner” project. I don’t remember struggling to follow the instructions. I do remember proudly wearing that vest (which is now probably sitting in a landfill somewhere refusing to degrade).
Every now and then, these two enduring passions collide in unexpected ways. I recently read (actually listened to as an audiobook, but let’s agree right now that audiobooks count as reading, OK?) Paladin’s Grace by T Kingfisher. My taste in books is pretty eclectic, but it rarely wanders into swords-and-shields fantasy aisle. Nevertheless, this book appeared on my list of “books to read” and it was offered free on Audible.com. I downloaded it and pressed play.
Our protagonist is Stephen, a paladin in the land of Archenhold. In case you’re wondering, the Cambridge English Dictionary defines paladin as “a very brave knight”. In the world of this book, they are soldiers in service to a temple, renowned for their chivalry, strength, and sense of honor. If you’re a Dungeons & Dragons devotee, feel free to correct me on this description.
Early in the book, Stephen is assigned to accompany a healer as he makes his rounds in a rough part of the city. As Stephen waits outside a home while the healer does his thing, we get this:
Stephen opened his pack and pulled out his needles and a thick ball of yarn. Knitting socks was not a particularly glamorous hobby, but it filled the same mental need as the sword—careful work that held his attention and hopefully did not allow his mind to wander too far afield. Plus at the end, you got socks out of it, and no one appreciated good socks like a soldier.
His current project was faded red. Well, pink. The dye hadn’t taken properly and washed out almost at once. The merchant sold him the whole lot for a quarter of what it was worth and Stephen had been making dusty pink socks for over a month. His fellow paladins had groaned when they saw the color, but they all wore the socks anyway. Archenhold was cold in winter and proper footwear was important. You never knew when you were going to get called upon to do a forced march somewhere.
Kingfisher, T.. Paladin's Grace (The Saint of Steel Book 1) (pp. 11-12). Red Wombat Studio. Kindle Edition.
Is there a more delightful mental picture? A big guy with a sword, leaning up against the wall of a house, knitting pink socks!
A little later on, when Stephen is beginning to court a woman, does he bring her flowers or chocolates? Of course not. He presents her with a pair of handknit socks, cream and dusty pink, in alternating zig-zag patterns.
At this point, it almost didn’t matter whether the book was actually any good. I was all in. But it is a great story, and well written. There is adventure, a serial killer mystery, political intrigue, and a lovely, steamy romance. Paladin’s Grace definitely qualifies as A Good Yarn.
And what am I knitting now? How about some socks…
The yarn is Biscotte Yarns Bis-Sock in Ophelia. This skein was gifted to me by the charming Louise and Patrick from Biscotte when I visited their booth at Maker Festival in Lancaster, PA this past August. I’ve knit with a lot of self-striping sock yarn over the years, and I’m impressed with the precision of the hand-dying on this yarn. The stripe pattern is consistent throughout the skein; it will be easy to make the two socks match. The transition from one color to the next is crisp, with minimal overlap between colors. The yarn itself is tightly spun, giving this 85% merino/15% nylon blend a lovely bit of sheen. Bis-Sock is A Good Yarn.
Thank you for taking the time to read all the way to the end. Have you read a book that surprised you with some knitting? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
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Welcome to Substack Sandi! Books and yarn. Can’t wait to read more.