With Great Recommendations Come Great Responsibility

Let’s Welcome New Subscribers With a Gift for Everyone!

It's been an exciting week over here in my little corner of the world.

This past Sunday, my phone was beeping up all day with notifications about new subscribers to A Good Yarn. I was delighted, but surprised. What did I do right? Then I saw that my friend Kristin Nicholas had recommended this newsletter in her own Substack, Kristin Nicholas' Colorful Newsletter from the Farm.

I first became a fan of Kristin's work nearly 25 years ago, when I owned a small yarn store in Sonoma County, California, and Kristin was the Creative Director at Classic Elite Yarns. Her knitting and crochet designs were always a joyful explosion of color and pattern. I had the pleasure of working with Kristin some years later, when I was a producer on the public television program Knit and Crochet Now! and Kristin was a member of the cast. Not only is she talented, Kristin is warm, funny, generous, and an all-around wonderful woman.

If you found your way here via Kristin's recommendation, welcome! I'm glad you've come. Please stop by the About page to see a bit about who I am and what to expect (it's the equivalent of stopping at the bar as you enter the party). And if any of you don't know Kristin, drop by her website to see her colorful designs in pottery, textiles, and patterns for knitting and crewel embroidery. You'll also get a glimpse of the farm in Western Massachusetts where she and her husband, Mark, raise sheep.

To Kristin—Thank you! It is a great honor to be recommended by someone I admire and respect. I'm grateful to be able to claim you as my friend.

In celebration of so many new subscribers, I'd like to give all of you a little gift. That most commercial of holidays, Valentine's Day, is just a month away. I designed a seasonally appropriate hat, Conversation Hearts, a couple of years ago.

Conversation Hearts modeled by the lovely Ladianne Henderson

To download a free copy of the pattern, click the link here to go to Ravelry, then enter coupon code SHARETHELOVE. This code expires on February 14, 2024. If you're not a knitter, feel free to pass the link and the code to a knitter you love.

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Last weekend, I finished reading North Woods by Daniel Mason.

This novel is a sweeping melange of fiction and history centered around a very special place. Beginning as a cabin built by two young lovers running away from a Puritan colony, a remote house in the North Woods (I imagine it near Kristin's farm in Massachusetts) evolves over the centuries as it is inhabited by a succession of human and non-human creatures, with periods of neglect and dereliction along the way. The novel tells the stories of those who find shelter in this house and chronicles the impact they have on the building, the surrounding land, and each other.

North Woods was on just about every list of Best Books of 2023, so I’ll simply add my voice to the chorus. This beautifully written book was a pleasure to listen to. There is great poetry in the descriptions of the forest surrounding the house, and the connecting narratives are skillfully paced. The audiobook features a large cast of narrators, many of whom will be familiar to frequent audiobook readers.

By the way, when did video trailers for books become a thing?

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North Woods reminded me in many ways of another wonderful book I read several years ago: The Overstory by Richard Powers.

The Overstory is also a novel constructed of loosely interwoven narratives, but its center of gravity is the miracle of trees and forests. I loved this book, and I think you will, too.

If you missed The Overstory when it won the Pulitzer Prize back in 2019, now is a good time to pick it up. If you're an Audible subscriber, the audiobook is free right now with your membership.

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What are you reading these days? I’m always on the lookout for a book recommendation. Leave a comment if you’ve got a book I’ll enjoy!

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Some things that caught my eye

• The New York Times ran a story this week about the latest iteration of the Crochet Coral Reef. I was struck by their likening the Reef to the AIDS Quilt. It is sad but true that this collective art project may serve as a memorial for the majestic coral reefs that are dying off as ocean temperatures rise. The brilliant Allison Korleski spoke with the creator of the Crochet Coral Reef for her podcast, Fiber Nation, several years ago. Fiber Nation is no longer being produced, but you can listen to the episode here.

• I'm a big fan of Masterpiece on PBS, and one of my recent favorites is Annika.

I recently learned that this series began as a BBC Radio 4 audio series called Annika Stranded. The title character is played by Nicola Walker, whose voice I love. This series is told entirely in the first person and is surprisingly full of wry humor. If you are a fan of police procedurals featuring a whip-smart, quirky, female detective, you'll love Annika. You can listen to all 31 episodes (about 30 minutes each) online for free at the link above. You're welcome.

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I appreciate your spending a little time with me today. If you have a friend who would enjoy A Good Yarn, I’d love it if you’d share this newsletter using this link.