I have a knitting habit … or maybe my habit is buying yarn for knitting. I already have more yarn than I could knit in several years, but I can’t resist when I see a pretty new colour or texture somewhere.

I learned to knit when I was about eleven years old. As part of a community group, I would visit an elderly neighbour and read to her while she knitted. In return, she taught me how to knit. And that’s what led to The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge – that combination of love of the craft and of community. And books too, of course.

For many years I had a job that took me all over the world – and everywhere I went I made a point of finding a shop and buying some locally made yarn. I would then knit it into something that became a souvenir of that visit. I have a Miami red scarf, a Canberra pink jumper, a Paris grey shawl, a Helsinki grey cowl …

I was almost always travelling alone and often in countries where I didn’t speak the language. But those yarn shops provided more than just yarn – I’d sometimes walk into a shop where a knitting session was underway. There would be women (and the occasional man) sitting around a table knitting and chatting. It was always such a joy when I was offered some cake or a glass of wine and a seat at the table.

We talked about knitting, of course, and there was always someone to help me learn a new technique – or how to fix a mistake. (That’s something I’ve had a lot of practice at by now.) But we talked about other things as well, as much as our different languages allowed. ‘Stitch and Bitch’ some women call it. We would exchange stories of family, our home towns, our loves, and life in general. A lot of the time, there’d also be a cat on a chair, purring contentedly. There was so much friendship in the room, even if there wasn’t a lot of English spoken.

I’m not travelling as much since I became a full-time writer, but I can still be found with knitter friends, sitting around a table in a yarn store, or a coffee shop, or even a yarn festival, knitting and chatting. There is a joy to that shared experience that never fails.

I tried to put some of that joy into The Knitting Club at Wagtail Ridge. I hope you find it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Janet Gover

Janet Gover grew up in outback Australia, surrounded by wide open spaces, horses … and many, many books.

When her cat lets her actually sit in her chair, she writes stories of strong women, rural communities and falling in love. Her novel Little Girl Lost won the Epic Romantic Novel of the Year Award presented by the Romantic Novelists’ Association in the UK, and she has won or been shortlisted for awards in Australia and the USA.

As Juliet Bell, in collaboration with Alison May, she rewrites misunderstood classic fiction, with an emphasis on heroes who are not so heroic.
Her favourite food is tomato. She spends too much time playing silly computer games, and is an enthusiastic, if not always successful, cook.

Don’t miss The Knitting Cllub at Wagtail Ridge!

A heartwarming story of second chances, baby alpacas, and knitting a fractured family back together. From the 2023 RuBY award-winning author of The Library at Wagtail Ridge.

These ladies know a perfect match when they see one…

Bree Johnston has given up trying to be the perfect lawyer. It’s time to focus on her own dreams, so she decides to leave the city and set up an alpaca farm and wool shop. Her grandmother Rose might be her only supporter, but that’s fine. Bree’s done trying to win her parents’ approval.

She finds the perfect property in the charming small town of Wagtail Ridge but gets more than she bargained for when sparks start flying with the handsome real estate agent.

Being a dad is the most important thing in Matt Ambrose’s life. His small agency is struggling, but he’s committed to raising his young daughter, Vicki, in the country, the way he and her late mother had planned. But Vicki’s grandmother wants to take control, and her interference is only getting worse, putting his little family at risk.

Although these two have a lot on their plates, the ladies of the newly formed Wagtail Ridge Knitting Club know a perfect match when they see one. Or rather two perfect matches, when shearing boss Mike walks onto Bree’s farm and into her grandmother’s life. With needles, yarn and cups of tea to hand, the matchmaking begins…

Get the book here