Looming Murder (23 page)

Three weeks later

N
e
ws of Mike’s arrest blew through Briar Hollow like a wildfire. But rather than feed the gossip mill, it left people stunned and asking themselves how someone so highly regarded could have done something so terrible. A pall settled over the community. A collective sympathy emerged for both Jenny, who locked herself away for days, refusing to speak to anyone, and Dolores, whose claims that her husband had been murdered had been ignored. She had only been wrong in suspecting Jeremy Fox.

Shortly after his arrest, Mike was transferred to the prison hospital, where it was determined that his paranoia had at least partly been caused by his brain tumors. This news seemed to calm everyone. It was the cancer, not Mike, that was to blame—easier to accept.

Three weeks later the members of the weaving group gathered in my shop to get ready for the official presentation of our baby blankets to the hospital the next morning. Soon I would be in my new space, where there was plenty of room for expansion. I already had plans for more classes. I’d put out feelers for more weavers to leave their goods on consignment. And I was sure I would find plenty of other opportunities. I could hardly wait. Still, I prepared for the gathering with a mixture of emotions—happy and sad all at once.

The first to arrive was Marnie, wearing a red polka-dot dress that did nothing for her figure. She carried a basket of cookies and cake on one arm and a large bag over the other.

She stepped in, dropped her bags and began fanning herself furiously. “It’s so hot out there. I’m melting.” And then seeing the numerous fans I’d set up all over the place, she broke into a smile. “Oh, it’s so nice and cool in here now.”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t want to come visit anymore unless I got those fans I promised.” I picked up the basket. “Mmm, something smells delicious.”

“I brought enough goodies for everyone.” She shrugged. “It won’t hurt to do a bit of promotion ahead of time for Jenny’s tea shop.” She handed me the basket and opened her bag. “And here are the baby blankets. I made eight,” she said proudly.

At that moment, the doorbell tinkled and Susan appeared in the doorway. “Hi, Della. Hi, Marnie.” She carried a pile of folded baby blankets. “Where should I—?” And then spotting the chair where Marnie had set hers, she went over. “Good grief, you’ve already got a whole lot.”

“Six from Della,” Marnie said, “and eight from me.”

Susan fingered one of Marnie’s blankets admiringly. “And now we have another six. We did really well. The hospital should be thrilled.”

Marnie went over to the coffee table I’d retrieved from the third bedroom and began setting up her cookies and cakes. Over her shoulder, she said, “I’ll say. I’m sure they expected no more than half a dozen blankets and we already have twenty. By the time everybody brings in their projects we’ll probably have nearly three dozen.” She stood. “Hey, look who’s here.”

I turned around to see Dolores and her daughter arrive. Mercedes hurried over with her blankets, handing them over proudly to Marnie. “I made three. And they’re pretty nice.”

Marnie examined them carefully and nodded. “They’re beautiful, child. I couldn’t have done better myself.”

Mercedes preened. “You mean it?”

“Absolutely.”

I studied the girl, amazed at her transformation. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a pink T-shirt instead of her habitual black. Her skull-and-crossbones earrings were gone, in their place a pair of gold hoops. And most impressive, she had toned down her makeup to a soft blush, mascara and lip gloss. She looked beautiful.

Dolores wandered over to me. “Here. I have a little something for you to make up for not having any finished blankets.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” I said, opening the box. Inside was a large bag of Kona coffee. “This is right up there among my favorites. Thank you so much.” Call me silly, but Dolores’s gift made me completely rethink my opinion of her. Anybody who gave me two pounds of luxury coffee couldn’t be all bad. “That’s very generous of you. I didn’t think I’d be enjoying such a wonderful coffee again for a while—at least not until business picks up.”

Marnie offered a plate of cookies. “Actually, you seem to be doing great. Every time I walk by lately, the shop is full of people.”

It was true. Business wasn’t exactly booming, but sales were good and consistent. “Tourists seem to have discovered my shop,” I said. “You and Jenny will have to supply me with more merchandise. I can barely keep the shelves stocked.”

“Speaking of Jenny, how is she?”

“As well as can be expected, I suppose. She’s been keeping busy, making plans for her new tea shop, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she starts dating soon.”

Susan laughed. “I know. There’s a certain doctor who’s been calling her. The whole town is talking about it. If they start dating, I intend to take full credit for that relationship.”

“How do you figure that?”

“If I hadn’t tripped over my own two feet and cracked my skull on the coffee table, I wouldn’t have gone to the hospital, and Jenny wouldn’t have met Dr. Green.”

I laughed. “Good point.”

At that moment the door opened and David Swanson walked in, carrying his loom, with very little weaving completed. Apologetically, he said, “Here’s my contribution. Not that it’s worth anything. I did my best, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it.”

Mercedes giggled. “I think the bit you did weave would make a nice dishcloth.”

He grimaced. “You can have it if you like. I’ll be damned if I’ll use a pink dishcloth.” Everybody laughed.

David went to the second room and poured himself a cup of coffee, which he raised toward Winnie, who was snoring in the corner. “I propose a toast to the hero of the hour. If not for that big fella there, I wouldn’t have been able to close the sale on that building.”

I chuckled. “Nice. The only reason you’re glad I’m alive is because I bought the building? I’m going to remember that.”

He grinned. “Hey, without commissions I don’t eat.” He looked at Winnie again. “You understand that, don’t you, Winston?”

Upon hearing his name, Winston jumped up.

“And I thought you were just a big ugly pussycat, but you are a hero,” Mercedes said, earning herself a wet kiss. “Oh, yuck. That’s gross.” She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. But for all her complaining, she looked happy.

Marnie leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Mercedes came over this afternoon. She apologized for taking my gun. God only knows why she did it—probably just a teenage prank. Whatever the reason, I forgave her. Everyone deserves a second chance.”
Ah, that explains the girl’s new attitude
, I thought.
There’s nothing like forgiveness to give a person a fresh outlook on life
.

Mercedes wandered back to the chair where all the blankets were stacked. “I can’t believe how beautiful they all are. I’m thinking of making a cream and white throw for my own bed.”

The bell tinkled and Jenny walked in, looking lovely in a gauzy turquoise top and yoga pants.

I hurried over and gave her a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.” She glanced over my shoulder. “Oh, hi, Matthew.” I swung around.

Matthew was carrying a tray of coffee mugs from the kitchen. “I figured you might run out of clean cups.”

Jenny’s eyes traveled from him to me. In a low voice she said, “I have a feeling about you two. I can see it in your aura.”

I gave her a look as if to say, “Give me a break.”

She gave me a conspiratorial wink. “Don’t play innocent with me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Honestly, Jenny—my aura. You know I don’t believe in any of that stuff.” But I must have been spending too much time with my new friend, because I was really thinking,
I have a feeling too.

Weaving for the Ages

For thousands of years weaving was the single most efficient way to produce cloth. From the lowliest of rough fabrics, like burlap, to the finest of silks, such as the intricately woven silk kimonos of the geishas, all were produced on looms. Today hand weaving is no longer a necessary craft, but in most cases it has become a pastime, an art and a ritual imbued with a meditation-like series of repetitious movements. A peaceful feeling accompanies weaving. For anyone wanting a vacation from the stress of modern life, escape is as close as the nearest loom.

Choosing a Loom

When it comes to choosing a loom, my philosophy is simple: First, determine your needs—what and how often you will weave—as well as your budget. Countless types of looms are available, most of which are relatively easy to operate. One word of advice: Be sure to try the loom before you buy it. You will want one that is comfortable for you. And whenever possible arrange for a weaving lesson from the person selling you the loom.

Tip: You can comb craigslist or your local classifieds for bargain loom deals. But take an experienced weaver with you before committing to a sale. Also, you can check local community centers for weaving classes—often they have looms available for member use.

Starting a Friendship Blanket

If you are a beginner, my best advice is to select an easy first project. I’ve seen many a new weaver grow frustrated when working on a project that is beyond his or her ability. Remember, you have to walk before you can run.

The friendship blankets Della and her weaving group made for the hospital nursery are a perfect example of an easy project for a beginner. If you think of quilt making and adapt its principles to weaving, this can be made on any loom, from the most simple—such as a frame loom—to the most advanced—such as a computerized loom. Woven friendship blankets are different from most other friendship crafts in one way: Instead of squares, the pieces assembled together generally are strips. This is because weavers make yardage rather than pieces.

However, rules can occasionally be broken (weavers are rebels!). A young weaving student I recently met was working with a frame loom and rather than make the standard long strips, she made squares, just like a quilt. She had to finish the raw edges of each square by weaving them back into the fabric. After completion, the effect was lovely. And each square was so easy and quick that she developed a love of the craft. When I last spoke to her, she was working on a set of place mats—a good moderate-level project that is great for gifting.

Tip: The easiest way to make a frame loom is to go through your attic, find an old picture frame, pop out the glass and voilà! you have a loom.

Assembling Your Friendship Blanket

Important: When you assemble your blanket, you must use the same material as you did to weave your fabric—cotton yarn with cotton weaving, acrylic with acrylic, and so on. My advice is to start with an easy yarn, something with plenty of stretch.

Tip: Although linen is lovely, it has less stretch than most other yarns and therefore is more challenging for a novice.

However you decide to make your friendship blankets, in strips or in squares, the trick to assembling is to lay your pieces on a flat surface, making sure the corners of your blanket are at perfect 180-degree angles. There are a few points to think about:

1. Decide whether you will crochet your pieces together or sew them. Whichever technique you are more comfortable with, the steps remain the same.

2. Make sure your strips are side by side (all the same length within one quarter inch) before you begin.

3. Before assembling, consider putting a row of single crochet along the strips, using the same color used for the strips. This is in no way necessary; it’s just another way to embellish your design. Also, the seams will be that much less visible when using a matching color. Edging a large number of strips can be a time-consuming task, though, so you might prefer to assemble without edging, using an assembly method like a single-crochet join, which would become a part of the design.

4. If you assemble without edging, consider using a contrasting color when connecting your blanket, the same one throughout. This could be a nice added decoration to your work.

5. You can sew strips together with wrong sides facing, or right sides facing, depending on the look you want. You could also alternate wrong side, right side for a different look. Lay the strips side by side and work the stitches on top where you can actually see what is happening as you go.

6. Line your stitches up. If you crocheted or sewed three stitches in your corners, you might begin with the center stitch of each strip to assemble. Also, if your strips were done at different times, or are made of pieces contributed by different people, you may have to adjust for larger or smaller pieces. You might have to skip a stitch in some places or put two stitches in another. Skipping a stitch may leave a hole in your piece, so you want to avoid this as much as possible. Try to get your strips to line up for a pleasing finishing effect. I find it helpful to use the joining between strips as a guide, so they are not off center. If you yourself are edging each strip, you can count the stitches and keep the same number on every strip before you get to the assembly.

7. Once your blanket is assembled, you will want to machine-wash it. Washing will shrink and tighten the material.

Tip: Throwing some color-absorbing sheets into the wash will stop the colors from ruining anything else you’ve added to the load.

8. Lay the blanket flat to dry. Finish with a quick ironing and your blanket will be ready to use and enjoy for years to come.

Carol Ann Martin
is an author and former television personality who divides her time between San Diego and the Canadian coast. She lives with her husband and an ever-expanding collection of dogs. When she is not writing, Carol Ann enjoys baking and beekeeping.