Is there anything cozier than curling up with a cup of tea, a good book, and some knitting? Below, I’ve paired each of my books with a tea and yarn types that make me think of the book/main character, as well as a few suggested patterns from Ravelry.
Colors in the Dark: English Breakfast Tea
Eileen’s story is aspirational in many ways as she seeks comfort and security. Fibers like Cashmere blends, mohair silks, and suri alpaca are perfect for her, in tones of black, pearl grey, dark blue, dark purple, but also with bursts of color: bright speckles, beads, and subtle color work.
The AJ Marshall Series: Black Mint Tea
This combination of black tea and mint provides a double whammy that helps open the airways and make the drinker more alert. AJ is often compared to a moth in her color pallet of choice, using lots of green, grey, and brown in her wardrobe. Undyed or naturally dyed fibers are best for her, particularly in non-animal fibers. Unusual fibers are most like her: linen, bamboo, milk fiber, cotton, but also look for rayons (remember, bamboo is technically rayon) made from fibers like rose, seacell, or others, especially if the yarn adds a little luster to an otherwise neutral pallet.
Dru Faust and the Devil’s Due: Peach Tea
A great summer drink, whether hot or iced, peach tea is great for picnics and provides just a little natural sweetness. It’s a little off beat from the norm, just like Dru.
While she’s thrown into tense situations, it hardly dampens her bright personality and she cares little for what people think of her behavior or her style of dress (unless it’s her mother). Bright colors, self striping or novelty yarns, metallic threads and accents all lend themselves to her style.
By the Grace: Chamomile
Autism means that Jules struggles with anxiety and stress no matter what time of day it is. One way to manage that is to reduce negative sensory input. Under her itchy wool uniform, she often wears cotton or silk undergarments, meaning silk lace weight or silk blends are her fibers of choice. She’s also an embroiderer, not a knitter, so silk thread/yarn is right up her alley!
All for One: Chai
Montreal is an international, vibrant city that brings together a multitude of cultures. I find chai to be both calming and energizing (Thanks, ADHD), good for first thing in the morning, or right before bed. Louise would love sitting around the fire with her friends, cup in hand, plotting their next adventure, and you can bet that Arabella will be knitting away at something fancy while they talk. Alpaca, yak, and other unusual/international fibers are sure to make their way into the household, along with some unusual knitting techniques that make other fashionable ladies raise an eyebrow in curiosity.
The Evie Cappelli Series: Jasmine Green Tea
Jasmine green tea is my go to when I’m sick. I normally don’t like floral teas, but there’s something very soothing about this one.
Evie is often in need of comfort, and uses her knitwear as a shield against the world. There’s no fancy fibers here–she’s a girl on a budget. Bulky yarns, the softer the better, are de rigueur, with some thinner varieties on hand for making accessories. She’s looking for texture and color, something she can pick up for a fiver and work up over the weekend in between being stalked by a cult and hunting down murderers.
Off the Rails: Builder’s Tea
Everything about Sophia Andrews is practical, though she does live in fear of her mother-in-law’s strong Irish tea, which “could and did peel the paint off the floors.” She likes a sturdy sock yarn, rustic, hard wearing wools, and, were she alive today, she’d also have a stash of workhorse acrylic for those larger projects that need to go in the washing machine. Think Lopi, Fisherman’s wool, Red Heart, and your favorite 75/25 sock yarn.
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