Good morning, and let me introduce you to the Summer of Mystery! Please begin your journey with Tom’s short film (shot during our visit to Margery Allingham country a few months ago)
So what does this club involve? There’s a new collection of KDD patterns, of course, and you’ll receive fortnightly releases of lightweight, seasonal knits, each inspired by the golden age of detective fiction (which was also, of course, the golden age of modernist fashion, Art Deco style and an era of ground-changing innovation in many areas of technology and design). My new collection is split evenly between smaller and larger projects (garments and accessories), all knitted in Milarrochy Tweed with the odd surprise along the way. There are eleven patterns in total (including a mystery shawl).
Based on the plot of Margery Allingham’s gripping thriller, Hide My Eyes, our mystery knitalong takes the form of a thrilling series of bus journeys that criss cross London from Bayswater and the Harrow Road through the West End theatre district, and east to the Regent’s canal basin and the dockside.
There are four clues in this mystery knit, each named for four different characters. Following the plot and geography of Hide my Eyes, each clue will take our knitting in a different (and somewhat mysterious) direction, exploring different construction methods and techniques. The shawl uses five different shades of fingering weight yarn, and each clue involves all of these five shades.
Knitting and detective fiction (particularly that of the “golden age”) are two of my great loves, and for a long time now I’ve been thinking what fun it would be to bring them both together, in a bookclub. So please join us as we read 10 classic Margery Allingham novels together. The titles on our reading list are widely (and very cheaply) available in many different formats, from second-hand paperbacks to audiobooks. To guide your reading, every fortnight, as a new mystery is introduced, you’ll receive an exclusive newsletter with a short introduction to the book, together with points for consideration (which you may wish to explore individually as you read, or collectively in discussion with other club members).
I’m also thrilled, for this club, to bring on board a group of brilliant women who, just like me, are Margery Allingham superfans. Each of our guest contributors is an acclaimed author, whose talents range from podcasting to fashion journalism, from biography to crime fiction. Every fortnight, in-between our pattern releases, there’ll be a new long read, exploring a wide range of exciting topics from knitting and couture in golden age detective fiction to Margery Allingham’s own creative passion for making her own clothes.
Our knitting, and our reading, will absorb us for four months, until, when all has been revealed, the Summer of Mystery book will be published in September. This full-colour, beautifully produced print book includes all the patterns and long reads, and it can be shipped to you, anywhere in the world. If you don’t enjoy print, a digital club membership is also available.
And there’s more! Your Summer of Mystery club membership also includes:
*Access to our lively and supportive discussion group
*10% club member discount off everything in the KDD shop (including MKAL yarn packs). (Access to club pricing begins on April 23rd, and ends at the conclusion of the club, in September)
*Members-only bonuses and surprises. This is a mystery club after all!
The whole KDD team is very excited about this project, which has already transported us from the mysterious Essex Marshes, to the foggy streets of post-war London. Would you like to join us as we explore the wonderful world of Margery Allingham, together?
Club sign ups are open now and will close on April 21st.
(Immediately after signing up, you’ll receive our club welcome pack, which includes a reading list and all the information you need to prepare for the MKAL)
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