While My Pretty One Knits Read Online Free Page B

sweater coat, knitted in a tweedy, medium-weight wool. The coat was embellished with fringe on the cuffs and hem, and wonderful felted flowers that covered snap fasteners. Her black top, black pants, and boots set off the piece perfectly.
    “Nice jacket,” Lucy complimented her.
    “Thanks, the design is in my book. I’m going to talk about it and show everyone how to make the flowers,” she promised with another toothpaste-ad smile. “I can make the stuff just fine, but I can get a little confused if I have to stop and explain how I do it,” she admitted with a laugh. “So please ask a lot of questions.”
    “Okay, I’ll remember that,” Lucy promised.
    Cara was different than Lucy had expected. More down to earth. Modest even. Not nearly the prima donna she could be. Maybe it was just Maggie’s description of Cara’s success that had given that impression.
    As for Cara’s concerns about her show-and-tell skills, Lucy didn’t think Cara needed to sweat it. Just look at her. What producer would care if she didn’t know a knitting needle from a chopstick?
    Just as Cara finished setting up, the audience began to arrive. Phoebe handed out programs. Lucy noticed Dana come in. She waved, but was too far away to make her way over. Suzanne was late, as usual. Lucy hoped she could save a good seat.
    Where was Amanda Goran? Amanda had definitely not been one of the early birds, as she’d promised last night. Lucy would have noticed that entrance. Had Amanda slipped in under the radar somehow? Lucy looked around but didn’t see Maggie’s notorious rival in the rows of guests already seated.
    Amanda’s absence suddenly made Lucy worry. She wondered if Maggie had noticed, too. Was Amanda planning to make some scene that would undermine the event? Or had she just chickened out? No matter what she’d said last night, from Amanda’s point of view, coming here this morning was a sign of submission. Even defeat. For everyone’s sake, Lucy hoped Amanda had decided to just stay in her own territory.
    The audience was mostly women, with a few men sprinkled in here and there. About fifty guests, Lucy estimated, probably the largest turnout for a Black Sheep event to date. While Plum Harbor was a small village, little more than two square miles around, the Black Sheep did draw customers from all the neighboring towns and Cara was well known in the community.
    The reporter from the Plum Harbor Times had arrived. Lucy saw Maggie and Cara pose for a photo in front of the flower arrangement. Cara held up a copy of her book and they both smiled for the camera.
    Everything was going perfectly. At precisely eleven, Maggie stepped in front of the group and gently raised her hands for quiet, revealing her past life as a schoolteacher, Lucy thought. The chattering voices stopped.
    “Thank you all for coming to the Black Sheep this morning,” she began. “We try to present speakers and classes that will enrich and inspire your love of knitting. Today, we have a very special guest, Cara Newhouse. Cara will be talking about her new book, Felting Fever , and giving some great tips on the process.”
    The audience answered with a smattering of applause.
    Maggie continued. “A lot of you have told me you’d love to try this technique, but feel intimidated. Time to let go of your fear of felting, ladies.” She smiled widely as she urged Cara forward. “Here she is, consulting editor and writer for Knitting Now! and two other bestselling books. Plum Harbor’s own Cara Newhouse…”
    Lucy watched Cara stroll front and center. She turned to the audience, her smile growing even wider as the welcoming applause rose.
    Cara was just about to speak when the front door flew open.
    Suzanne stumbled into the shop. She stared at Phoebe, looking pale and wild eyed, her lipstick smeared. Lucy’s heart kicked into overdrive. What in the world happened? Was something wrong with one of Suzanne’s kids?
    The entire audience grew quiet as all eyes