News

Historical Writers’ Association review of CNV

(originally posted 3 October 2011) Manda Scott of the Historical Writers’ Association has managed to post the first review of Code Name Verity on my birthday.  Thank you, Manda – it is a lovely present!  Seeing as the book’s still 4…

The WAAF Doll and the Diddy Things

Bestway 947 Knitted WAAF dolls

 (originally posted 21 September 2011)     For the uninitiated, WAAF stands for Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (and it’s pronounced waf to rhyme with laugh if you’re American, or to rhyme with caff’ if you’re British).  Another friend (not the knitting…

The Verity Sweater

Verity's Sweater - I preferred this Bestway 1963 vintage knitting pattern

(originally posted 20 September 2011)This was Knitting Project No. 2.  Its namesake sweater has a personality in its own right in CNV, but mine did not exist in reality until several months after the book was finished. There was some debate over…

Maddie’s mittens

1940s knitted mitten pattern from the Victoria and Albert Museum

 (originally posted 20 September 2011)I’d not done any knitting for about 14 years when a friend pointed me to this pattern.  I worked on these mittens while writing the last half of CNV and came to associate them with Maddie Brodatt…

New Look, 2011

(originally posted 14 September 2011) Did you know that the term “new look” in fashion dates to Paris immediately after World War II?  I associate the term with 1) easy sewing patterns, and 2) a women’s clothing chain.  Now I have gone all retro…