Hilda Hopkins, Revelations #9

By Vivienne Fagan

Britain's leading machine knitting serial killer, Hilda Hopkins is back! Even while on leave, our anti-hero manages to wade knee deep in dead bodies while making some exquisite arts and crafts! In this, the final Hilda Hopkins' adventure, we tie up some loose ends as various characters tie the knot while others find themselves tied to the past!

• Language: English
• Publisher: StreetWise Publications
• Release date: Dec 11, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311167224

Vivienne Fagan

Vivienne Fagan lives in London and is a retired Civil Servant and former serving member of the Intelligence Corps. She is an award winning machine knitter and mother of three who knows just how to do away with Hilda's next victims!

Book preview

Hilda Hopkins, Revelations

A Hilda Hopkins Crime Thriller

Vivienne Fagan

StreetWise Publications

Published by StreetWise Publications

Suite 1/22 Waikanda Cres, Whalan, NSW 2770

Australia

All Rights Reserved.

http://streetwiseworldpublications.info

http://lulu.com/spotlight/perrygamsby

‘Hilda Hopkins, Revelations’ first published 2013

Copyright Vivienne Fagan 2013

Fagan, Vivienne 1948-

Cover Illustration by V.Fagan

ISBN 978-1-304-70714-7

Other Hilda Hopkins Crime Thrillers:

‘Murder, She Knit’ #1

‘Bed And Burial’ #2

‘Domi Knit Rix’ #3

M.I. Knits’ #4

For Queen And Country #5

Saints And Sinners #6

Day of the Mobots #7

Mother Wouldn’t Like It #8

Smashwords Edition, License Statement

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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental and unintentional. The publisher, author and their officers and assigns assume no responsibility for the misuse of wool or knitting machines. No yarn was harmed in the writing of this story.

Prologue

Barbara Grey slumped back in an armchair in Lillian Barcroft’s living room and gazed despondently out of the window.

I don’t know what’s the matter with me, she said ruefully, turning back to her two companions, Graham’s organised the wedding down to the last detail, but I just feel so unsettled because I haven’t found the dress I want. Am I being unreasonable do you think Claire?

Of course not, interposed Lillian, you only get married once. Hopefully that is! Naturally you want the day to be perfect.

I know what I want, continued Barbara, it’s just that I’ve scoured every wedding shop in the area and I just can’t find anything close to it.

Describe it, suggested Claire, or better still, sketch it out Babs. If I remember you’ve a bit of a talent for drawing.

Hang on, Lillian left the room, returning a few moments later with a child’s sketch pad and a packet of coloured pencils.

There you go, Angus won’t mind you using that I’m sure.

Barbara turned over the pages, smiling at the childish drawings of giant machines and stick figures, until she found a blank sheet. Deftly she drew a female figure, and clothed it in her idea of a dream wedding dress.

It was a simple full length empire line dress, with lacy bishop sleeves gathered into neat cuffs. The skirt fell straight from the bodice, which was high necked and finished off with a mandarin collar.

Barbara grimaced and rubbed her hand across her chest.

Originally I’d thought of a scoop neck, but I’ve still got marks from the fire around here and down my arms so I want to hide those. I think this balances out quite nicely though, don’t you? I wouldn’t want a veil, I thought a circlet of flowers to finish it off?

That is lovely, murmured Claire, do you mind if I keep this Babs, I’ve got an inkling of an idea but it needs thinking through.

Feel free, laughed Barbara.

The next day coincided with the monthly meeting of the Midchester Knitting Machine Club, the MKM, and as luck would have it, Claire’s shift pattern meant that she would be able to squeeze in a visit before work that evening. She sat round the table and contemplated the other members. ‘Yes,’ she thought, ‘it could be done.’ There was a wealth of experience, knowledge and skill here just waiting to be tapped.

Claire produced Barbara’s sketch, and asked the others if they thought it would be possible, a one off machine knitted designer dress made to this exact pattern? The sketch was passed from hand to hand and carefully perused.

I was thinking it could be a joint effort, Claire explained, it’s a bit much for one person in the time we would have to do it.

Indeed, commented Eileen, the Club Leader, and of course we all have machines which do different things so we could really put some diversity into it. I’m wondering what yarn we would use…

I’d suggest a fine crepe, replied Janet, you’d get a certain amount of drape, but it would have a crispness to it as well to hold the shape.

Perhaps not a pure white, interjected Susan, Downham’s do an ivory shade which would be ideal. I’ve got some in my stash, not enough for the whole garment, but sufficient for a sample so you can see how it knits up.

Would you do the bodice and skirt plain, or use a tuck stitch? asked someone else.

I was rather thinking if we used a garter carriage that would make a nice, embossed fabric, Claire said.

I can do the sleeves, if you’d like, twittered Lettice Leverson, looking shyly around the table, my machine does true lace. And I have some rather lovely mother of pearl buttons, quite tiny, but they would finish off the sleeves beautifully. Of course I’d need to know the tension so it matched the rest of it, and who will write the pattern?

I can do that, said Eileen, I’d need all your friend’s measurements Claire, but I have a computer programme for the basic shapes; the bodice, the skirt, and the sleeves, that would be the easy bit. As Lettie pointed out, if several of us are doing different bits, we must all use the same tension so that it fits together properly.

Pat and I both have garter carriages, said Janet, so maybe if one of us did the skirt and the other the bodice, that would only be a back and a front wouldn’t it, if Lettie makes the sleeves?

And the collar, piped up Pat, but yes, I’m always up for a challenge. How long would it take to get the yarn, Sue?

They’re pretty good, couple of days usually.

What about the making up?

Leave that to me, said Olive, and I have one more suggestion. I have some guipure lace, it’s made of little daisy heads joined together. I think that would look lovely if it’s sewn over the seam where the bodice joins the skirt. It would take some of the plainness away without detracting from the simplicity of the dress. What do you think? It’s off white so it wouldn’t clash against ivory.

That sounds like a plan to me, grinned Claire. Let me have a word with Babs, and I’ll ring round tomorrow with the go-ahead. Or if you don’t hear from me, you know she’s settled on something else.

At first Barbara had looked askance at the thought of a knitted wedding dress.

I’ll look like something out of the 1980’s Claire, she had protested, what will we do with the guests, ask them all to wear naff ski jumpers or Christmas jumpers to set the scene?

Claire had had her work cut out to persuade Barbara to give it a go. In the end, Barbara had been persuaded partly by her desire to have the dress which she had envisioned, but mainly by seeing a swatch of Susan’s crepe yarn knitted up into a tension square.

Oh, it’s rather nice, it has a lovely feel to it. Barbara had been genuinely surprised, I thought I would just be getting a white, full length woolly jumper!

Eileen came up trumps with a clearly written pattern once she had fed all of Barbara’s personal measurements into her computer programme. The yarn arrived promptly and was distributed amongst the knitting club members and Operation Wedding Dress began.

Several days later, an emergency meeting of the MKM was held in Lettice’s neat town house in The Avenue. Lettice’s mother, Mrs Leverson, presided over the proceedings, much to Lettice’s chagrin. Mother wasn’t even a member of the Club, but Lettice knew better than to protest. Mother didn’t like it if she wasn’t at the centre of things.

All the pieces were laid out on the dining table, which fortuitously was quite a