After Dee's brother suffers a bunting accident, she goes home to help run his knitting shop. While there she connects with old friends and makes some new ones. Dee learns what really makes her happy in life and what it takes to hold on to it. From the cover, I thought this was a knitting cozy which I am a fan. This wasn't in the best way. It was about family and community and sometimes they are both. This was such a good book. I was laughing and crying while reading. Thank you to Saga Egmont Audio and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a quirky fun story! Dee goes to help out her brother JP with his knitting business after he broke his arms. She also lost her job in the process.

This book is very unique, but modern from the blog portion, learning new skills, charity work of baby hats, and of course a bunch of friendships.

I enjoyed the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was very engaging and made it easy to know which character was talking.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book since I haven't read anything like it. The only part I wasn't used to was the fact that the plot wasn't super straightforward and wandered a bit, but that was most likely due to more focus on the characters.

Now I want to learn to knit after reading this book!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this Audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

As a crafter, I was immediately drawn to this audiobook. And, even better, I could listen to it while I knitted and crocheted. I loved all the characters- Dee was relatable and I loved her heart and her development throughout the story. I also loved the setting. Give me all the small English countryside settings! The narrator was great too.
If you love a feel good story, definitely pick this up!

I needed a feel good, light hearted book in my life and I found it on “The Woolly Hat Knitting Club” by Poppy Dolan. It was a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I was glad to have the audiobook, as the narration by Lizzie Wofford really brought it to life!

Delilah, Dee to her friends and family, has a career that many people dream of. She has worked hard in order to achieve her goals, even though it meant she had to provide less and less hours to her friends and family. Because of her long hours and her smart brain and skills, she is very much admired and envied at her work environment. One day, during a customer meeting, she receives a strange message from her brother, asking her to return home because he needs her. Dee might be a business woman, but she values family above all, so she drops everything in the middle of the meeting and rushes to her home village of Fenwild, only to find her brother with two broken wrists!

JP is a crafter, a knitter actually that runs a knitting shop in Fenwild. With both his wrists broken, not only can he not mend for himself, but it’s his business that requires attention too. He cannot tend to his business all alone. He is not capable of doing most of the things needed in the everyday life of the shop. And not only that, but JP keeps a knitting blog called “About a (Knitting) Boy” and he also creates some YouTube videos and tutorials in order to help people learn how to knit or give any major updates on the shop and blog! Too many things that he cannot deal with at the moment.

Dee loves her brother and she is determined to do anything in her power to help him. One more reason to do so was that knitting started as therapy for JP, after his major breakdown while working long hours, just like his sister. Dee wants the knitting business to go great for her brother, so that he doesn’t have to go through another breakdown. This and the fact that she co-owns the place gives her all the motive she needs to help him and support his business. So she starts spending her time between her job at London and Fenwild. Being the perfectionist she is, she works even harder to get both ends delighted and successful. However, it seems that her work is not being highly appreciated anymore as on her return one day to London, she get’s fired due to mostly some rumours of inappropriate behavior. See is sure her colleague Ben is behind all this and she’s going to prove it.

Like I said in the beginning, this is exactly what I needed to read and Poppy Dolan definitely delivered a cute and lovely book! I loved reading about Dee. She was such a wonderful character! She values family so much that she would do anything for her brother. Even learning to knit, if that’s what it would take to keep him and his small business at the surface. She knows what a disappointment as big as having the business he loved go stray , would do to him and she was determined not to let that happen. Just because he could not use his hands to knit, or pretty much do anything else, didn’t mean that he would go out of business. That’s the kind of sibling love one can look upon to! Okay, she may have overreacted at some point, but she finally understood that she had crossed the line and stood back!

Also, I had no idea the crafting community could be so supportive, but you know what? They actually are, not just in the book! Crafters are people who want to share and support, they are people who love and care about others, especially those in need. And what Dolan did, to have a premature baby been born by one of Dee’s old friends, was really great! The reader understood what something like that means to a parent, while at the same time it came handy to the plot itself!

I really liked the narration by Lizzie Wofford. The story had only one view, Dee’s view, and she was incredible in bringing Dee to life. I could immediately understand Dee’s emotions and also, as well as how she understood world. Her voice is one of the best for audiobooks, especially when it’s about rom-coms and lovely books like this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.

4.25
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher, Saga Egmont, for providing me with an ARC of the audiobook.
I loved this audiobook! The narrator does a great job with the materiel and portraying the different characters. The story is really fun but also handles some really important issues really well. Highly recommend, specifically to people who weren't interested in picking up FIRST TIME MUM because it focused on motherhood. I personally like FIRST TIME MUM a bit more but a lot of things I really loved about that book were present in this book while the plot and character development deals with very different thing, specifically, in this book the MC is not a parent.
I also really loved the sibling dynamic in this book. It was so fun but also felt super genuine and realistic.
Spoilers:
I'm sure how I feel about the choice to have Dee change her career path at the end. Throughout the book Dee is described as loving the work she does and being very good at what she does. I felt that the idea that she was not being properly fulfilled by the work she was doing was kind of shoehorned in right at the end and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way that her unjust and, frankly, sexist dismissal was kind of spun to be "all for the best" I would have preferred to have her go back to work with a different perspective and maybe learn from Ben how to be more laid back in her job. I don't know.... This is where my rating went down a bit.

I found this audiobook a bit hard to get into at first, but the more I listened to it, the more I started to enjoy it. I found the first quarter of the book a bit slow and then it improved. The story is about Dee Blackthorn, who has a brother called JP who breaks his wrists and then needs her help with his wool shop. She is unfortunately sacked from her full time job, which she is sad about, but it turns out to be a blessing and she gets to work helping with the wool shop and getting knitters to knit hats for premature babies. She is surprised that she starts to enjoy working with wool and she ends up being able to knit. Some of the book was funny and nearer the end of the book was the best for me. The characters were likeable and the audiobook narrator did a good job and had a nice voice.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Woolly Hat Knitting Club
By Poppy Dolan,

4 out of 5 Stars.

As an avid fiber artist the title of this book spoke to me. I love stories about creative people. I love reading about people who like the same things as me. That's not all I want to read but I definitely want that sometimes. It's like watching your favorite movie, or binging seasons of project runway.
I have been burned by this before because sometimes authors will include fiber arts then not do any research into making it legit. This book however did not do that. If there was any inaccurate information in it I didn’t catch it. It was truly a book about knitters for knitters. The story centers around Dee Blackthorn, a workaholic in a high pressure business job, and her brother JP, a knitting enthusiast who owns a yarn shop. When JP breaks his arms and is unable to run his business or his Youtube channel, Dee steps up. Then she is fired from her job and left with nowhere to put her energy.

Enter her friend with a preemie baby in need of warm clothes. Together with her brother, her not-a-mom Mom, the trendy artist down the street, and her arch-enemy from her last job, they set out to provide small woolly hats for not just her friend but for as many children as they can.

It’s not long before Dee crosses the line with the people around her and has to figure out how to get back to a place that truly makes her happy and fulfilled.

This was my first audiobook in british english, and - let me tell you, it is as charming as you might be expecting!

I liked the originality of the story (I know as much about knitting as I know of quantic physics, which is zero), and reading the book through Dee's mind was a delight. She is sharp and quick, restless and creative, passionate in her area.

The marketing ideas, the buzz and endeavours of selling, blogging, solving problems... I find those really interesting. By far, what makes this book stand out from every other is the amalgamation of themes, and the innovative ways they clash.

As for everyone else besides Dee, I found them...cute. That's all. Cute. Romance was a bit underdevolped and overshadoed on my opinion, brought back to the background, altough the book was fun. I picked it mostly because I wanted a light romance, which ended up being exactly what I got. As original as it was, it didn't tug at any of my heartstrings much, but made me something of a fan of Poppy Dolan. I look forward to reading more books from Poppy!

Knitting and reading/listening are my two favourite pastimes. I also attend a weekly knitting/crochet group at my local yarn shop so this book about a yarn shop was a must-read for me. So I knitted as I listened, and I absolutely loved this book even though it's not my usual genre (no murders in this one!)

It's a lovely feel-good story about discovering what makes you happy in life, and finding a work/life balance and there are several secondary storlines which all worked brilliantly. You don't have to be a knitter to enjoy the book, but if you're not then maybe this will inspire you to learn. There's a lot of technical knitting stuff and the author obviously knows her stuff! The book is a joy to listen to, and there's a bonus baby hat pattern right at the end, though I think this probably works better if you read rather than listen.

The narrator did a great job and was perfect for the book,

Narrator 5 stars
This narrator did a wonderful job playing all the characters and giving them emotion.

Story 4 stars

I really enjoyed this story. It was a beautiful balance between real life issues and romance. Will definitely be check out more books by this author on Kindle and Audible

The cover and title of The Woolly Hat Knitting Club by Poppy Dolan kept catching my eye but I thought it would be too much of a chick-lit rom-com for my likely but one of the times it caught my eye I noticed it was listed as woman's fiction so I decided to give it a try. It is a light women's fiction story like you would find in a romantic comedy and there is some romance, the plot is focused on all sorts of relationships - siblings, colleagues, friends.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

The Woolly Hat Knitting Club
October 2021; Saga Egmont Audio; 9788726869811
audio (9h 38m), ebook, print; women's fiction

Dee is a driven marketing executive (some would call her a workaholic). But one thing that will make her drop everything is her brother JP. When he calls saying he has two broken wrists she abruptly leaves a meeting to go to him. While helping him, things at work seem to be falling through the cracks and Dee finds herself suddenly terminated

I have to say her workplace was toxic. I know there's are companies that are demanding, but with so much more emphasis on life-work balance, I had problems believing that a company would be like that anymore. Plus her employment contract seemed a little outlandish - no recourse for termination? Perhaps employment law is different in the UK.

Dee's unemployment allows her to re-evaluate her life including relationships she has neglected. It is a journey of self-discovery that is a familiar one for many women.

The rest of the cast of characters is colorful and full of life. They make for a fun, lively story that is very enjoyable. It reminded me of The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs and not just because both stories feature knitting. The camaraderie between the characters felt similar.

The audiobook was easy to listen to with some distractions (I listened to most of it while work). Lizzie Wofford does an excellent job. There is a number of characters and she creates unique voices for each of them. I had no problem distinguishing the various characters.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked up this book as Poppy Dolan was a totally new-to-me author. But it was a delightful story with lovely characters. Her style reminded me of another one of my favorite British writers, Lily Bartlett.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 11:00 am USEDT - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/09/the-woolly-hat-knitting-club-by-poppy.html

Thank you to NetGalley, Saga Egmont Audio and Poppy Dolan for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Woolly Hat Knitting Club is a light-hearted and funny romantic comedy. The book follows a lady called Dee who is a high-flying business women. Dee is called to urgently help her brother, JP, who has broken both arms. Dee helps JP with his Haberdashery shop whilst he recouperates. Dee bumps into her old school friend Becky who has just given birth to a premature baby and is struggling to find clothes to fit him. The knitting community unite to help Dee and JP on their project to knit hats for premature babies.

This book is as an absolute delight to read. It is funny, sad, cute and heartwarming. I loved the quirky jokes and the way you get attached to the characters. I loved how it is promoting knitting for mental health, especially for men. Knitting has proved very beneficial for people who suffer from anxiety or PTSD.

This book is narrated by Lizzie Wofford, who fits it perfectly. It is easy to differentiate and distinguish the different characters by the tone and accent of her voice. The narration is at a good pace, clear and easy to follow. I think Lizzie’s voice and narration for The Woolly Hat Knitting Club was very well suited. Poppy (author) and Lizzie (narrator) compliment each other perfectly.

A unique element of this book is that it gives you actual instructions on how to knit a baby hat at the end. I thought this was really special and heart-warming.

Delilah "Dee" Blackthorn is a hard worker and preparing for some big projects when she gets a message from her brother JP in need of help. She drops everything and flees to her brother to find that he has broken not one, but both wrists and is confined to casts for 6 weeks or so. Not only will this hold him back from completing everyday tasks, but it also puts a huge damper on his career as an avid knitter and knitting shop owner. With now trying to care for her brother and sudden mishaps starting to occur at work, along with a shocking rumor about her and her clients, she is suddenly put on the chopping block and she is now faced with the unexpected task of finding a new job. When she happens to bump into an old friend at the store learning of the recent yet unexpected premature birth of her son, she wants to help and invokes the help of her brother and knitting buddies to make so warm premie hats. What starts as a small meaningful gesture takes off opening doors for opportunities that she never expected for her brother. To add to the chaos, her former coworker and nemesis Ben shows up unexpectedly and repeatedly denies having any involvement in her recent termination. With the knitting shop taking off and a world of potential at hand, she decides to let Ben in. With her brothers future in mind, unbeknownst to him, she pushes some promising prospects. Has she gone too far though? Was she really meddling for the benefit of the good or was it just to fill the sudden void in her own life?
Thank you Netgalley, Poppy Dolan, and Saga Egmont Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was the second book I read by Poppy Dolan and I loved every bit of it. A lovely feel good book that brought some laughs and was a quick read. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read another by this author. This is another must read if you are looking for a entertaining light feel good book! I rate this ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Cute, fun easy read about a woman learning to relax a bit and find a proper balance between working hard and enjoying her life. I particularly like that the moral isn't "high powered business woman throws it all away to knit hats in the country and finds true happiness".

The characters are fun and the sibling relationship is beloeveable. I would happily read more stories based around the haberdashery.

Overall this was a fun, easy read/listen with some real laugh-out-loud moments and likeable but imperfect characters that you really got to know. The narrator was good and gave each character their own identity but a second male voice could have helped as there were times when the dialogues was slightly confused between the voices, especially in Dee’s office environment with her boss, Ben, Clive etc. I liked the relationships between the characters, and the way they grew & changed as the story unfolded. It’s a quintessentially British book and I thoroughly enjoyed the way that men in crafting was normalised, and the emphasis on community spirit and friendship. I just can’t help wishing that we’d had Ben or JP going gooey over baby Chester rather than Dee – it just dominated the book & fed into the “all young women are broody and want babies” cliché a little too much for me.
You definitely don’t need to be a knitter to enjoy the book, but some interest/knowledge of the crafting world might make it even more appealing!

I bloody love this book, it was exactly what I needed after a crappy week.

Dee Blackthorn is called away from her high flying job in London when her brother, JP breaks both of his arms in a bunting related accident in his yarn shop. With the help of a family friend, Dee has to help her brother with pretty much everything for the next few weeks...meanwhile, she is stunned to find herself fired from her job, amidst vicious rumours that were surely the work of her nemesis Ben. Whilst staying in Fendwild, Dee bumps into an old school friend, Becky, who introduces her to her new baby, Chester, who is finally home from hospital due to being born prematurely. After hearing the awful struggles and worries that Becky and her husband have been through, Dee is desperate to help and along with JP, she enlists knitters across the country to knit tiny hats for premature babies. Hilarity, chaos, outings, a bromance...and an unlikely romance ensues.

This book is such a feel good read, I honestly didn't want it to end. I love the sense of community in this story, as a knitter myself I can say from experience that it's true, we love to help where we can. There are so many truly likeable characters in this story and it's filled with hilarious and quotable one liners that had me cackling out loud - you might not want to listen to the audiobook on public transport, you absolutely will get funny looks. Lizzie Wofford is a brilliant narrator, she really brought the story and it's characters to life.

The Woolly Hat Knitting Club 📝
Audiobook Review 🎧
When Dee Blackthorn’s brother, JP, breaks both wrists not only is he in need of a helping hand but the knitting shop he owns can’t function. Sisterly duties take Dee away from her demanding job and she is unceremoniously fired amidst scandalous office rumours. Dee is certain that her hot-shot nemesis, Ben, is behind it all. Back in the village of Fenwild in JP's shop, Dee bumps into Becky, an old friend who is a new mum to a premature baby. JP to enlist his knitting pals to make tiny woolly hats to keep the little one warm.

My Thoughts 🤓
I will often choose a thriller, murder or historical book over this type of easier read. Well it was rather lovely to listen to a book that actually combined my love of yarn crafting and reading into a story. A book containing all yarn jargon, oh it did make me smile.

The hubbub of a large craft fair, and as I've not been able to visit one for some time, it was a delight to hear all the joys, excitement, and exhaustion a visit entails. Yes, there's a predictable story that swirls amongst all this yarn but honestly, I was distracted by the opportunity to virtually pursue and feel the yarn in my hands.

There was plenty of humour, and amusing characters to keep the reader happy.

Much of this book really resonated with me and it was really, really very pleasant to listen to whilst knitting and crocheting. You'll find the knitting pattern featured in the story at the end of the book. Although it's not quite the same listening to a knitting pattern in the audiobook version. This was the perfect palate cleansing book for me having listened to a spate of murders.
3 ⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Thanks to Saga Egmont and Netgalley for the review copy.

An additional review featuring an article about audiobooks will be published on my blog shortly.

It was a good book. Still find listening to books rather than reading a but strange but getting used to it. Well written / read!

This charming, feel-good story about a woman learning what she really wants in her life, focuses on a knitting shop in England. I appreciate the fact that the book centers around knitting, one of my favorite hobbies, and that it doesn't shy away from the reality of keeping a small business going. I enjoyed the narration-she has a charismatic voice that adds a lot to this book.

The Wooly Hat Knitting Club is a feel-good romantic comedy. J. P. Blackthorn breaks both arms and needs help to run his knitting store in the small town of Fenwild.. His big sister, Dee, leaves her demanding job to come to help JP. She ends up getting fired unfairly from her job amidst scandalous office rumours. In Fenwick, Dee bumps into Becky, an old friend who is a new mum to a premature baby. Dee wants to help her friend and convinces JP to enlist the help of his knitting friends to make tiny wooly hats to keep the little ones warm. When Dee sees how grateful Becky is, she gets on a mission to help other premature babies. This book shows how people come together to help when there is a need whether the person in need is a friend or a stranger. This is a fun book that I recommend.