Apparently there is a type of literature called knit lit. It is simply books where the action takes place around knitting and usually includes details of a knitting project. Some authors even publish a project pattern along with their books.
Well, I have found some of these that take place around embroidery.
Monica Ferris and the Crewel World Series
Under the Cozy Mystery category is Monica Ferris and her Crewel World series. The series has 19 books and counting. It tells the adventures of Betsy Devonshire who owns a needlework store in Excelsior, Minnesota. Betsy is usually solving a murder in between stitching and tending to customers.
Each book has a stitching pattern, usually of a project discussed in the story. The pattern can also be accessed on the author’s Web site.
What I found very interesting is that the author talks about details of the stitching world. In one of the volumes, Crewel Yule, the protagonist attends the Nashville Needlework Market which is a trade fair where needlework designers (mainly cross stitch) and needlework store owners meet. This year, I followed the market on Instagram and learned a lot about designers.
The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren.
Because if you are an immortal vampire, you have all the time to knit.
This is another Cozy Mystery, but frankly it should have its own sub-sub category: supernatural cozy mystery.
The story revolves around Lucy Swift who owns a knitting shop in Oxford, England. And yes, there are knitting vampires, and witches, and murder mysteries. There are nine volumes and counting.
I think I like it better than a Discovery of Witches (which is now a series being shown in the US on AMC.) Both take place in Oxford, the British University town and both deal with witches and vampires. But Lucy and her vampires and witches are more fun.
Both of these series are available as audiobooks. I listen to them as I stitch using the Hoopla and cloudLibrary apps, which are free through my local library.
Empty Thimble 