Gennifer Albin's Crewel contains a number of references, including one to the three fates of Greek mythology. The Fates -- Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos -- were among the most powerful goddesses because they controlled destiny. Their actions determined when a person would die and when a God's rule would end. They did this by controlling the thread of life. Clotho spun the thread, Lachesis measured it, and Atropos cut the thread at the end of a life or reign. Nobody could control the fates, not even Zeus. Similarities between the fates and the Spinsters are obvious. Ripping is described as process not unlike Atropos' cutting of threads.
Though not a direct reference in the novel, Albin also credits a 1961 Remedios Varo painting, Embroidering the Earths' Mantle, for inspiring the premise of Crewel. The painting is attached. It is interesting to note that the painting, like the novel, features only women spinners while an androgynous figure looks on, apparently supervising their work.
