***WTR (“What’s Toby Reading”) provides reviews of books I’ve recently read – some titles were provided free of charge, some were not. All opinions, though, are my own.***
Don’t Google “Peggy Orenstein’s sweater”, please.
No, I promise, reading Orenstein’s Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater is so much more fulfilling with blinders on – or, better yet, in disregarding the sweater altogether.
This story of a hobby-turned-COVID-boredom-induced passion project from New York Times bestselling author, Peggy Orenstein, is really not about knitting a cozy garment at all. Sure, I learned about the process of shearing a sheep (btw: not harmful to the animal and VERY physically demanding of the shearer), dyeing fabric, and making colors from scratch, but that is was just a thread in Orenstein’s massive ball of yarn (ahem – dad joke intended).
Through Orenstein’s quirky, often self-deprecating storytelling, I became far more interested in learning about the history of female activism through textile manufacturing, about the impact of “fast fashion” on climate change, about aging and empty nest-hood, lore passed from generations (often by moms), and Orenstein’s very personal efforts to salvage a relationship with a father battling dementia.
Unraveling also has a number of parenting threads to pull: fostering creativity in our kids, the impact of teen shopping habits on sustainability (hello Sheen), and the lost art (and the power) of understanding processes – particularly those facing digital extinction.
I was honored to speak to Peggy Orenstein about her latest title, here:
I assumed the book was more than about crafting. And, as I closed it and thought about these lessons applied to my own life, I realized that Unraveling hit me much harder than I would have expected. I guess that is because the importance of knitting that sweater quickly faded.
But, finally, I couldn’t help but to want to check out Peggy’s sweater. A quick Google search later (“Peggy Orenstein’s sweater”) and I can see the fruits of Orenstein’s COVID labor.
Her title is wrong, I think. The sweater is pretty damn fantastic.
Not nearly, though, as good as the lessons from the book itself.
Amazon buy link: here
Author’s website: here
Book Cover:
