Peggy OrensteinReseñas

I enjoyed this book: it was a good look at both how a sweater is made from start to finish, and one of the ways we as a society handled the COVID pandemic. I already knew a lot of the parts that go into making a sweater, so there wasn't a lot of new information for me, but there was certainly more depth to some of the info. For instance, while I know the theory of sheep shearing—I was already familiar with how we've bred sheep so that they NEED to be shorn, I know about wool felting, I know that a lot of work goes into preparing a fleece for spinning—Orenstein went into a lot more depth than what I knew since I have never shorn a sheep myself. (I also do not want to process a fleece or dye my own yarn, though I do both spin and knit and have already learned the "YES, do body shaping on your sweater!" lesson.)

There were parts that I didn't like as much, and they mostly revolved around the way the author disparages herself frequently when talking about her efforts to shear, spin, dye, etc. It bugged me that she seemed to linger on how bad a job she'd done at some things that she learned specifically for this book. As an example: for the sweater that this book revolves around she uses the fleece she sheared off a sheep on her FIRST DAY OF DOING IT EVER. Of course it's not going to be a perfect (or maybe even particularly "good") job! You can't expect to learn skills that fast. And that kind of attitude comes up in this book a lot, starting with the title: "... Making the World's Ugliest Sweater."

Also, I will admit to being disappointed that there were no photos in this book, not even of the completed—and supposedly "ugliest"—sweater.½

Looking for an upbeat pandemic-era memoir? Look no further. Peggy Orenstein usually writes about topics related to teen sexuality and body image. In 2020 her professional engagements were cut short and, searching for a way to occupy her mind and body, she decided to create a knitted sweater from scratch. Orenstein takes readers through each step from shearing a sheep through spinning, dyeing, design, and knitting. In addition to describing the technique she explores history and recent developments in fashion and fabric creation, highlighting the ways in which modern conveniences impact the environment and global climate. It will make you think about where your clothing comes from, and more sustainable ways of managing your wardrobe.

Orenstein also freely shares the creative and emotional journey she experienced during this project. We are the same age, and I found myself nodding along as she processed the decline and loss of her parents, fostered her adolescent daughter’s independence, and planned for the future with her husband. I wish I could have her over for coffee–we’d have a great time.

audio fiction (read by the author, ~6 hours)

Published January 2023. Nonfiction/memoir - San Francisco Bay Area writer (and 50+ year old mother soon to be an empty nester) decides to learn how to shear a sheep, spin the wool into yarn, and knit a sweater at the beginning of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and during the 2020 California Fire Season.

I thought this would be more relaxing, but the audiobook reminds me of listening to long lectures about sustainability practices, making it just stress/anxiety-inducing enough to require me to take more frequent breaks from reading, but is also full of some interesting historical background -- suitable for listening to while tackling various menial household tasks.

Entertaining, thought-provoking, and it raised my awareness.

Just wish she'd offered some solutions. Kind of a depressing book in that regard.

Welp.

In essence, Orenstein has written a memoir about what it is like to be someone like me: a conscientious, modern woman trying to raise a girl to be anything she wants to be, and not just a girl, not that there's anything wrong with girliness (with that last part being basically all one phrase.)
It's hard and Orenstein nails her depiction of the double whammy: first they extensively market pink, princessy, unempowered women to our girls, and then society tells us we're not allowed to complain, because if we complain we're dissing feminity, disempowering our girls and being all-around anti-feminist.

Orenstein doesn't offer much in the way of solutions, but it's nice to know that there are others out there who want to raise our girls to be able to choose to be anything that they want to be, rather than "choosing" to be anything that society presents them with. And that even the best mom has girls who go through the princess stage, but that if you talk them through it, they come through the other side and realize that they don't need to sit on their duff waiting for a prince to save them and that there is more to the world than consumerism and aesthetics. Or at least Orenstein's daughter came out the other side -- mine is still young enough that I cover her ears when people call her "princess."

The other part that really spoke to me was the idea that she explores relating achievement to appearance -- it has definitely been true for me that the more I have been academically and professionally successful, the more I am expected to perform a stereotypical female gender role. I had previously thought that was only anecdotally true for me, having transitioned from the world of computer science, where I could perform whatever gender I wanted, into the extremely gendered world of medicine. However, Orenstein presents it as a global phenomenon: "'We can excel in school, play sports, go to college...get jobs previously reserved for men, be working mothers, and so forth. But in exchange, we must obsess about our faces, weight, breast size, clothing brands..."

I'd listened to the author's book about girls, so when I spotted this, I jumped in.

The boys who talk to the author, I hold hope for them. But wow, I can't believe that boys are just as trapped as ever in peer pressure, lack of self-confidence and so forth.

There's been such a sexual revolution, a gender revolution, the women's movement - all good things, but nevertheless, it has come without a guidebook. The young people interviewed here feel like the blind leading the blind ...½

These essays on life and womanhood are poignant and thoughtful, exploring a variety of topics such as breast cancer, feminism, having a child, raising children, child fame, and forces which shape women's lives. I agree with most of what Orenstein has to say and I appreciated her nuanced viewpoints.

I just had to write a review about this book. I've been listening to the audiobook all day and have not been able to put it down! At first, the book was making me quite upset because it was highlighting the pervasiveness of misogynist thoughts and actions in our society. However, in the later chapters, Orenstein gave a very nuanced depiction of sexual misconduct that told the stories of the young men she interviewed but still asserted that what they had done was wrong and damaging to others. I think Orenstein did a lot to help readers understand the patterns of assault and sexism that occur over and over again for young people. Also, I appreciate how she pointed out that men could also be victims of sexual assault since that is not talked about a lot.
I'm considering buying a printed copy of this book because I think it will be beneficial to look back on! A good read!

The subtitle pretty well says it all: "What I learned about life while shearing sheep, dyeing wool, and making the world's ugliest sweater". During the Covid pandemic of 2020, Orenstein, a long-time knitter and writer who concentrates on feminist issues, hit upon the notion of creating a knitted garment "completely from scratch".

Along the way, she discovers and elaborates on issues as diverse as climate change, the ecological impact of "fast fashion", the imposed isolation of the pandemic, transitioning toward being an "empty nest" parent, dealing with her mother's death and her father's physical and mental decline, racism, sexism, ageism, and any other -ism that happens to catch her eye. She also takes a look at how the making of fabric and the status of women within a society are inextricably intertwined.

Whether one is a knitter (or any kind of maker) or not, it's a fascinating look at the often unexpected interconnectedness of things, as well as a funny and informative description of the process of creating a piece of knitted clothing. Bacover photos show the sweater in progress; and while it's probably not "the world's ugliest sweater", it's not for a moment going to be mistaken for high fashion. Like the garment in Adrienne Martini's Sweater Quest, the point is the journey, not the destination.

Readers coming into the world of creating and utilizing fabric will find plenty of jumping-off points here for further exploration. Those who are comfortable with the concepts and familiar with the process will recognize many of the sources Orenstein cites.

This is a quick and engaging read with ample payoff.

People will look back at the Covid pandemic and remember what they did during that social-distancing time. This author decided to make a sweater, from the very beginning. She learned how to shear a sheep, card, wash, spin, and dye the wool. She got help in designing a pattern. She knitted her sweater. And she wrote about her experiences with all those processes. But the sweater project was just a platform for her to expound on her political views and her take on society. Readers, unless they skipped those sections, were privy to her opinions on everything she thought was wrong and needed to change. What I was led to believe would an interesting book about knitting - from sheep shearing to finished sweater - was anything but. The actual sweater details were sparse and there was far too many political opinions. I wanted to read about the sweater-making process, not about her life’s problems. The book was a disappointment.

Basically, this woman tries all of my hobbies.

Specifically, she shears, cards, spins, dyes, and knits "the world's ugliest sweater."

She does this during pandemic times - and megadrought times. I can't believe she undertook dyeing with a drought going on - surely negates all her other attempts at being a socially conscious crafter.

There's way too much digression. For example, a chapter on indigo treats us to two pages on Joni Mitchell's BLUE album. I don't like when books do this - purport to be about a certain topic, then stray. I didn't sign up to read about your affinity for Joni Mitchell or what you did during the pandemic or your family. I signed up to read about shearing, spinning, and dyeing.

So, sticking to the topics at hand:

Shearing isn't very popular as a lifestyle choice because there are "many other ways to make a living that don't require bending over for eight hours a day while an ungulate kicks you in the face." Well put! In another blast of the reality of shearing, a sheep comments on her technique by letting loose a "gigantic mound of poop pellets" during the process. Shearing: well captured. Onward!

Carding and spinning chapters weren't so interesting, so let's skip to the dyeing. Acid dyes for home use might as well not exist; Author seems to think she has to do natural dyeing. Thus, the reader "might notice I mention yellow a lot." Confirmed: trying to dye with natural materials you find in your immediate environment means you had better like yellow. Natural dyeing: spot-on! Next!

Knitting. Author undertakes a sweater even though she knows it would have been wiser to choose a shawl or cowl pattern. One small reason she chose the unwiser path is that she admits to "never, under any circumstances, wearing either of those garments." Yes - let's face it. Shawls and cowls are just not normal wardrobe options. They're things knitters like because they are easy and/or use little yarn.

I was put off by Author's mathophobia. Mathophobia is tiring to read about. "Even writing the phrase 'set of ratios' gives me a headache." Po widdle bebby. Math is hard!!

BUT... Author wins my love again when she correctly identifies the kinship of knitting with programming! Knitting is coding - "with knits and purls replacing the standard binary 0s and 1s." Knitting patterns are programs (this is me talking). Garbage in, garbage out. Follow the steps, get a repeatable result.

Certainly could not resist this book and hope it encourages just one person out there to try their hand at - almost said 'sheep-to-shawl' crafting, but let's make it 'sheep-to-article-you'll-actually-wear' crafting.

2.5 stars

UNRAVELING by Peggy Orenstein
Who, in the twenty-first century thinks: “I think I’ll knit a sweater. Now, where can I find a sheep to shear?” Peggy Orenstein, the author of UNRAVELING, that’s who. By turns hysterically funny and irritatingly detailed, she tells how, in the throes of the Covid 19 pandemic, she relates the saga of “the world’s ugliest sweater”, from shearing the sheep to spinning the yarn to finally knitting the sweater and all the steps in between. Along the way, we also learn a bit about her life, dreams, politics and family.
Having, during my life as Home Ec teacher and Pioneer Life docent, done all of the crafts Orenstein details in her sweater making quest, I was able to appreciate her travails. The detail she includes may be too involved for some. I found it enchanting. If you are interested in “Process”, you will find the book satisfying. If you are a knitter (or other crafter), you will empathize and sympathize with Orenstein as she details her journey.
Altogether, I found this an enchanting book. And the sweater is NOT the world’s ugliest!
5 of 5 stars

This was a great short memoir of a year where the author made a sweater literally from scratch; a perfect example of what I like to call project writing. There was interesting history about sheep, dyeing, spinning, and more. I can’t believe that there wasn’t a single photo of the sweater (“the world’s ugliest sweater”) she created; I’d have loved to see the colors she dyed the wool if nothing else.

Food for thought on conversations I'll have with my kids in the future. Yikes.

Some interesting ideas but an article or series of articles would have been better.

4.5 stars.

I loved this book because it gives a voice to the emotional aspects of sex from a college age male perspective. It's a voice, not of anger, but more confusion. A cry for help. The book reminds us that we men generally have physical strength advantages over women .. but we still have emotional vulnerabilities.

Peggy went interviewing young men mostly going to college or about to. They opened up a lot to her and allow us a peek into their psyche.

I spent a lot of time reflecting on how much effort I spend to be "manly". I work in an industrywhere men normally outnumber the women. And I'm not a drinker, hunter, or care what kind of car anyone drives (one does it move? Two does it have working air conditioning?) I have at least graduated from scrawny to skinny in the past few years. I've grown up realizing that I'm more of a Samwise Gamgee archetype than an Aragon. More Sam Tully than Jon Snow. More Q then 007.

Because I lack some of the traditional manly characteristics, I changed the way to generate "manly" points. I can discuss musicals with the wife. I can make my 5 year old daughter laugh while I "walk" in a mermaid tale. And I totally know what a duvet is. Holding a job, providing for a family, keeping your word ... having people in your life who are happy to see you ... those are ways I earn manly points.

My daughter's 5 year old friend asked "Are there ugly people?"
I responded, "No, but there are ugly behaviors."

It's easy to vilify and condemn men for their monstrous actions. It's easy to vilify an condemn people for their beliefs. I find life is more complicated than that and we affect each other in so many ways (including sex). Emotionally humans are a strong as a butterfly ...fortunately and unfortunately, a flap of a butterfly wing can generate a hurricane.

I had some high hopes for CINDERELLA ATE MY DAUGHTER. It had a catchy title and focused on something I have been wondering how to tackle. How am I going to protect my daughters AGAINST Cinderella?

Peggy offers a nice origin story of Disney Princesses. There are some great nuggets of information (like how pink was more of a boy color and blue the girl color earlier in the 20th century). I was expecting a vicious counter-attack on Disney. A rallying cry. It was much more of a balanced and ineffective shrug of the shoulders (or whatever is the opposite of a rallying cry).

At least I'm grateful for books like these to make us think about these things than just blindly following Disney Princess-mania. With not much guidance and it being outdated (wonder where the FROZEN movie would fit? 8th Graders don't use Facebook anymore), I guess it's up to me to defend my daughter against the girl wearing one glass slipper.

I wish I had read this six months ago because I would have made it part of my Pop Culture Studies curriculum. Orenstein explores the many facets of girl culture and how difficult it can be for mothers (I'm I'm adding in aunts, teachers, etc.) to help girls navigate that culture.

Most disturbing to me was Orenstein's revelation (something I think I knew but hadn't really articulated) that girls often do not really know what they want outside of "feeling pretty" or performing hyper-sexualized actions.

Loved this book, and will probably read it again and teach from it next year.

This was full of examples that made me ponder aspects of this topic. It's an interesting one and well worth consideration.

More like 3.5. The concerns and the research were valid and quite fascinating (respectively). But I really wanted a solution and there didn't seem to be one. Maybe there isn't one. But I was still disappointed. However, regardless of my expectations, Orenstein did a fine job.

This is the followup to Orenstein's book on Girls and Sex. In order to be comparable, she restricts herself to a similar set, which has class limitations (she acknowledges this upfront). However she does specifically examine LGBTQ teens and pays specific attention to nonwhite kids.

It's a brisk, easy read that relies heavily on interviews, with backup research: the effect of porn on teenage boys (poor), consent, masculinity, assault, hookup culture. The key takeaways here are that we need to be having a lot more conversations with our sons about their feelings, about healthy relationships, about sexuality, about how porn differs from real sex (especially when you consume a great deal of porn before having ever had real world experience), assault, hookup culture and being able to decide what you want out of an encounter, and consent--not just verbal yes and no, but reading emotions, not coercing women, and what respect really means.

Peggy Orenstein has written a great book that parents of both boys and girls should read. It has its limitations; her pool of interviewees is imperfect, for example (with only about 70 girls, it can only do so much). Parents should steel themselves not to panic and start generalizing from stories; I started doing that.

The value of the book is in the way it asks us to reconceptualize how we discuss and present sexuality to teens, especially girls. Orenstein takes the expected shots at abstinence only education and purity, but she's also skeptical of sexuality as empowerment: the girls interviewed still use it in a performative way that is about the desire of those (usually boys) that they wish to attract. Is that really so empowering? The overall theme is how the girls haven't really been given the tools and encouragement to seek out sex and relationships on their terms, and to do what they want, when they want, with whom they want. They don't have adequate education about sex and sexuality for the most part--and what they do have is negative. They know how to avoid HIV and pregnancy, but they don't have a positive image of what they do want. Meanwhile, the boys have acquired the attitude that they are entitled to sex and that their own desires and pleasure is what counts, not that of the girls they see.

The final chapter is devoted to discussing what we need to do to change this and give our kids lessons about sex and sexuality that will lead to true self respect (not chewing-gum metaphors) and respect for their partners. We need to get past our own prudishness about talking about sex.

I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.

So this seems to be someone who really hates that she had a daughter. She really seems to hate everything that can be seen as girly or that promotes consumerism. And the idea that a three year old could like Disney princesses and the color pink is absolutely horrifying. This is just a long rant against girly girls, or girls who care about how they look or girls who want to keep a clean house. Apparently keeping up one's appearance and living in a clean home isn't an okay thing in Peggy's world. Also, not all girl's toys are pink, and even if something comes in a pink version that doesn't mean that you have to buy the pink one for a girl child.