Book Review: Unraveling by Peggy Orenstein

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Many fiber lovers (including myself) romanticize about the excitement of going through the sheep-to-shawl process. I imagine the joy of creating yarn from start to finish. I envision how wonderfully educational and joyous it would be to truly understand the process of making yarn.

I dream of carefully and ever so gently shearing the sheep (How hard could it be?) and cleaning the fiber. I would card it and spin it and then dye my new precious fibers into brilliant colors. A ball of fluffy wool would magically transform under my fingers into a beautiful skein of yarn that I would knit up into something amazing.

After reading Peggy Orenstein’s book Unraveling, I’ve decided to stick to buying my yarn from my favorite LYS! It definitely appears to be the safer option.

Orenstein’s Story

Unraveling follows the journey that Orenstein takes as she embarks on the quest to knit a sweater from sheep wool that she sheared herself, slowly carded herself, meticulously spun herself, and organically dyed herself in large pots in her backyard.

Her story weaves through a period where our world was uncertain. She deals with the stresses caused by the undetermined end of a world-wide pandemic. The sadness that remains due to the recent loss of her mother. Watching from afar at the painful deterioration of her father whose side she can’t be at due to the travel ban. The acceptance that her only child would be leaving the nest very soon. And the looming fear of the devastating northern California wildfires that rage near her home.

An industrial carding machine with a large bin of fiber in a factory producing yarn. — A carding machine in a textile mill with a bin of fiber ready to become yarn. | Image source: Adobe Stock

This deeply informative and incredibly enjoyable read is a complete mix of quick wit, historical non-fiction, and personal realizations. Unraveling gives the reader a true understanding of the complicated path our yarn travels before it ends up on our needles. She does not hold back in her descriptions of each tedious (and sometimes dangerous) step that is required to create the material that knitters and crocheters alike cherish, dream about, and gently pet every chance we get.

Yarn & Fashion Industries

I knew the path that yarn travels is long. I am aware that many skilled hands go into the creation of each skein. I also had some knowledge about the global history and importance that string has had for centuries.

But honestly, I had no idea how much talent and effort truly went into the skeins of color that sit anxiously on my shelves waiting to be knit into something beautiful.

Filled with rich history about the importance of qualified sheep shearers needed around the world—despite it being a specialty that is drastically underpaid and undervalued. Fascinating insights into the history of fabric dyes. Who knew so much politics surrounded something as seemingly simple as color. The number of fortunes found, and fortunes lost, due to the discovery of colored dye both natural and synthetic alike.

Orenstein also dives into an important look at the fashion industry and its true impact on the world and our environment. Knitters know that fast fashion is not what we create, but I really didn’t understand—or had put much thought into—how incredibly detrimental the clothing industry is to our planet.

Related: Slow Fashion: The Basics

Hands hold knitting needles with natural colors yarn and fabric knit in garter stitch. — Close-up of hands knitting | Image source: Adobe Stock

Unraveling Takeaways

Unraveling presents knowledge like a college textile class textbook but is presented within the personal narrative of a talented writer. It is immediately apparent that Orenstein not only loves her craft, but also realizes the importance of understanding how much goes into the making of yarn and the fiber industry’s impact on our environment.

There was not a sense of judging the fiber industry. She doesn’t want knitters to be shamed by their yarn choices. Rather Orenstein simply wants knitters to be informed about the important history of what is resting on their needles. Give a moment of pause to consider their yarn choices and how those choices impact the fragile fiber industry and planet Earth.

I finished this book with a brand-new appreciation for the people that dedicate their lives to a craft that brings infinite yards of joy, color, softness, and pleasure to my life and the lives of millions. I value having a better understanding of how truly special yarn and the craft of knitting is to humanity.

Listen: Fiber Nation Podcast: Sheep, Wind, and Fire

Have you read Unraveling? Share your thoughts on Peggy Orenstein’s book in the comments below.

Krista Ann is a nomadic knitter. She travels with her husband and their fur baby, Phinny, in an RV while she designs knits and teaches at yarn shops along the way. Instagram @explorewithknitsy | Website www.explorewithknitsy | The Knitting Rockstar Academy www.knittingrockstar.com.

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