Publisher: Harper
Available in: Hardcover, Audiobook and E-Reader
ISBN: 978-0063081727
Published: January 24, 2023

UNRAVELING

What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater

“While Orenstein’s garment is the work of an amateur, this book is anything but.”—The Washington Post

“This witty, irreverent memoir is…an absolute delight to read.” —Minneapolis StarTribune

“By book’s end, the reader is ready to identify deep, intrinsic beauty in anything that is difficult to create.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

In this lively, funny memoir, Peggy Orenstein sets out to make a sweater from scratch—shearing, spinning, dyeing wool—and in the process discovers how we find our deepest selves through craft. Orenstein spins a yarn that will appeal to everyone.  

The COVID pandemic propelled many people to change their lives in ways large and small. Some adopted puppies. Others stress-baked. Peggy Orenstein, a lifelong knitter, went just a little further. To keep herself engaged and cope with a series of seismic shifts in family life, she set out to make a garment from the ground up: learning to shear sheep, spin and dye yarn, then knitting herself a sweater.

Orenstein hoped the project would help her process not just wool but her grief over the recent death of her mother and the decline of her dad, the impending departure of her college-bound daughter, and other thorny issues of aging as a woman in a culture that by turns ignores and disdains them. What she didn’t expect was a journey into some of the major issues of our time: climate anxiety, racial justice, women’s rights, the impact of technology, sustainability, and, ultimately, the meaning of home.

With her wry voice, sharp intelligence, and exuberant honesty, Orenstein shares her year-long journey as daughter, wife, mother, writer, and maker—and teaches us all something about creativity and connection. 

Reviews

Equal parts hilarious and moving....It's a yarn you'll love whether you care anything about sheep or knitting!"—CBS News: “The Book Report: Washington Post Critic Ron Charles”

“I found this book supremely satisfying.  Orenstein’s writing is so accomplished it seems effortless. She combs together her memories, her philosophy, her humor, and her love for words. The result is cozy and beautiful, with details that delight and illuminate.”—The Denver Post

“By book’s end, the reader is ready to identify deep, intrinsic beauty in anything that is difficult to create.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“A wry, candid memoir of the year 2020, when the pandemic lockdown, her father’s deepening dementia, her daughter’s upcoming departure for college, and the threat of wildfires to her California home urged her to think hard about her life.” –Kirkus Reviews

“This snapshot of creative self-discovery will enlighten readers” –Publisher’s Weekly

“Orenstein recounts her adventures in learning new skills with the openness and keen observations of a wise friend. This is a delight to read and will be of interest not only to crafters but also to anyone who’s learned something new as an adult.”—Library Journal

“This is a book about finding your way through difficult times, how learning something new, and allowing yourself the stumbles, focus, and progression of a beginner, can unexpectedly align things in your life.”—Modern Daily Knitting

“Unraveling is an entertaining chronicle of a challenging year wonderfully well spent. Creativity and craft can soothe anxiety, encourage connection and spark joy; Orenstein’s book will do the same..”—BookPage

“Charming…affecting…even if the sweater itself is ugly, its creation yielded some lovely moments.“—The Wall Street Journal

“While Orenstein’s garment is the work of an amateur, this book is anything but.”—The Washington Post

“This witty, irreverent memoir is…an absolute delight to read.” —Minneapolis StarTribune

“Orenstein gave me a much deeper and more tangible experience of ‘fun’ than I ever imagined.”—Book Reporter

“The sweater may be ugly, but the journey is beautiful.” —Booklist

“I came away from the book with respect for Orenstein’s project and an incentive to think a little harder about my own life.”—The Concord Insider

SELECTED PRESS

“What Making a Sweater From Scratch—From Shearing to Knitting—Can Teach Us About Life”—KQED-F0rum

Check out Prince Harry and Martha the sheep on the California bestsellers list!

“A Snowless Winter, Cover Song Tips, Full Bio: Ted Kennedy and the '60s, Peggy Orenstein's 'Unraveling'“—WNYC, “All of It” with Alison Stewart

“19 Books to Get at Your Local Indie Right Now!” —Literary Hub

“Weekend Reading on Women’s Representation” —Ms.

“Berkeley’s Orenstein Shares Lessons Learned from Knitting in Latest Book”—East Bay Times

“Episode 519: Peggy Orenstein”—Longform podcast

“Peggy Orenstein”—Harper Academic Calling podcast

“Peggy Orenstein’s Pandemic Yarn”—California Sun podcast

“Peggy Orenstein: Her Brand New Book “Unraveling” is Resonating With Us”—Zestful Aging podcast

“The Gift of Unraveling w/Peggy Orenstein”—Go Ask Ali podcast

“Peggy Orenstein, “Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, dyeing Wool, and making the World’s Ugliest Sweater”—Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books podcast

“Peggy Orenstein on How to Start Writing Where you Can” How Do You Write podcast

“Peggy’s Process”—Ladyparts substack