emrache's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the essays were delightful. Others, I just skimmed. I'll say this, though, it did make me want to pull out my knitting! and it ALMOST makes me want to learn to knit socks.
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this. It's not your average collection of essays on crafting, by a long shot. I loved her vulnerability and her voice, and of course I could relate to all her crazy anecdotes. I want to be part of her knitting circle!
rachelb36's review against another edition
2.0
I thought this was going to be a light, humorous read about crafting. One of those books you like just because you can relate.
In reality, Okun wrote more of a reflective memoir (or tried to, anyway) than a collection of crafting essays, and her attempts at humor completely missed the mark for me. She went on and on about how she always has to be in a romantic relationship, and I just felt sad for her.
This book also felt very "written," for lack of a better word. It reminded me of essays I wrote in high school where I was required to use a certain number of "interesting" adjectives, verbs, and adverbs, and use very particular styles of sentence openers, and so on.
There is a lot of language in this. There are several references to sex, though no graphic details are revealed. There are references to teenage sex and teenage drug use.
One excerpt I did like:
"If I read one more article that begins with a line like 'Knitting: it's not just for grandmas anymore!' I'm ripping it up with a felting needle.... Crafters are told that we have to have permission to indulge in our pursuits, bestowed by the Whatever Tribune or blahdiblah.com, because otherwise all we should be is embarrassed by them. That's tacitly what these types of clunky, thoughtless trend pieces do: assume a beginning and an endpoint. They deny roots and they erase nuance, variance, and the lives of actual, real-life people who have spent their passion and energy learning how to create the world they want." (p 19-20)
I did also like the essays about her mom and her sister, but for the most part, this was just "meh." I would not recommend it.
(Side note: She has a lot of anxiety and deals with bouts of trichotillomania, which was a point of interest to me because those things run in my family.)
In reality, Okun wrote more of a reflective memoir (or tried to, anyway) than a collection of crafting essays, and her attempts at humor completely missed the mark for me. She went on and on about how she always has to be in a romantic relationship, and I just felt sad for her.
This book also felt very "written," for lack of a better word. It reminded me of essays I wrote in high school where I was required to use a certain number of "interesting" adjectives, verbs, and adverbs, and use very particular styles of sentence openers, and so on.
There is a lot of language in this. There are several references to sex, though no graphic details are revealed. There are references to teenage sex and teenage drug use.
One excerpt I did like:
"If I read one more article that begins with a line like 'Knitting: it's not just for grandmas anymore!' I'm ripping it up with a felting needle.... Crafters are told that we have to have permission to indulge in our pursuits, bestowed by the Whatever Tribune or blahdiblah.com, because otherwise all we should be is embarrassed by them. That's tacitly what these types of clunky, thoughtless trend pieces do: assume a beginning and an endpoint. They deny roots and they erase nuance, variance, and the lives of actual, real-life people who have spent their passion and energy learning how to create the world they want." (p 19-20)
I did also like the essays about her mom and her sister, but for the most part, this was just "meh." I would not recommend it.
(Side note: She has a lot of anxiety and deals with bouts of trichotillomania, which was a point of interest to me because those things run in my family.)
pamiverson's review against another edition
3.0
Essays by a millennial about crafting. Moderately interesting – familial ties, mental health concerns. Hearing the author’s slightly snarky tone helped.
acanthae's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
This book was fun, but please wash your knits, Alanna; I promise it will be okay.