The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater: Essays on Crafting

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Description

Every knitter knows that as soon as you start making your boyfriend a sweater, he will be out the door before you're done. But as Alanna Okun has learned, these life lessons are not limited to the curse of the boyfriend sweater. Like millions of women, Okun finds joy and solace in crafting. And she has also found some essentials truths. Starting from when her grandmother first taught her to knit, crafting has been a part of her life, and her family's. Some people like to fish. Some like to play music. Or run. Okun likes to make things. Knitting, crocheting, sewing, decoupage - you name it, Okun has tried it, and even if she turned out to be not very good at it, she found it was good for her. In a world that shows itself impervious to our need for order and logic, crafting allows Okun to feel a sense of control - even if it's simply by making a piece of felt do what she wants it to. Crafting has helped keep her severe anxiety at bay, made a scary first apartment more hospitable, helped her heal from a broken heart. When Okun has two good friends die within a year of each other, it is crafting that helps her find hope again. The art and physicality of making things, whether it's nerdy embroidery or warm mittens, has helped her cope with life's internal trauma. In beautiful prose that belies her youth, Okun's essays about art, craft, and mental health will resonate with creative people no matter their medium, and no matter the troubles in their hearts. We can all relate to the need to fix what's inside by keeping our hands busy.

Reviews

BuzzFeed: The 33 Most Exciting New Books of 2018
Bustle: The Essay Collection You'll Want To Share With All Your Best Friends
Goodreads: Most Popular Books Published in March 2018

"It is reminiscent of Nora Ephron--charming and lighthearted, but bright with vulnerability." --The New Republic

"[A] hilariously quirky and heartwarming essay collection...a book you'll underline and highlight and read to pieces--and then immediately want to share with all of your best friends." --Bustle

"Okun's writing is entertaining, often funny, and relatable even to noncrafters."
--BuzzFeed

"Relatable, witty, and comforting, this collection has a little something for creators of all types."
--Audible

"Through her essays, Okun discusses her deep connection to crafting in a way that brings meaning to every handmade object, and will certainly inspire all of your future projects."
--Apartment Therapy

"Often funny...and always deeply felt..."
--Nylon

"You don't have to actually care about knitting to be completely engrossed in The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater..."
--Metro

"This book draws you in just as an oversized, hand-knitted, and unexpectedly soft sweater does. Alanna is so sharp and so charming and so genuinely warm that, regardless of your prior experience with crafting, you will only want to put down this book if it is to make something yourself--and you know Alanna would approve."
--Katie Heaney, author of Never Have I Ever, Dear Emma, and Public Relations

"Alanna Okun's poignant, hilarious, and infinitely instructional essays about crafting will help you have a more beautiful life, whether you ever pick up a pair of knitting needles or not."
--Jen Doll, author of Save the Date

Author Bio

Alanna Okun is a writer, editor, and crafter. She's currently a senior editor at Racked, and has written for publications including BuzzFeed, Brooklyn Magazine, and The Hairpin, and appeared on the Today Show, Good Morning America, NPR, and many other local and national television and radio programs. Alanna lives in Brooklyn with her pet snail and a lot of yarn.