All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot Writes for a Spin

by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

". . . a sort of David Sedaris-like take on knitting. Laugh-out-loud funny most of the time and poignantly reflective when it's not cracking you up." Library Journal on Yarn Harlo

Inside All Wound Up, New York Times best-selling author and self-proclaimed Yarn Harlot Stephanie Pearl-McPhee spins her third yarn on knitting for the 60 million knitters in North America who collectively spend $45 billion a year on knitting-related merchandise.

In her trademark style, McPhee talks about knitting, parenting, friendship, and--gasp!--even crocheting in essays that are at times touching, often hilarious, and always entertaining. Fans of her popular blog at www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ will adore this all-new collection of tales of the woolen and silky skein, which follow the Yarn Harlot's previous exploits chronicled inside Yarn Harlot and Free-Range Knitter.

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Humor, Crafts, Memoir, Essays, Biography

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2010

About the author

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (better known as the Yarn Harlot) is a prolific knitter, writer and blogger known for her humorous but always insightful anecdotes and stories about knitting triumphs and tragedies.

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this is not a book about knitting. It does have a lot of knitting references in it, so it is probably best appreciated by fellow knitters. But in reality the essays in this collection cover a lot of ground with humor and insight: parenting, social issues, mental health, chaos theory, problem solving, fair trade, craftsmanship, self esteem. The yarn harlot herself presents the term "adoxography," meaning "skilled writing about an unimportant subject," to describe her work, and that is a perfect description except for one thing: she makes knitting important. She relates her knitting to everything, and through it you see the world a little more clearly. She proves that the mind that can figure out what went wrong with a complicated cable pattern twenty rows back and somehow fix it is also pretty good at decoding human behavior.
If you are a knitter, you will enjoy this book so much you will find yourself at times laughing out loud and uncontrollably for pages on end. If you are not a knitter, but perhaps an innocent spouse forced to listen to passages read out loud by your resident knitter, you will still think the writing pretty darn funny, clever, and true.
This is the book which has reminded me how much I like reading personal essays (when they are well done). Got to get me some more.

[Neeuqdrazil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another classic Yarn Harlot book. I giggled, I got teary, I giggled some more, and I really just wanted to pick up my knitting at the end.

Comments after second read: This one stood up to a second reading just as well as most of Stephanie's books do. Laughs, giggles, reading bits out-loud (the bit where Denny gave Steph her knitting while they were waiting to walk down the aisle at Steph's wedding and told her to do a few rows to 'take the edge off' made me both howl with laughter and then read it out-loud to Curgoth.) It's a very quick read, and I wish that I had more.

First Read: October 2011
Second Read: December 2012

[Helen O'Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important to state right at the beginning of this review that I have only ever knitted one scarf and one baby’s matinee jacket, some 46 years ago and even then my mother had to help me to cast off. The reason I mention these facts is that people may think this book is a book for those people who impress me with their crochet and knitting skills. Not at all. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has such an engaging, conversational writing style and although her knitting stories are woven throughout the 29 short chapters, this lovely book has the most delightful insights into relationships, marriage, friendships, teenage daughters and even beloved washing machines. I was reading Ode to a Washer : A Love Story in Three Parts whilst enjoying a coffee in a local cafe. I had to stifle my laughter and I am certain the onlookers thought I was very strange to be enjoying an actual book. They were engrossed in their phones. I was particularly taken by her discussion of the fact that children as young as four were taught to knit a few hundred years ago. ( page 175) And that the whole family would be engaged in knitting. If you wanted socks, then you learnt to knit. Also how we assume the vast majority of people can learn the complexities of driving yet we think people who knit clever cables or fancy stitches are somehow super creative and that we could never do this. I really needed to read this charming collection of stories and discussions at this rather precarious time in the world ( right after the 6th January insurrection on the US Capitol) I may even find that bundle of wool that I have stashed away somewhere and try again to knit as well as my mother, mother in law, sisters in law and grandmothers used to do.

[Terre · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read Stephanie Pearl-McPhee or her blog, so I had forgotten how jealous I am of her knitting skills. Having tucked my bitterness away, I proceeded on with her latest.

Having said that, I have to say I enjoyed this collection much more than her last effort because it was, gasp, a bit "darker" - and it's not as if she has gone serial yarn killer or anything - than her other works. In this volume her musings are more about the darker side of her personality: she is "All Wound Up," so to speak, and it is refreshing to know that sweet smiling woman is just as bitter as I am about several things. Beloved and faithful appliances choking out their last when the household budget can ill-afford it, idiots making inane remarks regarding her knitting in public, and heart-crushing sadness. She also touches on the less finer points of dealing with daughters, adolescent dating, and determining whether one's penchant for fiber qualifies as an addiction. The Yarn Harlot is nothing if not humorous, and this is humor to which I can relate.

I can forecast that some fans may complain that there are more topics than just the love of knitting. Yet this is just what I feel makes this collection stronger than earlier efforts. No matter what the topic, she knits it all together with love, laughter and yarn.

Well done.

[Malia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admire Stephanie Pearl-McPhee a lot, and I've been influenced a lot by her as a knitter. Sometimes her humor is too much of the same thing over and over--"Teenagers, AMIRITE?"--but I like her essays best when they're a little more quiet and contemplative, or when they pull from something abstract and make it experiential. There were a few of those kinds of essays in this book, mostly toward the end.

[Vannetta Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's true that Stephanie's Pearl-McPhee's are a bit repetitive and a bit silly, but sometimes repetitive and silly are just what the doctor ordered. I either smiled or laughed at every chapter. That's never a bad thing. And I could relate to most of the references about knitting. It's nice to know others feel the same way!

Recommend for knitters of all shapes, sizes and ages.

[Bronwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming little book.

[M2t2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the last part of this book, especially October, Crytoscopophilia, Fair Trade (about crocheting), The Deep Dark, and The Time of the Big Not Knitting.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book but as little bites and not a whole entree. It took me so long to finish because I would get sick of it after a chapter or two. So I'd wait and then want to read a bit more a few days later. I think I enjoyed reading "The secret life of a knitter" a lot more because it was a new genre for me and I was also knitting a lot more. This was still fun but in a different way.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

All Wound Up: The Yarn Harlot involves many an essay, covering the topics of yarn, work and family (among other things). As Pearl-McPhee's book is my first real exposure to yarn humour, I appreciated its novelty. If you have any experience as a knitter, then it's easy to identify with the tidbits picked out in her writing. Tolerating the ignorance of non-knitters, justifying your stash, delighting in Knit Night, working stubbornly at a hopeless project, and finding solace in those quiet "knit" moments - these are all things that knitters can relate to. There comes a time, however, when the repetitive nature of Pearl-Mcphee's ideas discourage a strong sense of engagement. Although there are some essays that I truly connected with, the remaining pieces often felt like reiterations of the same thing. I get that she's fashion-challenged with a penchant for social awkwardness, but I don't need to be reminded of it over and over again.

Ultimately, I liked the book, and I feel no qualms about recommending it to my fellow knitters. That said, I'd also suggest, much like a project that shouldn't be attempted in one sitting, this is the kind of reading that is meant to be picked up and put down when it becomes tedious. Breaking it up will likely make some jokes funnier, and the reiterations a little more compelling.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Wound Up is a collection of essays about a variety of things. Of course, having being written by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. The Yarn Harlot) there is lots of witty, funny things about yarn, knitting and knitters. Personal favorites include: Knit Junkie” in which the Harlot turns to the DSM-IV’s definition of addiction to see if she does have a knitting problem, “Personal Filters” in which she reveals all the wonderfully snarky things she would like to say in response to the questions non-knitters always ask knitters, “Crytosopophilia” which muses on the things we see and what we infer from them when we get quick little glimpses into someone’s life, and “The Cool Table” which discusses our efforts to fit in and feel comfortable in our own skins and where that might lead us. But in addition to all the great knitting anecdotes, there are some essays that breaks out of knitting culture to reflect on moments of day to day life. From the death of a beloved washing machine to a love affair with the quiet peace of nighttime, Stephanie’s writing is funny and insightful whether she writes about yarn or life.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Wound Up Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is also known as the Yarn Harlot from her blog. I found her blog first and laughed out loud at some of the things that happened to her. I was a new knitter and a long time crocheter so I didn't like that she hated crochet, but after reading this book the first time (back in 2011) I understood how she would not enjoy the process. She covers so many topics in the book, just as on her blog, and many I could nod my head and say, "Yes! That is so me!" You do not have to be a crafter to understand what she is writing about or to laugh about some of the things that happen. But it is a fun read. Each chapter is different and some flow into the others and some hop from topic to topic. 
 
The reason that it took so long to read this was that it was just something I would read a chapter here or there (first read was straight through) and I would pick it up and read for a little while and then walk away for a little bit. 

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some reason knitting isn’t considered a cool activity by a lot of people. It is an activity that can define who you are, however. No one spells out the life of a knitter as well as Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. All Wound Up is her newest book, and it is an absolute hoot. The essays had me giggling out loud and made family members wonder what exactly could be so funny about a knitting memoir. If you are a knitter (even a closet one who only knits on weekends), this is just about the most hilarious book you could hope to read. The author has captured public perception about knitting and the idiosyncrasies of knitters into a humorous collection of stories that will have you saying “oh my gosh, that has SOOOO happened to me!” I give five of five stars to All Wound Up by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't even knit and this book is hilarious. It probably helps that she came and did a reading where I work and I can hear the whole book in her voice (makes it even better because she is funny as hell in person). Great little lessons and everything between the pages

[Suezq · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. It is a compilation of short stories/essays that had me wiping away tears of laughter.

[Theresa F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm fairly sure that I must've previously read part of this book and then forgot, because a number of the essays in this collection sounded very familiar. While some entries held up well to rereading, there were others where I felt that one reading was enough to absorb the content. Consequently, I had an easier time engaging with this book once I got into the unfamiliar material.
Did I like it? Overall, yes. There's a reason why I own so many of author Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's books.
Would I reread it? As a whole collection, probably not. But there may be individual essays worth a revisit.
Would I recommend it? Very much so. I'm living proof that even non-knitters like me can find enjoyment in this author's brand of humor.

[Paige Bredemeier · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book All wound up is about Stephanie Mcfee’s life more than anything. The book is a collection of essays about her life, her experiences, and her family. For example, she has a section on her love for a washing machine where she gushes over how much she loves it. It is hard to summarize the book because it is more of a collection of stories rather than one big story. I didn’t like this book. It was marketed as a knitting book when really it mentioned knitting once or twice per chapter unless it was one like “Knit Junkie”. I wish this book’s description was more clear on what it is about because I wanted to read a book about knitting and not about a mom who knits. I gave it 1 star because it wasn’t a correct description and I had to read a book about a person instead of a hobby. This book doesn't have a theme because it is a "collection of essays".

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book got old very quickly, and is a reminder why I find women humor very unfunny (even as a fellow woman).

The author tries very hard to be witty and hilarious, which unfortunately she is neither. The “humor” is just passive aggressive, unkind, “I am holier than thou” attitude throughout the entire book. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, if you will, for how hard she tries to come across as hilarious when she’s not. I couldn’t stand the tone of the book and DNF’ed about 50 pages in.

If you get the giggles at mockery of your family, comments on how stupid non-knitters are, and think of yourself as above all the peons, then this book is for you. If you think that those things are actually un-funny and rather distasteful, and surely bore of them after 50 pages of the same terrible humor, then please, for your sake, skip this book.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this at a leisurely pace, and just finished. It's funny and poignant, and ends with a lovely essay about the "cool table" -- how she was never at the cool table as an adolescent. She describes the cool table with truth and grace toward those who could be there, but describes the knitting table with her friends as her own "cool table" -- being herself taught her not to be cool, but to find her own place.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the first third of the book - about 10 short stories. She was LOL funny! But after a while I lost interest in her type of humor - lots of irony and extreme examples, asides relating to having kids/families/spouses of various ages and stages, and very longwinded explanations. At the halfway point, I gave up. The topics had promise, but I no longer wanted to read more. If I do, I can read it in smaller doses. But for now, it's going back to the library.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been a fan of the Yarn Harlot’s writing (so named because she has trouble staying faithful to one knitting project) to the point where I’ve read her complete blog archives all the way through at least twice. Some of those writings were also in this book, but I didn’t mind at all. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee manages to be both funny and wise at the same time, and the fact that she’s writing about knitting only makes it all the more unlikely and delicious.

[Reading Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute and fun and lighthearted installment in McPhee's own brand of knitting humor. Many of the essays here are cute and not necessarily knitting themed, but relate to the life of an interesting person. As usual, she hits the 'I'm so soo sooo very quirky' button a bit hard, but it's fun and light to read.

[Linda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me feel like I'm at the cool table

Can I write love it forty, no fifty times ? Well these books are a journey, and all knitter s should take it.
Funny and sad and heartfelt. Most of all reading Stephanie books make me feel , not alone and wow part of the cool group.
A must read.

[Anne Cranesmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever little book about a knitter and, in fact she is a very well known knitter in real life. As a knitter myself I related to and laughed at many of her comments and situations. It was a fun book to read and I understand she has more so I will be looking for those as well.

[Jennifer England · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so cute and real. I am an avid crocheter. There was a special chapter in the book that made me proud to be. I love all the yarn stories. I read this a little at a time, in between books since each story is separate. Relate to me so much. Thank you.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely could relate to some of the events in the book related with meeting deadlines and also about being all ready to go and realizing you are a day ahead of schedule. I laughed a few times. I definitely recommend reading even if you are not a knitter but work with yarn

[TR Bakke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once Again A Win!

There a much the Yarn Harlot write that I won't read ... But I do think this is one of the best. Completely relatable, and quite funny. I'm finding myself chomping at the bit for the next one.

[Nana Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughter and tears

I've loved all of Stephanie Pearl McPherson books, her essays touch on so many aspects of life, and so many feelings, that I am smiling in recognition, laughing and crying as I read. Thank you Stephanie, I'd love to meet you!

[Kayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had some humorous and relate-able parts in it but toward the end I got bored. I just think it wasn't the type of book for me.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny and light, especially for knitters, with moments of beautiful feeling.