Softness - A Meditation on Knitting - Jean Oberlander

Unravelling the semantics of the ugly jumper, the ratty cardigan and the squishy mittens. Softness is a poetic reflection on hand- knitting and the neglected objects that give us nourishment. A straggly jumper, shrunken in a hot wash. A frayed sleeve, mended with different wool. A garish sweater, coffee-stained but decidedly unwashed, sent by a loved one to withstand the cold winters. Punctuated by short key texts from textile studies and feminist theory, Softness tugs at the loose threads of this corner of craft history. This is an ode to the disrepaired, a plea to stem the tide of unloved, mass-produced clothing by rethinking the power of soft things. Thread-sewn with illustrations interleaved throughout the text, printed in spot colour across three beautiful paper stocks.

Common Threads Press, 2025
Softcover, 32pp 
190 x 110mm