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Reviews

“Clinical and research psychologist Nehrig knocks it out of the park with her debut nonfiction book, sure to appeal to knitters, social scientists, and historians… As a knitter herself, Nehrig models, in a relatable, firsthand fashion, how creating enriches makers’ lives…A recommended purchase for social sciences collections in public and academic libraries.” 

– Mattie Cook, Library Journal 

“With Her Own Hands is both scholarly and deeply personal – a warm, generous celebration of women’s lives, told through the textures and threads that have shaped them. It invites us to see textile work as a powerful, enduring language and a legacy stitched through generations, with care, courage, & creativity.”

– Lauren Meta-Martin, Selvedge Magazine 

“In seven eloquent and skillfully researched chapters, Nehrig traces the women’s needle and textile artwork across the world and through centuries.” 

– Carolyn Mulac, Booklist

“A sweeping investigation of the role of textile work in women’s lives… A thoughtful, deeply researched contribution to women’s history.”

– Kirkus Reviews

With Her Own Hands gives such a sumptuous insight into the profundity of simple threads. Rich with stories from so many cultures, Nehrig shows how the creation and embellishment of textiles not just gave a voice to those who were allowed none–but also power, hope, and fortitude across the ages.” 

– Aarathi Prasad, author of Silk: A World History

“This is a book of discovery. Merging researched histories with personal encounters Nicole Nehrig unravels stories of textile making that are surprising and illuminating, evidencing women’s long practised connection to their physical, spiritual and emotional worlds.”
– Clare Hunter, author of Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle

“An in-depth & wide-ranging exploration of women’s power to create – a must for anyone interested in craft & social history.” 

– Esther Rutter, author of This Golden Fleece

With Her Own Hands tells captivating stories of women from around the world and through the centuries —  so different but united in their creation of textiles for economic power, political force and creative expression. They and their time-consuming, dedicated work are inspiring and unforgettable.” 

– Danielle Dreilinger, author of The Secret History of Home Economics 

“Unraveling commonly held assumptions of knitting as a pedestrian hobby requiring only basic skill and relegated to lowly female drudgery, Nicole Nehrig instead shows how this single act binds humanity, connecting women across generations and between continents. With Her Own Hands is a beautifully wrought anthropologic study, and necessary reading for anyone interested in the nature of creativity.”

– Julie Satow, author of When Women Ran Fifth Avenue

“Now that we archaeologists have shown that, for millennia, women were making those ‘clothes that make the man,’ a psychologist and avid knitter has gathered lively stories from around the world to show how the long, slow making of these textiles in turn affects and has affected the women themselves, often healing their emotional lives.”

– Elizabeth Wayland Barber, author of Women’s Work

“Complete with an impressive bibliography, the book combines academic research and a captivating reading experience. It makes one feel like a small part in a chain of crafters spanning time and place – standing on the shoulders of all of these incredible women.”

– Laine Magazine