Prayer Shawl
Below is the history, uses and pattern for making a prayer shawl. If you are in need of a prayer shawl, please contact our church office. If you would like to make a prayer shawl for our ministry, please follow the directions, then contact the church office.
In 1998, Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women’s Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut gave birth to a ministry as a result of their experience in this program of applied Feminist Spirituality under the direction of Professor Miriam Therese Winter, MMS.
Care and the love of knitting (and crocheting) have been combined into a prayerful ministry that reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace. Many blessings are knitted into every shawl. The knitter begins each shawl with prayers for the recipient. Intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl. When the shawl is completed it is offered a final ritual before being sent along its way.
As this gift has been sent along, some recipients have continued the kindness by making one themselves and passing it onto someone in need.
Thus, the blessing is rippled from person to person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a sheltering, mothering God!
Uses For the Shawl:
· Undergoing medical procedures
· as a comfort after a loss
· during bereavement
· prayer or meditation
· commitment or marriage ceremonies
· birthing, nursing a baby
· as a bridal shower gift
· leading ritual
· first menses or croning rites of passage
· during an illness and recovery
· ministering to others or just socializing. . .
There are endless possibilities!
To make a shawl personal, the giver or the recipient may want to adorn the shawl with beads, shells, feathers, and charms. A blessing or ritual may be offered when the gift is presented.
Knitting directions for Prayer Shawls
(Taken from “Knitting into the Mystery” written by Susan S. Jorgensen and Susan S. Izard, page 42-46)
These instructions assume that you know how to knit already.
Note: The second set of numbers is for our friends who use the metric system.
1. Decide what size needle you will use. Size 11 (8) needles create a slightly denser shawl and the K3, P3 pattern will be more noticeable. Conversely, size 13 (9) needles create a slightly looser, less definable pattern. Approximate finished sizes, not counting fringe, are 26” X 60” on size 11 needles and 30” X 64” on 13 needles. You may use smaller or larger needles as well, depending on the yarn that you have chosen; knit up a sample and do the math so that your shawl is the size you desire. The smaller the needle, the more stitches you will need; the larger the needle, the fewer.
2. Select your yarn. You might pick a yarn for its color, for its name, or for its texture as described in the previous chapter. A standard shawl requires three skeins of yarn that are six ounces net weight and 185 yards each.
3. Cast on. Cast on 57 stitches for size 13 (9) needles, 63 for size 11(8). The pattern is K3, P3 every row. This means that you will always begin each row with K3 and end each row with K3. The pattern is a modified seed or moss stitch. Any odd multiple of three will work for your shawl, depending on how wide you want to make it: 57, 63, 69, 75, 81 and so on. Follow this pattern until you achieve the desired length. You may also decide to knit every row, which is called a garter stitch. Before you begin the third skein, make your fringe.
4. Attaching the next skein or ball. An alternative to tying a knot and then weaving the ends of the two stands of yarn into the shawl when you are all done is to weave the new end into the old with a darning needle. This eliminates knots and having to weave in all those ends (a tedious process at best). Clip the ends of both pieces of yarn. Thread the needle with the end of the new skein. Beginning at the end of the skein you are finishing, hold the end taut and insert the needle. Take tiny stitches in a slightly spiral fashion, maintaining firm and even tension. When you have woven through about three inches, pull gently to test the yarn. It should hold. If it slips or pulls out, continue to take tiny stitches through the old yarn or start again. The result should be a joined piece of yarn that is smooth and slightly thicker than a single stand; it disappears easily into the fabric of the shawl. Take care as you knit the joint. Once you have knit the joint into the shawl, you can clip the ends that have frayed in the knitting process (generally quite short). This process works with thin or thick, smooth or nubby yard.
5. Selvages. You may want to create a selvage edge for your shawl. This creates a smoother finish for the sides of your shawl. At the beginning of each row, slip the first stitch purlwise; the yarn will be in front of your work. Carry the yarn to the back, k2, and continue with the pattern to the end of the row.
6. Make fringe. The length of the fringe is an individual decision. It can be long or short. You can put a piece of fringe through every stitch, or you can skip several stitches. Some people tie or sew beads to fringe, especially if the shawl is for a child. Whatever your preference, here is what you do:
Decide how long you want the fringe. Because the fringe is doubled when you fasten it to the shawl, you much cut the fringe twice the desired length: for 6” fringe, each piece must be 12” long; for 12” fringe, cut pieces 24” long; and so on. A stiff piece of cardboard cut to the finished length of the fringe helps with this process. Wrap the yarn around the cardboard as many times as you want pieces of fringe, and cut only one end.
For standard fringe, cut 57 lengths for each end of the shawl, or 114 total. Reserve fringe until you have finished knitting the shawl. I tie each bundle with a slipknot to keep from losing them and getting them tangle, and put them in a sealed plastic bag for safekeeping.
7. Finish the shawl. Attach the inside end of the third skein of yarn to your shawl and continue knitting until all the yarn is used up, or until you have achieved the desired length.
8. Attach the Fringe. Double the yarn and, using a small crochet hook, pull the loop through the stitch; insert the ends of the fringe through the loop and pull tight, creating a knot..
9. Knot the ends of the fringe. Some people knot the ends of each stand to keep the fringe from fraying. This is an individual decision. Some people would rather leave it alone. I prefer to knot the ends when I am using any yarn that frays easily.
10. Give away your shawl.