The Prayer Shawl

I've been in a knitting kick lately, partly because I love the hobby and have missed it and partly to put off the edits on my fourth book while my cold readers finish it.  It's hard for me to knit and write because of the trouble I have with my hands.  My nerves can't handle that much repetitive motion.  More often than not, I choose writing.

I found this book at the library about knitting monster toys and I've been clicking needles for two weeks now.  It's required me to learn how to use double pointed needles and to learn knitting in the round as well as how to pick up stitches and knit heels (something useful when knitting socks, which I will never do).  After knitting monsters, I picked up a book on prayer shawls.  After all, I have friends having babies very soon.

When I read about the history of prayer shawls and what they are used for now, I was very humbled and very eager to play my own part on the tradition.

A prayer shawl is knitted with prayers as well as stitches.  They are wrapped around someone in a time of crisis or actually during prayer in some religions.  When I lost my dad, I really could've used a prayer shawl while I was mourning in the hospital and later at the funeral.  It's made to give comfort and warmth in times when it might be hard to find either or both of those things.  It can also be used in times when there is the greatest joy to protect and nurture that joy.  After looking at the patterns and reading about the events that spurred the creation of the shawls, I am excited to get started.  I just need more information before I can get going.

One of the shawls I found was called a nursing shawl.  The story behind it talked of a couple getting pregnant with twins.  The pregnancy progressed normally until an ultrasound showed that one of the twins was growing faster than the other one and might not survive the pregnancy.  The shawl was knitted after that news was passed on and with each stitch, a prayer was prayed.  As the pregnancy continued, the woman was in distress and had to be delivered early.  Two little children were born, one 3lbs and the other 2.  This shawl was wrapped around the mother after her C-section and then was draped over the incubators of whichever child was struggling the most during the time they both stayed in the NICU.  Wouldn't you know that each child did better when this shawl was draped over them?  Talk about the power of prayer.

I think it would make a nice baby shower gift and I'm hoping to complete it in time.  I won't make it for the first friend (who is due at the beginning of October), but I should make it for the other once I know if she's having a boy (which is what I suspect) or a girl.

I also found a pattern to knit a hat that has Princess Leia buns on the sides.  Now that's cool.  :)