What's a prayer shawl? Modern Prayer Shawls can be knit, crocheted, or quilted. When knit, a pattern of knit 3, purl 3 is used, which becomes the prayer of "Father, Son and Holy Spirit". They are made to support people through illness, loss, trauma, and life transitions, or can be given at times of celebration.
Prayer Shawls are a gift, representing our love of God through The Christ. Recipients comment that they feel wrapped in love, they can feel Christ holding them, or they can feel the compassion knit into the shawls.
People work on prayer shawls for many reasons. I started knitting to honour my sister after she died. Janet was an artist using many different media, including working with fabrics. She would design and make vests representing the breastplate of the armour of God (Ephesians 6:14). A prayer would be written for the recipient and stitched into the lining of the vest. The last one she made was for a mother who sat in court listening to the testimony about the murder of her son. For Janet herself, there was no one to make a vest.
Please, if you know of someone who would benefit from one of these shawls, pick one, sign the book [location tbc], and give where it is needed. If you like would like to join in, either by knitting or helping to cover the cost of a shawl, please speak to me. I knit with the Prayer Shawl group at St. George’s, Cadboro Bay.
- Merle Campbell
Image: St George's Cadboro Bay