Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry [Hardcover]

Susan S. Izard (Author), Susan S. Jorgensen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

Knitters are part of a long and quiet tradition that is both plainly practical and deeply spiritual. With needles clicking, they weave together not just garments to warm the body but also comfort and companionship to nurture the soul. This tradition is flowering today through knitting ministries, a worldwide ecumenical movement of small groups of women who gather to pray and knit for those in need. As they create shawls for people burdened with illness and sorrow, their handiwork becomes an expression, not only of their love and concern, but also of the loving care of the God who works through them. In this book, the authors - a United Church of Christ minister and a Roman Catholic laywoman - share stories of how the knitting ministry has touched lives and hearts around the world. They offer directions for knitting the shawls and for starting a parish or community knitting ministry. The book also provides a selection of prayers, written from many faith traditions, to offer along with each completed shawl.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Many contemplative, prayerful acts involve repetition of action: walking a labyrinth, reciting the Divine Office or saying the rosary. So why not knitting? As their needles flash and click, veteran knitters Jorgensen and Izard practice "contemplative knitting," which they say is just as real and fruitful a spiritual practice as any longstanding tradition of the church. Jorgensen, a Roman Catholic laywoman and spiritual director whose grandmother taught her to knit as a child, rediscovered knitting a few years ago and began to knit as part of her ministry. Her first project was a shawl for a woman in her congregation who had lost her husband in a car accident: "While I knitted, I prayed to enter her grief; I prayed light into every stitch," says Jorgensen. She chose an "Adirondack" pattern to honor the love that this woman and her husband had shared for the outdoors. Izard, a United Church of Christ pastor, shares stories from the shawl-knitting circle she organized at her church. The shawls change the lives of the knitters themselves, inviting them to engage in quiet meditation, and they also make an impact on the people who receive them, many of whom are recovering from illness or bereavement. Fans of knitting will be, shall we say, hooked: the book offers practical steps on selecting yarn and knitting simple prayer shawls, but its most enduring feature is the heartwarming stories of shawls knitted and given as artifacts of prayer.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This is an awe-inspiring book about a very meaningful spiritual practice." -- Spirituality and Health, November 2003

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Morehouse Pub Co (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0819219673
• ISBN-13: 978-0819219671
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spiritual Knitting Guide, December 21, 2003

By 

Ariel Riviello "tyrsis" (Brookline, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry (Hardcover)

A wonderful book, chock full of inspirational quotes and stories, detailing the use of hand knitted shawls as medium of prayer for knitters, and as healing gifts for loved ones or strangers. A warning - this is not a pattern book or a technique book, it does not teach how to knit or provide intructions for any shawls. This is a book about the process of making shawls to help and comfort others in times of need, in times of celebration, or simply to mark the strength of the relationship between the knitter and the recipient. To me this book translated into words something I think most knitters instinctively know - knitted gifts provide comfort and warmth beyond what the materials alone of the garment would be able to provide. They carry with them the love and the warm wishes of the knitter. This book provides interesting suggestions for adding some sort of religious ritual to the process of knitting and gift-giving. Even if you're not into organized religion, you'll still be inspired. A great gift.

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirituality and Knitting--Finally, November 28, 2003

By 

cathy (Yuma, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry (Hardcover)

This book is the first I have seen that really emphasizes the spiritual quality of knitting. As someone who has long appreciated knitting, and the giving and recieving of knitted goods,as a meditative, healing process, it is wonderful to see my sentiments expressed so eloquently. I have given several shawls to both friends and strangers in need of the warmth and caring they provide, and I can assure you that I have never seen a gift so appreciated. There is something about the love and time put into a shawl, combined with their sheer, tactile beauty, that embues them with an intangible strength. If you are not yet a knitter, this book is an excellent introduction, and the shawls are an perfect beginning project. If you are an advanced knitter, the template provided is a blank canvas for your creativity. This book is a beautiful celebration of the joys of creation and the power of caring.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring !!, March 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry (Hardcover)

Absolutely lovely ! This book gave spiritual meaning to my knitting and so much added enjoyment. It provides basic instructions on how to make a prayer shawl using K3,P3 pattern and the rest of the book is a real joy to read. This book would be a wonderful gift to any knitter!!!