Over the Rosh Hashanah holiday I mentioned to someone I know that, as I've been knitting recently, I was praying for a friend who had been ill for quite some time. This person was less taken by a man who knits than she was by a man who prays. (And this was at synagogue. Go figure.) She looked at me as if I'd just farted on her new sofa.
Is it so unusual to believe in prayer? Am I out of the mainstream, even for Jews? Is meditating on the life and health of a dear friend a sign of mental inferiority?
KNITTING
I'm approaching the end of the Lace Dream shawl. The length has reached my wingspan plus 4", so I expect I will knit another 8 inches or so and then begin the end hem. (I've not taken the time to figure out how the end hem happens. I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!)
After that I will begin the Cathedral Window Shawl. I am going to knit it out of Cascade's Alpaca Lace in Amethyst -- this color way reminds me of the colors in the rose window in the Cathedral at Reims. (see the lovely picture.) I'll be using a finer yarn than the pattern and smaller needles. I will have to end up doing extra pattern repeats. I'm estimating that the edging will take me two weeks to knit.
Is it so unusual to believe in prayer? Am I out of the mainstream, even for Jews? Is meditating on the life and health of a dear friend a sign of mental inferiority?
KNITTING
I'm approaching the end of the Lace Dream shawl. The length has reached my wingspan plus 4", so I expect I will knit another 8 inches or so and then begin the end hem. (I've not taken the time to figure out how the end hem happens. I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!)
After that I will begin the Cathedral Window Shawl. I am going to knit it out of Cascade's Alpaca Lace in Amethyst -- this color way reminds me of the colors in the rose window in the Cathedral at Reims. (see the lovely picture.) I'll be using a finer yarn than the pattern and smaller needles. I will have to end up doing extra pattern repeats. I'm estimating that the edging will take me two weeks to knit.
It has not escaped my notice that extra repeats of the pattern will mean, when I get to blocking, I will have to pin out over 1,000 points on the edging. Does anyone know where I can buy T-pins by the pound? I've ordered 2 sets of blocking mats from Knitpicks. I figure they will come in handy when it comes time to block. Maybe I'll have a blocking party -- if 4 people are pinning out 1200 points, they only have to do 300 points apiece!
Does anyone want to come? Sometime next May or June? I'll make lunch?
7 comments:
I'm in! I'm overdue for a family visit to Chicago anyway. And I think the prayer thing is a little strange; prayer is really just good wishes for someone (well, appropriate prayer anyway - none of this "death and destruction on my enemies," if you please!), and we all send good wishes for people we love into the ether every day. How silly of a woman at a religious service to assume that you don't pray! Meditating on positive outcomes can only help, and it doesn't cost anything, so why not?
Your shawl will be almost as lovely as that window. Such things are proof of the lasting qualities of beauty, don't you think?
I do not a clue as to where you live. If it is on the west coast, put me down for 300 pins.
Terri, I do not live on the West Coast. I live in Chicago and love living here every bit as much as I did on my first day here 24 years ago! Sorry you won't be able to come!
1. Prayer. Silly woman to be surprised by your praying! I find myself praying (reflecting upon good) often during the day and having mindful thoughts regarding others often. You don't need to drop to your knees or fold your hands to pray.
2. Blocking. Have you considered blocking wires? Even with a party 1200 points is really a bit much. Wires will have them all stretched out equally.
3. Much as I'd love to, travel to Chicago appears outside my ability right now. If this changes before April 2010 I'll let you know.
4. My security word is rembern - remembering others with good thoughts? I'd say the power is working.
If my house has not sold by the time you finish the shawl, and thus I am still living in the Chicago suburbs at the time, I would love to come to your pinning party!
So the race is on -- which will happen first? Will my house sell or will you finish the shawl?
I find it interesting that our society has become so independent that we only think of prayer when there is a national emergency.
We are raising a whole generation who may not even think of it then. Heaven forbid that we should let the children pray in school or at a civic meeting? the greatest threat to world security is a group of individuals who do pray ... and frequently ... daily. What does that tell us?
In our "insular" cities there is comfort in having a "higher power" to go to when you need to talk to some one. Praying for someone else gives one an opportunity to "do something" when nothing else can be done.
If I thought I could make it to Chicago in the spring I would be there with my 500 T pins.
My nephew just moved back to Chicago and I'd love to visit him, perhaps he'd help pin too :-)
Knitting to me is prayer/meditation and when I pick up my needles I find myself doing just that. I don't think that it's unusual to believe in prayer..sometimes it's disguised as best wishes and thoughts.
Post a Comment