In her story, My Prayer Shawl, Lou Zywicki Prudhomme tells of giving a prayer shawl she treasured to a friend, Kristin, whose daughter was battling anorexia and depression. It wasn’t easy to part with the shawl, but she knew Kristin and her daughter could really use it.
Imagine her delight when, just days later, she received another prayer shawl in the mail from her friend, Sandy, who had knitted it for her.
Below, Lou shares the knitting pattern Sandy used so that the knitters who are inspired by her story can create their own prayer shawls to bring comfort to those they love.
Sandy’s Knitting Instructions
Supplies:
- 3 skeins yarn
- Size 11 or 13 needles (some knitters prefer the round needles and some like size 15, although they are hard to hold. The idea is to get a loose, comfortable weave.)
Pattern:
- Cast on 54, 57, 60 or 63 stitches, or some multiple of 3.
- Knit 3, purl 3 to the end of the row.
- Turn and knit the purl and purl the knit.
- If you have 57 or 63 stitches, you will begin every row with knit.
- A weave pattern will develop. Knit about 2 and 2/3 skeins in the pattern. Use the rest of the yarn for fringe. The fringe can be as short as 3 inches or as long as 8 or 9 inches. It is up to you.
Pray as you knit. The prayers can be for a specific person, or for someone you have never met. Remember, mistakes blend in; the yarn is forgiving. There is no right or wrong way to love these mantel shawls into being.