Convert knitting into a resource for prayer. Use the simple instructions below on how to open up your knitting with gratitude, fill it with focused prayerful intention, and conclude it in thankfulness and spiritual determination. Also included is a pattern for a prayer scarf/neck warmer.
Click on the orange link below to access a PDF of the prayer scarf/neck warmer pattern or scroll down the screen to see the pattern:
Begin with Gratitude
First, let's contemplate the yarn itself. Before knitting begins, simply cup the ball
of yarn in both of your hands. Take in
its various colors, perhaps naming them to yourself as you appreciate their bold
and subtle transitions. Notice the
particular sheen of your skein and its feel in your hands.
Each skein of Manos del Uruguay yarn is hand dyed by a
specific artist; you can find her name on the skein label as well as where the
artist lives. In your heart, while
holding the ball of yarn in your hands, send a thank you to the artist who
designed this specific skein. Take a
moment to open your heart in thankfulness to the sheep who provided the merino
and the worms that provided the silk.
Let this heart of thankfulness expand to include the vegetation that
sustained these beings as well as the earth and rain that provided for their
sustenance. Thank all of the people who
were involved in the making of this yarn in a sustainable way and thank all of
the people involved in the distribution of this particular skein of yarn. Finally, thank the people involved in passing
on the legacy of knitting to you.
In this attitude of thankfulness, cast on the correct
number of stitches. Once you begin knitting
and purling, continue to be mindful of each color as it passes from the left
needle to the right. Remember that each
color and its transitions were crafted by a particular artist for you. Your mind will wander off, when it does and
you notice that it has, return it gently again and again to the colors of the
yarn. To regain focus, you may even want
to name the colors out loud for several stitches. Pay attention to the feel of this particular
blend of silk and merino as it slips through your fingers. Take time to appreciate the dexterity of your
hands and the precision of your eyesight.
Once you become familiar with this mindful rhythm and have
settled into an attitude of thankfulness, you may want to begin a contemplation
on spiritual matters. One simple
contemplation is to will with your whole heart one of the below aspirations. As you begin each new row, return to it.
May
all sentient (feeling) beings find happiness and the root of happiness/health.
or
May
all sentient beings be free of suffering and the root of suffering.
The above section could also be found in the Spirit of a Dove Prayer Shawl instructions (but the below is additional information).
Focused Aspirations
After saying the aspiration with your whole heart at the
beginning of the row, choose a particular person, animal, plant, or, choose a
group of persons, animals, or plants.
For example, you may want to choose all children in the local middle
school or your neighbor with cancer. You
may want to choose the raccoon that ate a hole in your garbage can or an
endangered species of tiger. You may
want to choose your grandfather's ailing houseplant or all endangered
unidentified orchids in the Amazon rainforest.
Whatever you choose, simply will with your whole heart for the rest of
the row that the chosen one or group be free of suffering and the root of
suffering or find happiness/health and the root of happiness/health. With each new row pick a new being.
You may want to begin with beings you feel close to and have
affection for, such as the person you are knitting the garment for, your cat,
or a tree you had built a tree house in when you were young. From there, work your way outward to beings with
which you are not as familiar, perhaps the post officer, the tulips in the
local park, your neighbor's dog. Next,
include beings you feel are strangers to you such as the local police force,
cows that provide you with cheese, and the blueberry bushes in South America
that provide fruit to you in the winter.
You may then want to pick a being you regard as an enemy, such as
someone who has it in for you at work, the bee that stung you yesterday, or
poison ivy. Next you could pick larger
groups of beings, such as entire eco-systems or populations of people. At some point when you feel comfortable doing
so, include yourself in the list of beings you will happiness and the end of
suffering.
When you are ready to conclude your knitting session,
complete an entire row willing with all your heart one of the above aspirations. Open your heart wide enough to will that all
sentient beings be happy and find the root of happiness and that all sentient
beings be free of suffering and the root of suffering.
Conclude your session with a prayer of thanksgiving or a
promise to contribute to the betterment of living beings. The below are possibilities but you can just
as easily make up your own.
Conclude in
Thankfulness and
Determination
Prayer
of Thanks inspired by St. Teresa of Avila
May today there be peace within
me.
May I trust God that I am exactly
where I am meant to be.
May I not forget the infinite
possibilities that are born of faith.
May I use those gifts that I have
received,
And pass on the love that has
been given to me.
May I be content knowing I am a
child of God.
Let this presence settle into
my bones
And allow my soul the freedom
to sing, dance, praise, and love.
May the soul of each and every
one of us sing, dance, praise, and love, as it is designed to do.
by Shantideva from
Sogyal Rinpoche's
May I be
a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey,
And a boat, a bridge, a passage,
For those desiring the further shore.
May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world.
Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.
And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.
A leader for those who journey,
And a boat, a bridge, a passage,
For those desiring the further shore.
May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world.
Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.
And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.
About the Pattern
This project can be knit as either an adult neck warmer, or, as a children's scarf. The difference is the addition of button holes and buttons to the adult neck warmer. The buttons can be sewn on either the lower edge of the scarf or on the lower left hand side of the scarf, depending on your style preference.
Supplies: 4 skeins of Manos de Uruguay Silk Blend, and, size nine knitting needles.
Children's
Scarf
Skills: CO, K, P, and
BO.
Requires: one skein of
Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend
yarn
and size 9 needles.
Loosely CO 24 stitches.
Edging
For rows 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 11, 13,
and 15:
K1, P1;
repeat this pair of stitches 11
times across each row.
For rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12,
14, and 16:
P1, K1; repeat this pair of stitches 11 times across
each row.
Children's Scarf
Body
Row 17: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K12, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1.
Row 18: P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P12, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1.
Repeat rows 17 and 18 138
times.
Edging
Row 155: K1, P1;
repeat this pair of stitches 11 more times.
Row 156: P1, K1;
repeat this pair of stitches 11 more times.
Repeat rows 155 and 156 7
times.
Finishing
Loosely BO.
The fabric will stretch when
blocked.
Block. Then weave in ends.
Adult
Neck Warmer
Skills: CO, K, P, YO, K2TOG, and BO.
Requires: one skein of Manos
Del Uruguay
Silk Blend yarn and size 9
needles.
Loosely CO 24 stitches.
Edging
For rows 1, 3, 5, and 7:
K1, P1; repeat this pair of stitches
11 times across each row.
For rows 2, 4, and 6:
P1, K1; repeat this pair of stitches
11 times across each row.
Buttonholes
Row 8:
P1, K1, P1, K1, YO, K2TOG, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, YO, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, YO, K2TOG, P1, K1, P1, K1.
Row 9:
K1, P1 (repeat pair of stitches 5 times), K2TOG, P1, K1
(repeat pair of stitches 5 times), P1.
Edging
Rows 10, 12, 14, and 16:
P1, K1 (repeat pair of stitches 11 times across each
row).
Rows 11, 13, and 15:
K1, P1 (repeat pair of stitches 11 times across each
row).
Body of Neck
Warmer
Row 17: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K12, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1.
Row 18: P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P12, P1, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1.
Repeat rows 17 and 18 138
times.
Edging
Row 155: K1, P1;
repeat this pair of stitches 11 more times.
Row 156: P1, K1;
repeat this pair of stitches 11 more times.
Repeat rows 155 and 156 7
times.
Finishing Loosely BO
(fabric will stretch when blocked).
Block. Then weave in ends. Sew three buttons on the end of the scarf
that does not have buttonholes.
Please do not resell any of the above material.
Additional Resources
Tara Jon Manning's Mindful Knitting: Inviting Contemplative Practice to the Craft and Peggy Rosenthal's Knit One, Purl a Prayer: A Spirituality of Knitting.
Read Peggy Rosenthal's Knit One, Purl a Prayer: A Spirituality of Knitting and Tara Jon Manning's Mindful Knitting: Inviting Contemplative Practice to the Craft for information on how to convert knitting into a contemplative practice.
KasCare has a program where you can knit a square for babies with AIDS in Africa:
Project
Linus is a non-profit organization that provides handmade blankets to children
in need. To donate a blanket visit: http://www.projectlinus.org/
Ravelry.com
has spirituality discussion groups to join, including the following; ravelry is
free but you do need to create a username and password. You can also friend me there: spiritofadove.
A place for people of all
persuasions to discuss belief and spirituality: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/discussing-belief-and-spirituality A place for knitting and fibercraft as a
spiritual meditative practice: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/the-way-of-the-peaceful-knitter
This page of the instruction can also be found in my Spirit of a Dove Prayer Shawl instructions located on Ravelry and on my blog Spiritofadove.blogspot.com.
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