Knit Prayer Shawl

 

Have you ever had a time when you wanted to help a friend or family member in a crisis and you didn’t know how?  One great way to do that is sit down, spend time thinking of this person and saying prayers that might help them.  Do this while you are working on a knit shawl pattern, and you have just started your very own knit prayer shawl.  Keep working quietly on that piece, and in no time at all you will have a warm knit shawl to wrap around the shoulders of the person in need.  A warm hug woven with good thoughts, hope, and healing prayers.

I sit with a local knitting group twice a month to work on knit prayer shawls.  We have a recipient in mind for each one, and the reasons vary greatly, but the process is the same.  We each knit a new row while thinking good thoughts and saying prayers that will help.  After we are finished, a sweet message is attached with a ribbon and one of us delivers the shawl.  Time and time again the reaction is the same – tears of joy, a smile and thankful words.  We hear how much it means that the shawl stays behind with the person, but our presence and good memories linger, helping them heal from whatever is ailing them.

This knit shawl pattern from Jessica Anderson is called “On the Wings of a Prayer” and was named so because it’s the perfect shawl to work up as a knit prayer shawl.  Use the different stitch sections to “weave” a new prayer in, and in no time at all you’ll see a finished shawl.  Using a self-striping yarn add interest and beauty, and the recipient will look radiant with the shawl draped around their shoulders.  The triangle shape helps keep it on the shoulders, and can also be laid across a lap if needed.  We have something special planned for this pattern, so get started on it today, and stay tuned.

On the Wings of a Prayer
by Jessica Anderson

Skill: Intermediate

MEASUREMENTS: Approximately 58” [147.5 cm] wide and 25” [63.5 cm] long, blocked

MATERIALS:  

• Red Heart, Boutique Unforgettable Yarn, 100% Acrylic, 3.5 oz  (100 g ball), 269 yards (246 m) 2 balls, Dragonfly
• Size US 8 (5 mm), 32” circular needle (to accommodate the large number of stitches)

GAUGE: 20 sts/24 rows = 4” [10 cm] in Stockinette Stitch

Abbreviations

• K- Knit
• k2tog- knit two together
• m- marker
• pm – place marker
• P- Purl
• PSSO- pass slipped stitch over
• RS- right side
• rm – remove marker
• sm- slip marker
• sts- stitches
• WS- wrong side
• Yo- yarn over

Instructions

Cast on 5 sts.

Rows 1-2: Knit.

Stockinette Section:

Row 3 (RS): K2, yo, pm, k1, pm, yo, k2. (7 sts)

Row 4 (WS): K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 5 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (11 sts)

Row 6 (WS): K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Repeat last 2 rows seven more times. (39 sts)

Garter Stitch Section:

Row 7 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (43 sts)

Row 8 (WS): K2, knit across all sts, slipping markers as you come to them, k2.

Repeat last 2 rows four more times. (59 sts)

Eyelet Section:

Row 9 (RS): K2, yo, k1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, k1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (63 sts)

Row 10 (WS): Knit, slipping all markers as you come to them.

Stockinette Section:

Row 11 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (67 sts)

Row 12 (WS): K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Repeat last 2 rows nine more times. (103 sts)

Garter Stitch Section:

Row 13 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (107 sts)

Row 14 (WS): K2, knit across all sts, slipping markers as you come to them, k2.

Repeat last 2 rows four more times.  (123 sts)

Eyelet Section:

Row 15 (RS): K2, yo, k1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, k1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (127 sts)

Row 16 (WS): Knit, slipping all markers as you come to them.

Repeat last 2 rows once more. (131 sts)

Stockinette Section:

Row 17 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (135 sts)

Row 18 (WS): K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Repeat last 2 rows nine more times. (171 sts)

Garter Stitch Section:

Row 19 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (175 sts)

Row 20 (WS): K2, knit across all sts, slipping markers as you come to them, k2.

Repeat last 2 rows four more times. (191 sts)

Eyelet Section:

Row 21 (RS): K2, yo, k1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, k1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (195 sts)

Row 22 (WS): Knit, slipping all markers as you come to them.

Repeat last 2 rows two times more. (203 sts)

Stockinette Section:

Row 23 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (207 sts)

Row 24 (WS): K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Repeat last 2 rows nine more times. (243 sts)

Row 25 (RS): K2, yo, knit to m, yo, sm, k1, sm, yo, knit to last 2 sts, yo, k2. (247 sts)

Ridged Lace:

Row 26 (WS): K2, purl to m, rm, p1, rm, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 27 (RS): k2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 28 (WS): K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 29 (RS): K2, k1, *yo, slip 1 st knit wise, k1, psso; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 30 (WS): K2, purl to m, rm, p1, rm, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 31 (RS): k2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 32 (WS): K2, purl to last 2 sts, k2.

Row 33 (RS): K2, k1, *yo, k2tog; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.

Repeat Rows 26-33 one time.

Row 34 (WS): Knit.

Suspended Bind off.

*Knit two stitches together through the back loop, move the st from the right hand needle to the left and needle; rep from * to the last two sts, cut yarn and pull through remaining stitch.

Finishing

Weave in all ends. Wash and block shawl as desired.