Prayer Shawl Ministry

There are some wonderful women at First Church who are knitting and crocheting up a storm. Prayer Shawls are being presented to men and women who need the assurance of God’s love and comfort during high and low spots in their lives. The shawls are called prayer shawls because the maker prays while knitting, that the shawl will bring comfort, strength and knowledge of God’s love to the wearer.

We are asking for help. If you are willing to make a Prayer Shawl for our Ministry, it would be greatly appreciated. We recognize that there are many talented people in the congregation who are willing to help but can not attend our gatherings on Wednesdays. The directions are included below.

The most common yarn is Simply Soft and can be found at all the area stores that have yarn. This can be easily washed.

We meet every Wednesday, 12:30 in room 233 in The Wright Place. Come join us- we need you.

Knitted Prayer Shawl

Materials
Approximately 550 yards of Simply Soft

Needles
Size 11, 13, depending on which make a desirable gauge

When selecting yarn, the keyword is “softness.” This is a comfort item. It should be soft, light and airy, not tight or thick.

Shawl Pattern
Cast on 57 (13 needles) or 63(11 needles) stitches.
Knit 3, Purl 3 to end of the row.
Turn and repeat this row until 2 2/3 skeins of Yarn are used.

Alternative: when you have used 2 skeins, cut the fringe -114 strands for size 13 (57 x 2) or 126 for size 11 (63 x 2) from the third skein. Then continue until the yarn is gone.

Apply fringe when done. The fringe can be as short as 3 inches (cut 6 inches long, fold in half to attach) or as long as 8 inches (cut 16 inches long): your choice.

The shawl should measure approximately 26 X 60 inches (not including the fringe) on size 11 needles and 30 X 64 inches (not including the fringe) using size 13 needles. These are approximate measurements. The shawl should not be any smaller than 20 X 52 inches or it will be too small to wrap around the person. Keep in mind the size of the person for whom you are knitting.

Significance of K3, P3 pattern:

Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Human existence has three stages; birth, life, death.
Time has three divisions; past, present and future.
Colors are based on three primary colors: Red, yellow and blue.
Humans have three parts: Mind, body, and spirit.
Virtues frequently mentioned together are; Faith, Hope, and Love.

First United Methodist Church Pensacola FL
E-mail      Phone: 850.432.1434     Fax: 850.432.5749