You may know that the past year or two has been a bit difficult spiritually for me. When I signed up for this class, I never expected knitting to become a way back into the habits of faith that so nourish my soul. But it has. And I am grateful. So when you see me knitting at home, at the bus stop, in lectures, in your apartments… then know that I am enjoying a craft that links communion and community together.

So, does anyone want to learn?

My time in college has taught me that the regular practice of spiritual disciplines sustains my faith. Prayer and meditation orient my life toward God. Sabbath rest brings rhythm and cadence to my hectic life. Service stretches my faith out toward others. Worship nourishes me in the presence of fellow believers. These disciplines of faith, when practiced regularly, offer countless spiritual, social, and physical benefits. Knitting, I would argue, can function in similar ways, uniting faith to service, rest, meditation, and worship.

The members of Gilda’s Club spoke of how knitting can be an act of prayer. The making of prayer shawls, with its repetitive motion of knit-three, purl-three, may draw the believer into a time of prayer for others. The Trinitarian simile offered by the stitch pattern may only be a coincidence, but it is not surprising that the recipients of the shawls are greatly moved by the gift of time and prayer. I do believe that God is moved by our prayers, so a practice as intentional as the knitting of a prayer shawl bears great power. I have not found myself drifting into prayer yet as I knit, but I have found the meditative quality of knitting to calm my mind. My thoughts are somehow dusted off, ordered, and clarified by the motions of knitting.

As I look toward the spring semester, I am worried that my spare time will dwindle and I will not enjoy this time of Interim rest. I intend to persist at knitting regularly, not only as a pleasant hobby, but also as a means of rest and relaxation. That time set aside for knitting will help balance out my busy life with a craft that will leave me feeling useful and rested at the same time.

The social aspects of knitting – fellowship and service – round out my appreciation for the craft. Knitting is not just about me and my spiritual well-being—it’s about giving my time and talents to other people. It’s about spending quality time with loved ones and interesting friends. It’s communal and other-centered. When I knit a hat for a friend’s baby, I enjoy (nearly) every stitch of the process, but I also enjoy the act of giving a gift that represents time, thought, and skill invested in someone else. If most of what I knit over my lifetime ends up in the hands of other people, I will feel satisfied. I may be a process knitter, enjoying the act of knitting just a bit more than the satisfaction of a project finished. I’m also a service knitter: I enjoy making things for other people.

From this knitting Interim I’ve gained a path of reentry into the spiritual disciplines which I have neglected for some time. As I near graduation and some sort of hazy future, I am grateful to have the craft of knitting to nurture me in prayer, rest, service, and communion.