Laurie Kimmelstiel weaves Jewish prayer shawls on a traditional Swedish loom. Their softness, their comfort, their beautiful design envelops the wearers, allowing them to focus on prayer and God’s presence. “It separates them from the rest of the world,” says Kimmelstiel of New York. Her spiritually-guided weaving is informed by hiddur mitzvah, she says, “the…
PHOTOS: Above, Julie Anne Feinstein, left, and Annette Gerard knit and chat during a recent gathering of Purls of Wisdom. Below, Marion Ross knits outfits for infants at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Photos by Deborah Moon Twice a week, three to eight women gather in the art room of Rose Schnitzer Manor and knit, chat, laugh…
When I think of knitting, I think of my mom. She had a blue knitting basket where she stored her different-sized knitting needles and colorful balls of yarn. When I did a little research on the hobby, I found numerous mental and physical benefits for knitters. Maybe that’s why so many mothers and grandmothers knit!…
Knitting and mitzvah-making mesh. Think war relief, supporting the poor, even thoughtful Hanukah presents and the craft comes to mind. Why does kibitzing over needles and yarn lend itself to helping others so well? We asked experts from three local knitting mitzvah groups to explain. “To create something and know it will go to someone…
