I recently had a chance to look at The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion: 37 Patterns to Embrace, Inspire, and Celebrate Life by Janet Bristow and Victoria A. Cole-Galo. The authors started The Prayer Shawl Ministry – an extraordinary group that has touched lives in extraordinary ways across the world for more than a decade. Even if you aren’t very religious, the patterns from this beautiful book can easily be adapted to be a fashionable shawl or cover-up, a lap blanket, or even a larger afghan.
About The Book
In their follow-up to the 2008 bestseller The Prayer Shawl Companion, the authors have once again brought together crafters, their inspiring tales, and comforting, thoughtful blessings and continue to reach out to people of all faiths in sadness and celebration, this time with crocheted wraps, or prayer shawls.
The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion features 37 beautifully designed prayer shawl patterns contributed by everyday crocheters and professional knitwear designers alike, including Nicky Epstein, Mary Beth Temple, and Doris Chan, among others. [Read a great introduction to the book]
I'd love it if someone made this one for me!
Review
The book is beautifully done – the 8 x 10 softcover book contains 176 glossy pages with 101 full-color photographs and 2 diagrams. Page 166 is a great reference tool – it has a guide to yarn weights and abbreviations. And on page 167, there is a guide to the symbolism of the colors, shapes numbers, symbols and decorations that are included in the patterns. For beginners, this can be a life saver. The weight of the book helps keep itself open for reference, but isn’t so heavy that you wouldn’t want to carry it with you for crocheting on the go.
This book isn’t for beginners (like me – I need a crocheting for dummies book!), but if you’ve mastered making pot holders, you can definitely make something from this beautiful book. Some of the patterns can be altered to fit children instead of adults (and vice-versa), and pockets, buttons, beads and ribbon ties can also be added for a touch of flair.
The personal stories, poetry and pictures add depth and a personal touch to each pattern and piece in the book. I learned that making prayer shawls doesn’t come from a specific religion or religious tradition. The lovingly knitted or crocheted wraps can be made for anyone and for nearly any occasion, from baptism to remembrance.
Get your own copy of The Prayer Shawl Companion and The Crocheted Prayer Shawl Companion
About the Authors
Janet Bristow and Victoria A. Cole-Galo are authors of the bestselling Prayer Shawl Companion and founders of the Prayer Shawl Ministry. They are at the heart of the movement – their shawl ministry is an all-inclusive online charity knitting group that is the place most people go to join in. They travel nationwide to conduct shawl ministry workshops. Both women are graduates of the Hartford Seminary’s Women’s Leadership Institute. [Visit their site]
Disclaimer: Links to buy books are Amazon affiliate links & this book was given to me free by the authors with no strings attached. Review was my idea, and all opinions are mine and of my mother-in-law, Rhonda, a more experienced crocheter!
