What are "prayer shawls," anyway? Some answers.

I make "prayer shawls" for the church (First Congregational UCC).

What are they? They are hand-knitted or crocheted shawls about 3 x 6 or 7 feet ( 1 x 2 m) - big enough to wrap around a grown person - done in any pattern the knitter or crocheter prefers, with any soft, comfortable yarn. I like Caron Simply Soft but most people in the group use Homespun.

What do they have to do with prayer? That's pretty much just a name. They are not for putting on when you pray, nor are they prayed over - although some prayer shawl groups do that.

What are they used for? For people who have a crisis or a celebration (a birth, illness, or bereavement, for instance) to wrap up in and realize that someone knows about them and is thinking about them.

Who makes them? Some ladies from the church. Men are also welcome, but they rarely have the skills. Several of these ladies meet twice a month, but most of the work is done at home.

When are they given away? After being washed and dried, the shawls are packed in clear plastic zip-up bags with a paper printed with a blessing. The pastoral minister keeps them on hand. She knows about the events in people's lives and is in charge of distributing the shawls. We used to do this, but it was hit and miss knowing about who needed one.

Where do they go? See above. Once they are given away, they are out of our hands and the recipients are free to use them, stash them, give them away, or even sell them at a garage sale if they want.

Why do we make them? They help people understand that they are not forgotten, that someone is thinking about them while they are dealing with whatever it is. The recipients often send us a note saying how much they appreciate receiving a shawl and thanking us. Many others don't ever contact us, but we hear back from the pastoral minister what their reaction was - and it is always positive. We've never had a curmudgeon snarl at us for high-handedly deciding that they needed a shawl.