Judiasm's Specific, Sacred, Really Large Scarf

It must be 18 months at least since Jewish knitter and educator (in that order of importance, I'm sure!) Samantha Vinokor said to me, “You should do a motif for every parsha!” and I said, “Yes, but how would I do something like Metzora? A portion entirely about skin rash does not seem all that appealing to knit. And besides, what would I make with it? It would be one massive scarf!” 

 

If only Judaism had a specific, sacred role for a really large scarf. 

 

So the idea stayed with me. I toyed with different concepts and versions, different sizes and colorwork styles. I sketched and resketched ideas for different parshot. I considered making a blanket and a tallis bag before it occurred to me that perhaps I could knit the thing that goes IN a tallis bag. I swatched Bereshit (by which I mean the first portion, not the whole book) no fewer than 3 separate times. I bought Apple yarn from a Jewish dyer, just in case. (Theatre Kids Yarn, if you need some too.)

 

And, a little over a month ago now, I cast on. 

 

Designing patterns for each portion, even the more narrative ones of Bereshit (this time I mean the book, not the parsha), is not simple. It’s forced me to engage with the parshot more deeply than I have since my Bat Mitzvah. Some have been obvious: Noach could only be an ark; Vayera of course was the Akedah. Others have forced me to choose which of their ideas to omit, such as Miketz where I only hint at Joseph's rise to power with just one of Pharaoh’s dreams. For others I’ve successfully incorporated several ideas, such as in Bereshit where I've tried to incorporate creations from all six days even though the primary image is of Eve picking the fruit. (And yes, I opted for an apple, even though a more likely candidate is the fig. Partly I wanted it to be easy to recognize. Partly I wanted to use Sarah's beautiful yarn.) In still others I have had to consult commentary to develop an image at all. For Vayechi I consulted the Talmud for the icons representing each of the Twelve Tribes. Vayigash challenged me, but reading rabbinic commentary on the importance of Judah’s apology and teshuvah helped me shape the image. (Technically the brothers lining up to have their bags searched for Joseph’s silver goblet happens in the preceding portion, but I feel it’s needed for context.)

 

I’m using soft blues for the main colors and occasional contrast yarns duplicate stitched to add depth, from Jewish dyers where I can. I wanted this project to feel wearable and elegant. I’ve released myself from the pressure of pattern creation; this is pure art project. Since each motif is knitted only once, I can’t test them out - I’d just be making the finished project - so I work carefully on the ideas, although I still always adjust on the fly. I knit slowly, with close attention to detail. I find myself resenting Jacob’s favoritism for Rachel as I knit Leah and her children, or waiting with baited breath for the angel wrestling him to rename him Yisrael.

 

I haven’t solved the Metzora problem yet: I’ve only designed a few parshot ahead of what I’m knitting. I realized if I try to create it all before I begin, I never will. So I knit, and I have faith.