Knitted Heirlooms

As I write, the wind is howling and the snow is swirling. Winter’s one of my favorite seasons! Now, before you check my forehead for a fever, let me spin you a yarn.

Click, clack. How I love the sound of my knitting needles! There’s no more perfect time for me to knit than the winter season. The nights are long, I’ve got more reason to stay protected from outdoor elements, and nothing feels better than being entangled in warm, colorful yarn strands.

While recently enwrapped in a project, I found myself meditating on scriptures in which the word “knit” appears. In 1 Samuel 18:1 it says that Jonathan and David enjoyed a friendship that was so close it was as if they’d been knit together. Colossians 2:2 and 19 refer to the people of God having hearts, minds, sinews, muscles and joints knitted together.

These verses created quite a visual for me, so I began thinking about possible analogies.

Starting the project

Even though I’m a lifelong knitter, it wasn’t until two years ago that I went to my first fiber arts festival. Every creative molecule in my body responded energetically to that visual feast! Colors exploded everywhere! Prized llamas, alpacas, goats and rabbits happily lapped up attention from potential brushers, washers, dyers and weavers. Textures and styles oozed from every booth. Every square inch of the fairground pulsated with creativity!

Like all knitters, I love to start new projects, and the festival provided the rekindling of my love for the craft, anticipation of more projects, abundant colors, textures and weights and patterns—oh, so many patterns—from which to browse and choose!

Our knitting circles joined us in an uncommon mix of family generations, teachers, microbiologists, speech therapists and retail entrepreneurs, but our common knitting terms helped us communicate the intricacies of our workmanship. Knitting terms are part of a specific language that, when followed diligently, ensures success.

Despite varied backgrounds, our consensus was that knitting isn’t for the faint of heart. In many ways, it’s a full-body craft, employing mind, hands and abundant willpower.

Allow me to share some of my meditations on scriptural threads:

• It takes practice (“reason of use”) to perfect knitting (Hebrews 5:14).
• Yarn can’t be too tight or too loose. Dropped stitches require careful workmanship to be pulled back into the woven product (Philippians 2:12).
• Knitting requires that we become holy (Ephesians 1:4)—not “holey” due to carelessness or lack of diligence (2 Peter 1:10).
• Only the tenacious complete projects (Philippians 3:14).
• Knitting can sometimes tire our hands, and we need to stop to renew our strength (Hebrews 12:12). Our project is, indeed, our own; but sometimes it’s nice to have encouragement from fellow knitters (Hebrews 10:24-25).
• Though we ache for new patterns, new colors or new textures, we must be dedicated to our first love to complete what we’ve already begun (Revelation 2:1-5).
• We dedicate ourselves to the vision of the fullness of our finished product (Ephesians 4:13).
• Knitting ourselves together, as mentioned in Colossians 2:2, requires an effort, vision, tenacity and patience that creates an end result of growth, assurance of understanding and knowledge of the plan of God. This bonding goes well beyond the comfort of self-satisfying relationships.

Yarn forward, knit two together: the process knits an analogy

All analogies break down at some point, but when you think about it, aren’t we a kind of knitting project? Weren’t we handpicked by our Father, who chose each one of us with our distinct color characteristics, our individual personality texture and our weighted talents (John 6:44)? Didn’t we begin as little more than animal hair that required brushing, washing and transforming (1 Corinthians 1:26)?

The Sovereign God of the universe has a finished product in mind—a tightly woven fabric of mankind—with each contributing to the whole (His family) for all eternity (1 Corinthians 12:18). This talented Designer and Master Weaver left specific instructions through His written Word (1 Peter 1:20-21) and the patterned example of the finished product—His perfect Son (1 Peter 2:21).

We actively listen for and follow His instructions (John 10:4). While doing so, we knit ourselves together, leafing through lots of other patterns—those faithful saints already permanently woven into the richly textured fabric (Hebrews 11:40).

We are assured that He will complete this project that He began in us (Philippians 1:6). We are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), knit together in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). Through that workmanship we become heirlooms treasured by our Father and Elder Brother (Romans 8:17).

A project for all seasons

The winter winds will soon abate and the spring festivals will be upon us. No worries! I have yarn for baby clothes, dishcloths, afghans, sweaters, scarves and socks—enough to keep my needles clacking through all seasons. And while I busy myself with the needlework, I’ll go back through these many scriptures to set my mind, hands and willpower to work on the spiritual application too.

Care to join me in this knitter’s circle?

Janel Johnson is a pastor’s wife smitten with knitting. Though she has many projects on many needles, her next will be for her newest grandchild!