Gunflint Trail resident Ginny Anderson knits love and comfort into every shawl she makes.
Knitting 160 prayer shawls and afghans in the space of only four years represents daunting dedication. For Ginny Anderson, Gunflint Trail resident, her prayer shawl ministry is also a blessing and a joy.
When her father was dying some years ago, the First Congregational Church in Grand Marais presented Ginny with a prayer shawl that was a great comfort to her. When she wrapped it around herself, she could feel the love that was knitted and prayed into the shawl.
That gift was an inspiration for her to re-learn how to knit, which she hadn’t done for over 40 years, as she wanted to offer that sort of gift to another. She has continued knitting and gifting prayer shawls for women and afghans for men, and is currently at work on the 160th shawl.
Ginny prays over the needles and yarn before she begins each shawl or afghan, prays for the recipient while knitting, and blesses each finished piece. Most of her prayer shawls have been made for friends or family members or someone else she has heard about who is ill or has suffered a loss, and a few were made to celebrate a birthday, a wedding, or the birth of a child. Sometimes a person who has received one of her prayer shawls asks her to make another for someone they know who needs one.
If Ginny begins knitting a shawl or afghan without knowing who it is for, she usually knows by the time she finishes. If not, she donates it to the Congregational church for their prayer shawl ministry.
She used acrylic yarn for her first prayer shawls, as many of them went to people in hospitals and nursing homes and needed to be machine washable. Now Ginny knits with a variety of fibers, in part because those who donate yarn to Ginny give her many different kinds of yarn. As word of her ministry spread, her supply of yarn multiplied like the loaves and fishes.
She uses many different shawl and afghan patterns, some of which she finds online and modifies. Her knitting friends also give her patterns, and sometimes she creates her own. She tries to choose a pattern and yarn that will fit the recipient.
While we were visiting with Ginny about this article, she showed us photos of her shawls and afghans which, at a friend’s urging, she has compiled into a beautiful book along with a pattern and yarn sample for each and any thank-you notes received.
As Ginny aptly shared with us, “I have come to the conclusion that everyone could benefit from having a prayer shawl or afghan— as I know of no one who already has all the love and comfort and hope they could possibly need.”
Ginny and her husband Steve will be moving to Crosslake, Minnesota in May, as Steve is retiring from YMCA Camp Menogyn after 20 years. Ginny will continue her prayer shawl ministry and hopes to find a new community of knitters.
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