Blue Feet Studio: Handwoven Tallitot

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Hiddur Mitzvah

The talmudic principle of hiddur mitzvah encourages us to beautify the mitzvot. We strive not merely to fulfill the mitzvot but to do so in an aesthetically delightful way. Thus, we chant prayers with lovely melodies, light Sabbath candles in handsome candleholders, select distinctive mezuzot for our doorways, and adorn our wedding contracts with fine calligraphy.

Wearing a marvelous tallit is a form of hiddur mitzvah.

The Mitzvah

The mitzvah regarding the tallit (Numbers 15:37-41) has several parts. We are instructed to put fringes (tzitzit) on the corners of our garments, to look at them and be reminded of all the mitzvot, and to do those mitzvot and not go astray. Wearing a tallit thus fulfills only the very first part. Hopefully it helps with the latter parts too.

Wearing a Tallit

Wearing a tallit is a part of spiritual practice.  Wrapping onself in a tallit helps prepare one for prayer, whether individual or communal.  It is a physical action that creates a spiritual space.  The moment of wrapping onself in the tallit also helps make the transition to spiritual time.  Wearing a comfortable, beautiful tallit affirms our individuality while also linking us to our Jewish community and tradition.

The Tallit

A tallit is a shawl that can take many shapes and be made of almost any materials (other than linen and wool together, a combination avoided for all garments).  The corners have special fringes, called tzitzit, which are tied in a particular way involving a series of knots and spiral wraps.  A tallit also usually has a neck piece, the atarra, which bears the blessing for donning a tallit or another meaningful phrase from the Torah, liturgy or psalms.

 

Blue Feet Tallitot

Materials and Size

 I weave tallitot from tencel.  This is a fiber made from wood pulp in an environmentally safe low-impact process.  Because of this minimal environmental impact, I consider it eco-kosher.  Tencel is fine, soft, very strong, and has a lovely natural luster.  It drapes very well, is much lighter and cooler than wool, and is far more affordable than silk. 

My tallitot are approximately 27 inches wide and 80 inches long.  Because of the size of my loom (and the span of my arms), I do not offer a larger width.  If you are seeking a double-width tallit, please look elsewhere. 

 

Color and Weave

I weave tallitot on an eight-shaft floor loom.  One of my favorite weaves produces a dramatic wing motif – the wings of Shechina -- which I use for the colored stripes.  The body of the tallit is white in a gentle background weave that holds these wings.   

Choose any colors of tencel you like for the stripes.  I recommend selecting two.  Because of the difficulty of providing an accurate photograph of colors, here is the link to my tencel supplier, Halcyon Yarns.  Take a look, narrow your choices, and if you’re unsure, I’ll be happy to mail you a sample. 

I have also woven colored tallitot – for example, deep crimson with black stripes, indigo with beige stripes.  If you have other ideas, send me an e-mail. 

 

Atarra

Getting to produce each individual atarra is one my favorite parts of making tallitot!  The words may be the traditional blessing for donning the tallit (“Blessed is the One who has instructed us in the mitzvah of wearing tzitzit”), or something of your specific choosing:  a favorite line from a psalm, a special phrase from the liturgy that speaks to you, a few words from the Torah.  Picking your atarra can be very powerful; take your time and explore the experience.

I have engaged with many people in this process. I share some reflections on it in an essay, "Weaving Tallitot," published in Kerem (2007).  Tell me, what belongs on your atarra?

These are some of the atarrot people have selected:  

      “Open my lips and let my mouth declare your praise.” (Psalm 51)

     “Justice, justice, you shall pursue, that you may live.” (Deuteronomy 16:20)

     “You may not be indifferent.” (Deuteronomy 22:3)

     “The whole world is full of divine glory.” (from the Kedusha)

     “If I am not for myself, who is for me?  If I am only for myself, what am I?” (Pirkei Avot)

     “Rejoice tzaddikim, for the upright, it is fitting to sing praise.” (Psalm 33)

     “For You, silence is praise.” (Psalm 65)

     “Blessed is the One who made me a woman.” (from the Morning Blessings) 

     “And all your children shall be taught of the Lord and great shall be the peace of your children.” (Isaiah, 54:13)

     “For your miracles that greet us every day.” (from the Amidah)

     “But the word is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:14)

           

These are some other phrases I would like to put on atarrot some day: 

      “Blessed is the one who hears our prayer.” (Travelers’ Prayer)

     “May I, with justice, come to see Your face.” (Psalm 17)

     “You teach me the path of life, in Your presence is perfect joy.” (Psalm 16)

     “Blessed is the one who responds with good to those in awe.” (from Baruch she’amar)

     “Celebrate the holy name, God will delight the heart of those who seek the One.” (I Chronicles 16:10)

     “I praise the Lord my whole life through, I sing out to my God as long as I endure.” (Psalm 146)

     “Make our hearts one, to love Your Name and be in awe of it.” (from Ahava Raba)

     “Refine our hearts to serve you honestly.” (from the Amidah)

(Most translations from Kol Haneshamah, Reconstructionist siddur.)

For each atarra, I weave another section of cloth, framed with the wing motif in the same color as the tallit’s stripes.  After you choose the words, I form the Hebrew calligraphy with a fine paintbrush and permanent fabric paint.  The letters are heat-set, and the atarra is stitched to the tallit.

Tzitzit

 I will supply a pre-cut set of non-fraying tzitzit for the tallit and instructions for tying.  I think it best for the person who will wear the tallit to be the one to tie the tzitzit.  If you prefer, I will tie them for you. 

Kipa and Bag

When I weave the tallit, I also weave enough fabric for a Bukharan style (pillbox) kipa, with the same wing motif in the color you have chosen.

My tallit bags, also handwoven, are sturdy and colorful.

 

 

The Weaver

I have a Ph.D. in Political Science and work on international issues.  Weaving is a good balance to this intellectual career.

I  learned how to weave in order to make tallitot.  Because I do other Jewish fabric art (see, for example, "Except in Fellowship," a recent quilt for the National Havurah Committee and "Prophetic Voices of our Time" for the Shalom Center), friends asked me to make tallitot.  I was never entirely satisfied with those I produced using purchased fabric, so I decided to learn to weave my own.  It was a wonderful decision!  I share the pleasure in an essay published in Kerem, "Weaving Tallitot."

Because I have lived in many places, and also thanks to far-flung networks, I have woven tallitot for dozens of people in Europe and South America as well as throughout the United States. 

For me, weaving is a part of my spiritual practice.  I begin my weaving sessions by singing the final lines of Psalm 90, “the labor or our hands, make it secure, the labor of our hands ensure.”  I also value the spiritual connections I make with those who commission my tallitot.

Price and Time

The price for tallit, tzitzit, kipa and bag is $350.00. Shipping and handling is an additional $15.00.   A commissioned tallit takes about a month to produce, depending on what else is scheduled for the loom.  To order, please contact me by email.



Amy Leila Smith
Blue Feet Studio
Arrowsic, Maine

email: amybluefeet@gmail.com

www.bluefeetstudio.com





 
©2007 Amy Leila Smith, Blue Feet Studio   

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