Tzitzit strings are the strings that form the knotted tassel at the four corners of a tallit, the Jewish prayer shawl, or a tallit katan, the four cornered undershirt worn daily by some Jewish people. (Note: a tallit katan is sometimes also referred to as just a “tzitzit.”) Most Jewish communities believe that in order to fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzit, the strings must be spun for that specific purpose. Because of this, most tzitzit strings being produced now are spun in Israel and exported to Judaica shops around the world.
I started learning to spin yarn by hand in 2017 after using wool yarn to crochet for the first time and immediately gaining an appreciation for how the fibers locked together and held their shape. I quickly grew passionate about spinning, joining a local guild and learning as much as I could about the techniques and materials and history involved in this craft. I have a great love for fiber arts in general, and I have invested a lot of time into learning as many different related crafts as possible, but I’ve most consistently come back to spinning over the years. Having a tactile relationship with my art and the materials I use to make it is very important to me, and spinning gives me a control over those things that I can’t get other ways. Spinning is a slow, meditative process that produces very tangible and immediate results. It’s centering in a way that even my other favorite crafts aren’t. It’s also the fiber craft that I have been the most successful at adapting to my body’s needs as I’ve become more disabled by chronic illness over time. The fact that I can use this skill to create a ritual object that plays an important part in the religious practice of other Jewish people is a gift I treasure.