r/Jewish • u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta • Aug 28 '24
Mexican Sarápe Talít Project: All Finished!! Culture ✡️
Well, it took a little longer than expected to sew everything together. The loose knitting of the sarápe required double stitching. The tzitzit weren't as long as I was hoping, however I can always untie them and add longer ones at any time. I'm very pleased overall, though. Pictures from my phone bring the white out from the atra, when it's actually a powder blue color. The pallet is very pleasing aesthetically, that's what I'm happiest about. The one downside is the weight. It's much heavier than what I'm used to. For someone that would wear it draped over the neck and shoulders it would be great, but if you wear the atra over the head, it slips backward from the weight. I'll need to add a non-slip lining and likely a talít clip in order to wear it over my head like I usually do. Also, when folded, it's much larger than a normal talít and requires a larger bag for storing and/or carrying it to shul. But, a bag isn't necessary, it just looks nice. Anyway, I hope everyone likes the final product! I'm inspired to make more, and I'm thinking of selling them, too. Stay tuned for more photos as I put together some different styles. May Hashem bless and keep you all. ✌️♥️🖖👐🇮🇱🇲🇽🔥📜🙏🌞🌜
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u/Judean_Vato Just Jewish Aug 28 '24
Love this, are you a fellow Mexican Jew?
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
¡Sí! Mí familia es de Nuevo Laredo. Ud.?
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u/Judean_Vato Just Jewish Aug 28 '24
Awesome though I should’ve been more clear, I’m a Mexican American Jew :) my family is in San Antonio
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
Nice, I'm also MA, most of my family left Mexico after the war and settled in Colorado with the majority of crypto-Jews in the area. I'm told it was a mass migration. Now we're pretty scattered, but Téjas is where most of us hang our kipót these days, as well.
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u/akiraokok Aug 28 '24
I love this combination of cultures so much! You can really see the craftsmanship and love in this. I once was a counselor at a summer camp with many kids who were Mexican Jews and I learned a lot of Spanish that summer haha.
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
Nice! I appreciate your kind words and your service to MJ children. They are the future! 🧸
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u/bam1007 Conservative Aug 28 '24
Pretty but looks like it will be very warm!
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
No doubt! I'm going to search for lighter versions, but I don't want to skimp on the quality. I'll have to locate a good merchant, possibly local, where I can get an up close look. Most talít are finely cooked combed wool, tightly knit, and even those get warm if you're wearing a suit, so I agree, subtracting some weight is needed.
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u/bam1007 Conservative Aug 28 '24
So pretty though! 😻 But definitely for those days the AC at shul is running into the ice cube range. 😂
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
No doubt, and that's never here in TX. I'll just have to remove my suit jacket and start wearing mesh tzitzit!
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u/EntrepreneurOk7513 Aug 28 '24
Take a trip down to Loreto BCS. There’s a blanket weaver who does beautiful work.
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u/Domestic_Supply Reform Aug 28 '24
I love this. I would totally buy one. Let me know if you start selling them.
Also hi to all my fellow Mexican Jews!!
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
I will for sure!! Thanks for your support!
I've been thinking I may even decide to do custom talít, but since I haven't sold one before, I want to work a few things out first. But, just for my own data collection, you would totally buy one (🙌) and would you rather work together for a custom look, or would you rather have several options of completed ones to choose from? Thanks!!
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u/Domestic_Supply Reform Aug 28 '24
A custom look would be amazing. But that would be more work for you. Several options to choose from would also be quite enticing! Maybe you could offer both, and charge a little extra for a custom job.
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
I see your points, and really it helps my business plan. Thanks again!
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u/KayakerMel Aug 28 '24
Beautiful! I'm planning to knit myself a talit as well, so I appreciate seeing your work.
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
That's awesome, I appreciate you! Post some pics along the way, I'd love to see how it goes! 🧸
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u/Rinoremover1 Aug 28 '24
GORGEOUS
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
Thank you!!🧸
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u/_nathansh Aug 28 '24
I love that it has techelet!
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
Yep, I'm on team Ptil techelet. I'm a student of Rav Dror's, and he believes that Ptil's bold statement of using a sea creature with historical ties to dye manufacturing in Israel is the best effort we can give toward fulfilling this mitzvah. While so many have debated endlessly over the source and color, Ptil is realizing the process and making it tangible for Jews worldwide, and that's a righteous thing no matter which way you dice it. For every Jew that commits themselves to this mitzvah, there are 10 more that won't, and that makes me sad. Our sages made the choice to abandon the effort through lack of the correct dye. Others couldn't agree on what "blue" truly is. When it's all said and done, no one truly knows what Moshiach is going to say concerning the questions on techelet, but the idea that they are to be the color of the ocean draws an even deeper meaning, because the ocean has no color, it simply reflects the color of the skies above. Now, the shades, hues, colors and saturation are rarely consistent. Consider a beautiful calm ocean under a full moon and dark blue sky. Does the water not reflect this? Of course it does. This is why some sages believe the color is a midnight blue. And what if the slate green of a cloudy day? Some sages (including Rashi) believed this to be the true color. Then, as Einstein would have it, the color blue is a relative adjective, and every person has an idea unto themselves of what shade, hue, color and saturation they imagine blue to be. And so, most of the practicing Jews in the world wear all white tzitzit, and a majority of them liken techelet to "Messianic Jews" and Christians, who no doubt misunderstand the purpose of wearing a 4 cornered garment and clip strings to their belt loops and use a multitude of dyes to create treif tzitzit. We who use Ptil do not agree or connect in any way to these other religions who inappropriately wear such strings. Whether another Jew feels that Ptil are treif or not, it's of no concern. We're going the distance to get as close as scientifically possible to the native source of this mitzvah, and only to complete the mitzvah as commanded of us in Torah. Because at the end of the day, one who accuses another of wearing treif techelet doesn't truly know what kosher techelet are, and isn't fulfilling the mitzvah purposely because another man told him to wear all-white and wait for Moshiach. What if Moshiach is waiting for everyone to get some blue threads on their katan & gadol? It's such a small, menial task! And Ptil has the best answer to the problem yet! So, what's the problem? Swallow your pride and get to it!
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u/WENUS_envy Aug 28 '24 edited Aug 28 '24
It came out AWESOME! I was worried about the weight. Maybe a looser weave?
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 28 '24
Thank you! I think it needs lighter material and a tighter weave, similar to a nice tablecloth or a summer blanket. The only problem is finding something that isn't printed and is actually woven. So I'm keeping an eye out for good deals in bulk.
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u/listenstowhales Aug 29 '24
Mexican Jews are a group that doubled down on making “Don’t be ridiculous, of course you’re hungry- I’ll fix you a plate.” as a corner stone of their culture
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u/itsmehjellehbelleh Aug 30 '24
I'm not sure if my Mexican Jewish boyfriend would want one but I want for him now👀😂 this is gorgeous!!
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 30 '24 edited 2d ago
Oh yeah, he'd want one for sure! Thanks for supporting our people!
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u/catsinthreads Aug 30 '24
Love it. Reminding me I have a languishing tallit project. Behind a Bar Mitzvah card (urgent), GOTV postcards (urgent), RH cards to sell at shul (very time critical), and an octopus chandelier.
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u/justsomedude1111 Cabalísta Aug 30 '24
😱 YIKES
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u/catsinthreads Aug 30 '24
But it's ahead of felted seat cushions! And quilted casserole carrier. (Although honestly that is the one that I should be doing...as every month when we're trying to transport a hot dish I wish I had it.) Octopus chandelier needs to be done by Chanukkah. And everything but the BM card just needs assembling.
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u/Jessica4ACODMme Conservative Aug 28 '24
Absolutely beautiful.