It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.
Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/
Where is this National Park located?
Indiana Dunes National Park is located near Westchester Township, Indiana.
Whose land does this National Park reside upon?
This land has been home to native peoples for thousands of years, but the most recent native tribes known to have settled here are the Miami, Mascouten, Shawnee, Mahican, and Potawatomi.
When was it established as a National Park?
It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, the name by which it was known until it was designated the nation’s 61st national park on February 15, 2019.
Why is this park amazing?
The park stretches along 15 miles of the southern shore of Lake Michigan, and contains an incredible diversity of wildlife habitats; it’s among the most biologically rich in the nation. The dunes are only a part of what it has to offer.
Why did we choose these colors?
We wanted to showcase everything this park has to offer, so used an image that included the green-blue waters, the sandy beaches, and the rolling tree-covered hills.
It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.
Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/
Where is this National Park located?
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in western North Dakota, where the Great Plains meet the rugged Badlands.
Whose land does this National Park reside upon?
Even though it’s known as the badlands, this region has been inhabited for thousands of years. From the NPS website:
“A rich diversity of cultures utilized the badlands region during historic times. The most significant groups were the Mandan and Hidatsa, whose traditional bison hunting grounds included the Little Missouri River basin. West of the badlands, the Hidatsa’s close relatives, the Crow, also utilized the badlands at the eastern edge of their territory. Many other tribes including the Blackfeet, Gros Ventre, Chippewa, Cree, Sioux, and Rocky Boy came to western North Dakota in the early 19th century mainly for hunting and trading, often at Fort Union Trading Post. These groups did not necessarily seek out the badlands in the way the Mandan, Hidatsa, or Crow might. The Assiniboine occupied a large area of the Northern Great Plains north of the Missouri River. The Arikara entered western and central North Dakota and several bands of the Lakota (Sioux) expanded their range into western North Dakota in the 19th century. Each group has its own history, traditions, spirituality, stories, and uses associated with the badlands. Eagle trapping, bison hunting, and other spiritual purposes were among the traditional uses.”
When was it established as a National Park?
November 10, 1978
Why is this park amazing?
Theodore Roosevelt came to this area to hunt bison in 1883, and his adventure in this remote and unfamiliar place would forever alter the course of the nation by helping him shape what was perhaps his greatest legacy: his conservation policy. The park itself is a habitat for bison, elk and prairie dogs, and the park has 3 distinct sections linked by the Little Missouri River.
Why did we choose these colors?
Known as the badlands region, this area is singularly beautiful in spite of (because of?) it’s ruggedness. We found an image that showcased the richness of colors to be found in the rock formations, the scraggly flora finding footholds where they can, and the vastness of the sky here.
Check out our May colorway, Vroom Vroom! Named so because we are zooming around the racetrack for our May HerStory. May is the month when the Indianapolis 500 typically takes place (although in very atypical 2020, it has been rescheduled for August…we planned this all out waaay before there was even a hint of a global pandemic, so there you go ;)). Vroom Vroom is racecar green, with speckles representing sponsorship stickers sprinkled all over.
This month, we are honoring Janet Guthrie, a woman who chalked up a lot of firsts in American auto racing. She was the first woman to compete in the Indianapolis 500. She was the first woman to compete in the Daytona 500. And, she was the first woman to lead a lap in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.
Janet Guthrie was always interested in moving fast and taking risks. Her parents (both airplane pilots) encouraged her fearlessness, and, with hopes of becoming an astronaut, she studied engineering in college. The astronaut thing didn’t pan out, but she worked as an aerospace engineer for a time, and was both a pilot and a flight instructor. Feeling restless, in the 1960s, Guthrie set her sights on auto racing.
If you think auto racing now is a big ole sausage-fest, you should have seen it in the mid-1960s. All men, as far as the eye could see, and very little institutional interest in widening that gap. Guthrie didn’t let that deter her, however; for 10 long years, she worked hard, built her own cars, and even slept in her car when at the race track. Finally, in 1977, she gained sponsorship and was able to fully compete with her racing peers as a fully supported driver. Of course, she continued to face bucketloads of sexism and misogyny, but she kept competing, as long as the sponsorship held out (auto racing is prohibitively expensive without sponsorship). Her racing career didn’t last very long, but her legacy continues to this day. She inspired women like Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, and Danica Patrick to take up the mantle of Indycar racing. In 2019, she became the 5th woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, which is awesome and also proves there is a long way yet to go in achieving equality in the auto racing world (the Automotive Hall of Fame was founded in the 1930s and has over 800 worldwide honorees).
In an ESPN special focusing on her life, Guthrie stated: “You can go back to antiquity to find women doing extraordinary things, but their history is forgotten. Or denied to have ever existed. So women keep reinventing the wheel. Women have always done these things, and they always will.”
It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.
Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/
Where is Kenai Fjords National Park?
Kenai Fjords National Park is located just outside the town of Seward in south-central Alaska, 126 miles south of Anchorage.
Whose land does this National Park reside upon?
The Alutiiq (Sugpiaq) Native people survived here for centuries by following the natural rhythms of Kenai Fjords. They are a maritime people who traditionally hunted and subsisted on the outer Kenai Peninsula coast; they were able to adapt and survive for centuries in a place that later people would dismiss as rugged and inhospitable. Archeological evidence indicates they have used the Kenai Fjords area for more than 1,000 years.
When was it established as a National Park?
December 2, 1980
Why is this park amazing?
At the edge of the Kenai Peninsula lies a land where the ice age lingers. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords’ crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests around this vast expanse of ice. Sugpiaq people relied on these resources to nurture a life entwined with the sea. Today, shrinking glaciers bear witness to the effects of our changing climate.
Why did we choose these colors?
Sunset + water + Alaska beauty = yarny perfection.
It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.
Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/
Where is this National Park located?
Biscayne National Park is located near Miami, Florida.
Whose land does this National Park reside upon?
This land was home to the Glades cultures (2500 years ago), and, as the continent was being overtaken by white settlers, the Tequesta, which, due to the fact that they didn’t have to rely heavily on agriculture for foodstuffs because of the bounty of the sea, was able to develop a more complex culture than many contemporary societies. You see, they had more time for leisure. As colonialists were arriving (and bringing their diseases), the Tequesta people were wiped out. Creeks heading to Florida from surrounding states gave rise to the Seminole and Miccosukee, who also resided in the Biscayne National Park area.
When was it established as a National Park?
June 28, 1980
Why is this park amazing?
95% of this park is covered by water! The park protects 72,000 acres of the northernmost range of the Florida Reef Tract. It’s home to many islands, some of which you can camp on, as well as over 600 native fish and 20 threatened and endangered species including sea turtles and manatees.
Why did we choose these colors?
The coral reefs of Biscayne National Park are breathtaking, and we knew we needed to capture the red-orange of the reefs against the blue-green of the ocean.
It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.
Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/
Where is this National Park located?
Great Basin National Park is in eastern Nevada near the Utah border.
Whose land does this National Park reside upon?
Several distinct tribes have historically occupied the Great Basin; the modern descendents of these people are still here today. They are the Western Shoshone (a sub-group of the Shoshone), the Goshute, the Ute, the Paiute (often divided into Northern, Southern, and Owens Valley), and the Washoe.
When was it established as a National Park?
October 27, 1986
Why is this park amazing?
It’s in the Great Basin Desert and contains most of the South Snake mountains. In the north, the mountain-hugging Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive leads to towering Wheeler Peak. Nearby is one of several ancient bristlecone pine groves. The marble Lehman Caves have distinctive stalactites and other formations. Park wildlife includes bighorn sheep.
Why did we choose these colors?
We wanted to incorporate the sky, the fall leaves, the mountains, and the bristlecone pines in our Great Basin colorway.
It’s time once again to explore more National Parks through yarny goodness. Over the past four years, we have explored the United States through its National Parks, and in 2020, we will have represented them all. Many of these are lesser-known National Parks, and we hope you spend some time exploring them through the links we’ve shared.
Thanks for exploring parks and making socks with us once again this summer! To get your yarn, check out our list of LYS’s offering National Parks (Parks yarn will ONLY be available at our LYS partners through the summer): https://knittedwit.com/
Where is this National Park located?
Wind Cave National Park is located in the southwestern corner of South Dakota.
Whose land does this National Park reside upon?
The land within Wind Cave National Park has historical, cultural, and spiritual meanings to many American Indians. The park consults with twenty tribal governments on major projects and plans. These tribes are: Apache Tribe of Oklahoma, Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Fort Belknap Tribe, Fort Peck Tribe, Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Lower Sioux Indian Community, Northern Arapaho Tribe, Northern Cheyenne Tribal Council, Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council, Santee Sioux Tribal Council, Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribal Council, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council, Three Affiliate Tribes Business Council, and Yankton Sioux Tribe.
When was it established as a National Park?
January 9, 1903
Why is this park amazing?
Established in 1903 as the first national park dedicated to preserving a cave system, it was later expanded to preserve the unique and shrinking mixed-grass prairie habitat. We don’t have space to talk about all of the amazing cave structures that can be found at Wind Cave, but they are weird and wonderful and simply breathtaking. Check it out here: https://www.nps.gov/wica/learn/nature/cave-formations-speleothems.htm
Why did we choose these colors?
The colors of our Wind Cave yarn are inspired by the wide variation of colors in those wacky caves; it seems like it’s “just brown” until you look closer.
Our April colorway, Paxi, is inspired by the story of the first female taxi driver in Pakistan and the legacy that her courage has left.
In 1992, as a newly-widowed mother of 6, Zahida Kazmi took advantage of a government assistance program to purchase a yellow cab, and began ferrying people from the airport to their homes all over Islamabad. Although Pakistan was more moderate then than it is now, jobs like driving taxis were reserved for men and men alone. She fought against not only the societal misogyny that surely followed her throughout her career, but the ingrained misogyny carried by her family members. At first, she covered up as much as possible, wearing first burkas and then hijabs, but as her business and her presence became more established, she stopped covering her head. Over the years, Kazmi gained the respect of her fellow taxi drivers, as well as her customers, and eventually became the chairperson of Pakistan’s Yellow Cab Association.
In 2017, as a response to a study published by the International Labor Organization which identified a lack of safe transportation as a major contributor to the low number of Pakistani women participating in the workforce, Paxi was formed. Paxi is a fleet of pink taxis whose purpose is to provide a safe route to work for women. Public transportation in Pakistan can be unsafe for women, many of whom face sexual harassment or worse while just trying to get to work. Paxi offers transportation specifically for women, aiming to create a safe environment and remove the transportation barrier to women’s ability to work. It’s not perfect (it’s much more expensive than even regular taxi service, which means many lower-income women are totally priced out of it), but it’s a definite step forward in safety and an attempt to support women who want to/need to work. So, as you cast on your Paxi socks, spend some time and send some good energy to those women who break barriers out of necessity and pave the way for more equity in our world. Thank you, Zahida Kazmi, for doing what you needed to do for your family, and thus helping other women to have a bit more autonomy and safety.
The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer.
10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.
And now, without further ado, let’s meet Kirstan Graham…
A lover of greyhounds and that kid that stopped to pet every critter (ok, still true, just add yarn) – Kirstan is the artist and maker behind DKGraham, turning her whimsical illustrations and yarn parodies into fun and functional notions for knitters & crocheters. A fusion of fandoms and fiber, this yarn geek is always excited about sharing her many passions and geeking out together!
BEEZLY’S GOTCHA STORY
Hi, my name is Kirstan and I’m a dog person. Since before I could walk my bestest friend ever was always a dog, firstly a farm dog named Petey, then pretty much any dog I met! I’d loved all my family’s dogs growing up, but when I was old enough and allowed to finally choose a dog of my very own I knew without a doubt I wanted to adopt a greyhound, but it was Trixie that chose me. Hounds have had me ever since.
Later, after years of growing up, moving out into the world and adulting long days in corporate America I was worried Trixie was lonely so we got a smaller hound to be her buddy, a whippet named Qeynos. Sadly, my girl was already an older dog then and after a few years when she left us I was so very sad, but Qeynos was devastated and simply wouldn’t go on without her. So, we got him a friend, another whippet – Beezly!
“The Boys” were inseparable for years, they did everything together. We had grown as a family and added a baby human to our pack. I’d battled cancer and won. It was a full and busy time in our lives. So when my sweet little mammas boy Qeynos said goodbye, I was devastated, but just couldn’t imagine adding another dog to our pack. Beezly cried and cried, but eventually adjusted to the perks of being an only dog – extra treats and walkies, and getting to go on trips two dogs just couldn’t manage. But I was struggling, (I’d also lost my dad that same month) and just couldn’t put the pieces together. I’d stopped knitting, stopped making, just stopped.
I had to do something to snap out of it. So, even though I didn’t feel creative or inspired I got on Instagram and started challenging myself to make something, anything, everyday. Photography, hand lettering, illustration – all the skills I always admired but never thought I could do. I drew a lot of dogs. Slowly it started being fun again, I started knitting again, and then by chance I shared an illustrated map of Rose City Yarn Crawl that I had made in a workshop – which led to a whole new world of fiber fun and community! We invested in a laser engraver so I could turn my yarn parodies and whimsical illustrations into pins and notions, and I just couldn’t stop making geeky goodies and connecting with fellow makers and new fiber friends. When I was asked if I’d be interested in being part of a collaboration of designers and thier dogs I couldn’t imagine a more perfect project to work on – Sadly, my Beezly boy has since passed away, before this project was complete. But my heart was comforted by all the amazing dogs in this collection I’ve been honored to work with, that now each feel like a part of an extended pack of furry friends! It is as if my life has come full circle – It was the love of dogs that led me to art, and now my art has led me to dogs that have led me to love again… I hope you enjoy this collection as a celebration of everything we all love about dogs & yarn!
The collaboration can be found on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/designers-dogs. You can purchase the entire collection for $33 through 4/4/20, or you can purchase individual patterns from each designer.
10% of each skein sold will be donated to the Oregon Humane Society, which is one of the best humane societies in the nation.
And now, without further ado, let’s meet Kate Atherley…
I grew up with a Dalmatian, but lived without a dog for many years, until I met my husband. He was a package deal: he came with a yellow lab, and a cat. I knew that I’d found my family when, after a few months of serious dating, I woke one morning at Norman’s apartment, to find the dog spooning with me. The yellow lab is dearly missed, particularly when Dexter isn’t paying attention to us.
