National Parks 2024: Amache National Historic Site

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

The Amache National Historic Site, formally the Granada War Relocation Center but known to the internees as Camp Amache, was a concentration camp for Japanese Americans in Prowers County, Colorado. 

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Kiowa, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Arapahoe Plains Indian tribes migrated through the area and many wintered along the Arkansas River.

When was it established?

Added to NRHP: May 18, 1994

Designated NHL: February 10, 2006

Designated NHS: March 18, 2022

About this park:

Amache, also known as the Granada Relocation Center, near Granada, Colorado was one of ten incarceration sites established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to unjustly incarcerate Japanese Americans. Over 10,000 people, most American citizens, were incarcerated at Amache from 1942-1945. Amache – a place to reflect, recommit, and further the pursuit of freedom and justice.

The smallest incarceration site by population—the Granada Relocation Center, as it was designated by the War Relocation Authority—was in Colorado, only 15 miles west of the Kansas border and less than 2 miles from the town of Granada. Although all WRA records refer to the incarceration camp as the Granada Relocation Center, early on, incarcerees began referring to the camp as Amache, after the camp’s postal designation. Built to accommodate up to 8,000 people, Amache housed 7,318 incarcerees at its peak in 1943, making it the 10th largest city in Colorado at that time. During its three years of operation, 10,331 incarcerees passed through Amache. Its population often fluctuated due to work, education, and military leave programs, as well as indefinite leaves as part of the resettlement program.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this image for our colorway inspiration: https://www.instagram.com/p/C3Yh1oxvaDL/?igsh=a3c2YmFpMjl3NXpi

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/amch/index.htm

Instagram: n/a

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amachenps/

National Parks 2024: San Juan National Historic Site Puerto Rico

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

San Juan National Historic Site is located in the Old San Juan section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Puerto Rico’s first inhabitants were the Taínos, a group of indigenous people who lived on the island for hundreds of years before the Spanish arrival. 

When was it established?

February 14, 1949

About this park:

The parks website doesn’t have much about the people who lived on the island before Europeans descended, nor does it talk about the enslaved people who were brought to the island to work the plantations, so we aren’t doing a lot of info-gathering from that site for this park. The park itself (and by extension, it’s website) concerns itself mostly with the colonizer history, and the strategic location of the island and its capitol city for wartime maneuvers. If you do want to read about the colonizer history, here’s the link: https://www.nps.gov/saju/learn/historyculture/index.htm

On December 6, 1983, the historic site and La Fortaleza were together designated a World Heritage Site under the name La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico “because of its outstanding, universal cultural value.” It quickly grew to become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, drawing more than 1,400,000 visitors in 2016.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this photo that our friend Jenna Kate shared:

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanjuannps/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanJuanNPS/

National Parks 2024: Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

The Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge in Warsaw, Virginia.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Rappahannock people were the dominant tribe of the Rappahannock River valley, maintaining thirteen villages along the north and south banks of the river named after them.

When was it established?

1996

About this park:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchased the first tract of land for the refuge in 1996. Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge’s goal is to protect 20,000 acres of wetlands and its associated uplands along the Rappahannock River and its major tributaries. This refuge was one of the first established specifically for the conservation of an entire watershed and as such, is comprised of multiple units located on both sides of the river. Refuge units are located in Essex, King George, Caroline, Richmond, and Westmoreland counties and include fresh water tidal marsh, forest swamp, upland deciduous forest, mixed pine forest, and grassland habitats.

Why did we choose these colors?

The 3rd photo in the carousel linked here: https://www.fredericksburgva.gov/1562/Rappahannock-River-Heritage-Trail was the inspiration for our colorway. It’s a photo on the Canal Path part of the trail.

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/rappahannock-river-valley

Instagram: 

Facebook: 

HerStory July 2024: Man Kaur

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This summer is Olympic summer, so what better July HerStory recipient than a track and field star? But, we aren’t honoring just any track and field star, folks, this month, our HerStory person is Man Kaur, a remarkable woman who started her much-honored athletic career at the age of 93 (and no, that is not a typo!).

In 2009, when Man Kaur was 93, her 79 year old son encouraged her to take up track and field. He remained her coach throughout her career. He took her to the track on a whim; he wanted to both connect with her and keep her fit. Kaur enjoyed it enough to want to return. She liked running, and she quickly she started to improve and get faster. Two years later, her son registered her for international events he was participating in and the rest, as they say, was history!

Born in 1916 in the now-defunct kingdom of Patiala in India, Kaur was raised by her paternal grandparents after her mother died in childbirth. School held no allure for her; she rarely went. She recalled earning coins for weaving drawstrings for pajamas as well as collecting twigs from the neem tree to sell as natural toothbrushes. She also milled wheat by hand and spun thread (she had loads of what we today call side hustles). In the early 1930s, Kaur found employment as a nanny and maid to one of the 360 queens of the maharaja of Patiala. She worked in the palace, serving one of the queens and minding the prince. Kaur got married in 1934 and went on to have three children. Later, she became a cook, working for families in many homes across the city. 

And then she discovered athletics. She and her son traveled all around the world competing. His wife had passed, and the pleasure both he and his mother got from competing in track and field events inspired him to sell most of his possessions to use the money for entry fees and travel. They secured government housing near the stadium they trained in, and lived a modest life, revolving around their sport.

One of the lovely stories we read as we researched for this love letter told of a full-circle event: remember that Kaur worked at the Patiala palace as a maid, getting a monthly salary of 10 rupees (equivalent to 15 cents today) in the 1930s. In 2016, she was invited to run in a 5-kilometer run in Patiala, which she ran the first few hundred meters, and she was invited to spend the night at the palace, in the bedroom of the queen she’d worked for. In an article found on NPR, she quoted a Punjabi saying: “What you ask for, you never get. It’s better to accept your blessings as they come.”

In India, the Blue Lotus flower symbolizes the expansion of the soul and the unfolding of the individual. We chose this flower to represent this amazing woman who, after a full life, still found ways to expand and unfold in her final few decades, and came to be an inspiration for people of all ages.

National Parks 2024: Harpers Ferry National Historic Park

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, originally Harpers Ferry National Monument, is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Algonquians, Delaware, Catawbas, Shawnee, and Tuscaroras likely fished these waters and set up temporary camps along the banks.

When was it established?

June 30, 1944.

About this park:

At the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers, on the ancestral home of the Tuscarora and Shawnee people, lies Harpers Ferry. Here you can explore John Brown’s Raid against slavery. Find your connection to the struggle for freedom, education, and civil rights at Storer College. Discover miles of trail in the Blue Ridge and along Civil War battlefields.

On October 16, 1859, abolitionist John Brown and his 21-man “army of liberation” seized the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry. He intended to use the weapons there to arm a slave rebellion, but he was captured by US Marines just days later. During the Civil War, Harpers Ferry became a Union garrison town where runaway slaves sought refuge. Today, the park is home to historic reenactments and trade workshops, where you can experience the lifstyle and skills used during the era.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this image on the Harper’s Ferry NP Instagram page for our inspiration: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0636M6O15U/?igsh=MXM4NDNoaGgyNzdmYw%3D%3D

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/hafe/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/HarpersFerryNPS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harpersferrynps/

National Parks 2024: San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located in San Francisco, California.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Before the arrival of the Spanish, the San Francisco Peninsula was occupied by a people known as the Ohlone or Costanoan. Archeological evidence indicates an Ohlone/Costanoan presence at the site of the Presidio by about 740 A.D. Ohlone/Costanoan people were organized into over fifty societal tribes.

When was it established?

June 27, 1988

About this park:

Located in the Fisherman’s Wharf neighborhood, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park offers visitors the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Pacific Coast maritime history. The Park includes a magnificent fleet of historic ships, a Visitor Center, Maritime Museum, Maritime Research Center, and Aquatic Park Historic District.

In the 1870s, San Francisco was the center of the whaling industry, which became the main livelihood for African American seamen on the West Coast until World War I. William T. Shorey, born in Barbados to a Scottish sugar planter and an Indian Creole woman, was one of the last whaling captains based out of San Francisco. During World War II, the opportunity to work as shipbuilders brought one of the largest migrations of African Americans to the Bay Area—from 20,000 individuals in 1940 to over 60,000 in 1945. At the park, you can tour the historic ships at Hyde Street Pier and join ranger-led tours and presentations.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this image: https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/hilairehilerseahunt.htm and this color psychology wheel, created by the artist: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ_95BCIu0w/?igsh=MXJkMTVxNnV2ZnBrZA%3D%3D

The artist who made the mural used triad harmonies for color palettes, and we were inspired by this use of triad harmonies. We picked this park because of the African American connection/history.

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/safr/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfmaritimenps/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanFranciscoMaritimeNHP

National Parks 2024: Cape Cod National Seashore

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

The Cape Cod National Seashore encompasses 43,607 acres on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Nauset people, sometimes referred to as the Cape Cod Indians, were a Native American tribe who lived in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They lived east of Bass River and lands occupied by their closely related neighbors, the Wampanoag.

When was it established?

August 7, 1961.

About this park:

Forty miles of pristine sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands support diverse species. Lighthouses, cultural landscapes, and wild cranberry bogs offer a glimpse of Cape Cod’s past and continuing ways of life. Swimming beaches and walking and biking trails beckon today’s visitors.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this color (and learned how cranberry-rific this park is) for our inspiration: https://www.instagram.com/p/CiSoHAvLd3j/?igsh=cGg2dnExanRkam9q

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/caco/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capecodnps/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeCodNPS

National Parks 2024: Iñupiat Heritage Center

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

The Iñupiat Heritage Center is a museum in Utqiaġvik in the U.S. state of Alaska. Located on the Chukchi Sea coast, Barrow is the northernmost community in the US. Regularly-scheduled jet services provide the area’s only year-round public access.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Iñupiat are a group of Alaska Natives whose traditional territory roughly spans northeast from Norton Sound on the Bering Sea to the northernmost part of the Canada–United States border. Their current communities include 34 villages across Iñupiat Nunaat (Iñupiaq lands), including seven Alaskan villages in the North Slope Borough, affiliated with the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation; eleven villages in Northwest Arctic Borough; and sixteen villages affiliated with the Bering Straits Regional Corporation. They often claim to be the first people of the Kauwerak.

When was it established?

February 1999.

About this park:

On the rooftop of the world, the Iñupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska, tells the story of the Iñupiat people. They have thrived for thousands of years in one of the most extreme climates on Earth, hunting the bowhead, or “Agviq.” In the 19th century, the quiet northern seas swarmed with commercial whalemen from New England, who also sought the bowhead for its valuable baleen and blubber. Dedicated in February 1999, it is an affiliated area of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and recognizes the contributions of Alaska Natives to the history of whaling.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used images we found in this article, particularly the ones of boats on the water and whales, for our inspiration: https://www.hcn.org/issues/52-7/indigenous-affairs-climate-change-what-choice-do-we-have/

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/inup/index.htm

Instagram: n/a

Facebook: n/a

HerStory June 2024: Pattie Gonia

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It’s summertime, and who better to showcase this month in HerStory than a drag queen who is a huge hiker, outdoorswoman, and an advocate for both environmental and queer issues? That’s right, friends, this month, our colorway is inspired by the one, the only Pattie Gonia!

Pattie Gonia (pronouns: she/they) is the drag persona of photographer Wyn Wiley (pronouns: he/they). Growing up in Lincoln, Nebraska, the outdoors was always a part of their life. When Wiley came out as gay right after high school, they said they felt accepted up to a point (that point being as long as their gayness didn’t make those in their life feel uncomfortable). As long as they continued to present as straight, many folks in their life intimated, all would be fine. Wonder what those folks think now? 

After a short dalliance with drag in early 2018 that ended in that most ubiquitous of modern hells, nasty internet comments/trolls, Wiley put their high heels away, but how they felt dressed in drag continued to nag at the back of their subconscious. On a whim, they tossed them into their backpack on a trip later that year, brought them out in the forest for a photoshoot, and Pattie Gonia was born. It wasn’t too long before environmental activism became a major part of Pattie’s lifestyle and online persona. Folded into Pattie Gonia’s advocacy for the outdoors has always been environmental awareness and stewardship, as well as activism surrounding LGBTQIA+ issues and widening access to outdoor spaces for all. 

As a part of this advocacy, Pattie has founded and organized many efforts: she developed a job board for queer outdoorists; co-founded “The Outdoorist Oath”, a nonprofit working on diversity, equity, inclusion and environmental causes in the outdoors community; and partnered with major outdoor brands to build community and welcome marginalized folks into outdoor spaces. She partnered with the Audubon Society in 2023 for their pride month Let’s Go Birding Together (LGBT, get it?!), creating the most gorgeous music video (link here: https://youtu.be/Nuk55Z3e4hc?si=J9laJukHvAYB8MbN). They recorded a song with Yo-Yo Ma (celebrated cellist) and Quinn Christopherson (an indigenous Alaskan trans singer-songwriter) (link: https://youtu.be/2dKk1bIn8aU) about not giving up on the planet that had tears swimming in our eyes.

In all of her work, Pattie is inspired, first and foremost, by the queerness inherent in the outdoors, and their goal often is to take the masculinity that has dominated outdoor spaces and turn it on its head. According to her in an article in Outside magazine in 2023, “so many of my drag looks are taking very masculine outdoor gear and making it into the gayest little outfits you’ve ever seen.”

A little over a year ago, Pattie debuted a drag look called “The Pansy,” creating not only one of the most stunning pieces of wearable art we’ve ever seen, but also reclaiming a word that has been used to disparage and hurt folks in the LGBTQIA+ community. Mission accomplished, Pattie, because it’s stunning. AND, she did it in the forest, surrounded by nature. Here is a link to her Instagram video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkeGXJNjwU0/. We have been so inspired by Pattie that this month, we dyed up a Pansy of our very own! Our hope is that y’all create something lovely in this yarn at a drag show, on the trails, or, the perfect combo: with a drag queen ON the trails! Whatever you do with it, we hope you spend a bit of time with the lovely and inspiring Pattie Gonia this summer. 

National Parks 2024: Stonewall National Monument

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It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops and more here.

Where is it located?

Stonewall National Monument is a 7.7-acre U.S. national monument in the West Village neighborhood of Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Greenwich Village was once a Lenape village called “Sapokanik,” meaning “tobacco field” or the “land of tobacco growth.” In addition to tobacco farms, the area was an active trading settlement and canoe landing area. Foley Square.

When was it established?

June 24, 2016

About this park:

Before the 1960s, almost everything about living openly as a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+) person was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for LGBTQ+ civil rights and provided momentum for a movement.

The monument sits across the street from The Stonewall Inn, a National Historic Landmark known for its involvement in the beginning of the modern struggle for civil rights of gay and lesbian Americans. The Stonewall Inn exists as a private establishment and working bar.

Why did we choose these colors?

This colorway is one of our faves, for so many reasons! The Stonewall uprising was a riot, and this skein contains a riot of colors. It’s also like we tossed every color from every pride flag into a cauldron and created this bright and beautiful rainbow of deliciousness. It represents the gayest pride, inclusion, love, and equality for all.

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/ston/index.htm

Instagram: 

Facebook: