National Parks 2020

National Parks 2020: Indiana Dunes National Park

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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.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

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.

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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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.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

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.

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Kenai Fjords

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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.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

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.

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Biscayne National Park

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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.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

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.

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Great Basin National Park

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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.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

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. 

For more information:

National Parks 2020: Wind Cave National Park

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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.

Check out our Socks on Vacay/Socks on Staycay summertime sock knitting collaboration with our friend Shannon Squire, too: https://shannonsquire.com/socks-on-vacay-staycay-2020/

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. 

For more information: