Sky Dancers Hat

Since the aurora borealis has been in the news a lot the year or so, I thought it would be fun to explore a stranded colorwork pattern using colors based on the aurora in the night sky (okay, I know there aren't a lot of yellows or oranges in the aurora, but they do contrast nicely with the dark purple).

While exploring color options, I came across a number of explanations that ancient and aboriginal peoples have had for this phenomenon. The Scots called the lights “merry dancers,” and some First Nations peoples in eastern Canada and southeastern Alaska saw dancing souls; hence, the name for this cap—Sky Dancers.

The charted patterns, while based on traditional Nordic motifs, can be found in similar form throughout most of the world. The painted colors I chose reflect both the shifting nature of the aurora as well as the night sky where clouds can drift by, making even a dark night sky interesting to look at.