Two thousand and twenty years of climate data.

The PAGES2K project has brought together over 7000 scientists from a huge range of fields to study global climate over the past 2000+ years.

The past 2000 years (the “2k” interval) provides critical context for our understanding of recent anthropogenic forcing of the climate, as well as baseline information about Earth’s natural climate variability.

Using tree growth rings, coral growth patterns, mud cores, glacier cores, stalactites, marine and lake sediment cores, and so much more on 8 continents and the oceans, they have estimated global temperatures since AD 1. And this is only one part of what they are doing.

They have created an amazing data set which can be accessed by anyone. I used it to come up with a pattern for my 2020 year climate scarf. I created my own data set of 2-year means since I can knit a scarf 1010 rows long, but 2020 would get a bit ridiculous. Ed Hawkins has also created a warming stripes graphic for this time period, and recently added 2020 to the graphic (and yes, it was as warm or warmer than 2016, depending on exactly how you look at the data).

Actual knitting content
After extensive swatching, I have come up with the stitch I want to use (seed stitch) and a way to manage over 2000 ends (I am NOT weaving them in!). I will knit i-cord up each side of the scarf, and carry unused yarn inside it. If a colour will not be used for 15-20 or so rows, I will likely break it off and weave it in.

I hope I have enough blues, since this scarf will be almost entirely blue, with just a bit of pink, and red toward the end. I have several bags of Heirloom in various shades of blue from a yarn store closeout years and years ago. That will form the bulk of the scarf. I will need to unravel a thrift store sweater and dye it to create medium blue, since I apparently have no white yarn in sufficient quantity to dye. I will not worry about the pinks and reds since I will need only a few rows of each of those colours.