Merry Keshmish Friends!

The Roadrunner cowl was such a fun project for me to dream up. I love the pictorial style of using charts and I have never created an animal. The friendly Roadrunners quickly roam throughout the city and desert landscapes in New Mexico. I love their confidence and intelligence. Roadrunners can be seen in Navajo jewelry and pottery. They symboli...

Rodeo (Naa’ahóóhai) Sweater

The Rodeo Headband is another rendition of the same motif from the Rodeo Sweater. I am particularly fond of the movement in this headband and how quickly this accessory works up. The motif derives from an old Navajo rug that I saw while browsing the internet for old style motifs. The headband has small hints of blue and bold arrows just like th...

The Rodeo Shawl is the first shawl that I’ve released. The design and arrow effect pay tribute to the arrows found on the Rodeo Sweater. I wanted to play with a little bit of texture but also create a quick and easy design that you could create without too much worry or fuss. I love the idea of taking the same design and working it into differe...

The MMIW Scarf & Cowl is my contribution to bring awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in the United States and Canada. These women mattered. They were sisters, mothers, friends and humans with purpose.

The “In-law Chaser” is what Navajo’s say when the rain/snow clouds look like they’re going to bring a lot of precipitation, but it “pretends” and barely gives you but a few drops or snowflakes and moves on.

I designed the Eye Dazzler Sweater as a tribute to the eye dazzler rugs that my people (Navajo) create. “Eye dazzler” refers to the optical illusions found in many rugs before the turn of the century. These designs are not the main type of rugs that you will find, but they are a part of a more individualistic style. My version of the optical il...

MMIW Bandana was designed to be a reminder. An item worn in solidarity to remember and stand with our missing and murdered indigenous sisters.

Recommended to be worn with 0-4” / 0-10 cm negative ease at bust. Shown in Size C with zero ease at bust.

The Westward Cowl is a knit interpretation of a design found on classic Navajo saddle blankets. Crosses are found on many Navajo rug designs and represent Spider Woman( a helper and protector of humans in Navajo mythology). The simple lines and shapes are easy enough for a beginner colorwork project.

Nights in the desert are cold. The temperature immediately drops and the air feels clean and still. The sky is expansive and is lit up with thousands and thousands of stars.On very dark nights, planets can be seen and on bright nights, the moon sits in the sky like a spotlight. A train can be heard off in the distance shouting its horn into the...

Moving Forward Cowl was designed as an art piece to show motion throughout. I was reminded while designing that as we come out of a year of tragedy, sadness, change and perhaps stress, we don’t just quickly forget, but time prohibits us to stand still. Whether we want to or not, time pushes us onward. I encourage all of you to remember the hard...

The Tó (Water) Patterns will be available on Saturday, June 5.

I designed these Fingerless Lájish (Mittens) for those crisp spring mornings. You can wear them letting the sheep out of their pins, walking your pups or simply holding your cup of gohwééh as you watch the sunrise. If you’re looking for a quick and beautiful, but very useful project, then you have arrived!

The Tsekoh Cowl means the “Rock-cut/Canyon” Cowl. This design was dreamt up to teach aspiring designers how to create their own motifs within a developed design. The blue river that runs through the yellow canyon walls is where the manipulation and creativity can flow or the pattern can remain its rocky rapid self. Tsekoh Cowl is worked in the ...

I designed the Sheep Camp sweater because I wanted a light sweater with a color yoke that reminded me of the comings and goings of everyday life.

Finished Measurements:

The Béeso Hat is inspired by the jewelry that adorns my people’s fingers, ears, wrists and necks. Béeso means money in Navajo. Jewelry was not only worn as a garnish but as a means of having a bank account on your body. My ancestors would trade their jewelry, show their rank and pass their jewelry down to their family members. I love this tradi...

The Foggy Morning Cap is my take on the traditional fisherman’s cap. The ribbing can be extended to create a thicker brim to keep your ears cozy and warm during those Foggy Morning strolls. This is a great project for your little ones as the ribbing will stretch as their heads grow.

My first year of marriage, I joined my husband (Scandinavian/Dutch heritage) for his family’s Christmas. They woke me up in the morning to open stockings. This was a tradition I’d never experienced. They each grabbed their stockings and pulled out small gifts, candy, and, lastly, the prized orange that filled the toe. I wanted to create my own ...

The Winter Flurry Boot cuffs are a small project with a simple beautiful motif. The inspiration came from the shapes and diamonds found in the Navajo rugs that hang on the walls of my childhood home. The boot cuffs can be worn over your shorter boot or on the inside of your taller boot or Moccasins. I love a pop of color that dresses up a simpl...

The Hope Headband represents my feelings for the Navajo Nation during this pandemic. I have Hope in the resilience of my people. I have Hope that others outside of the tribe will recognize the need on the reservation and look for ways to help.

Shik’is (my friend in Navajo) headband is a simple design meant to be made up quickly for a nice warm gift. I wear my hair in a bun most days and I needed an option to keep my ears warm on runs. The shik’is headband is an easy solution with some style added in. Also it is really great for bad hair days! I named my Collection Shik’is (my Friend)...

 

Shik’is (my friend in Navajo) Cowl is inspired by the swirling pottery of the Acoma people. This swirl is used in many pueblo designs. I also added a subtle pop of color on the brims of the cowl to showcase and close off the design. I named my Collection Shik’is (my Friend) because I’d love for you to make and gift any of these patterns to a lo...

This design is based off of the Navajo Sandcast jewelry I grew up seeing in my family’s store on the Navajo Reservation. I love the contrast of turquoise and sterling silver in the more classic looking bracelets. They’re chunky, sometimes oversized, and beautiful. The Sand Cast Cowl is all of these and with an added detail of being made with Na...

I bought this beautiful yarn in Tempe, AZ and I have been holding on to it for awhile now. I wanted to make myself a hat to wear for Fall. I imagined this hat to look like the wind swept walls of Chaco Canyon and the detailed kiva ruins built by the Anasazis or “Ancient Ones.” I hope you enjoy knitting this hat just as much as I enjoyed designi...

This design was dreamt up as I was heading to bed one night. I was inspired by the pottery and jewelry designs of the Hopi Tribe. I love that these designs swirl with clean bold lines. I named it after the Hopi people who are referred to as The Peaceful People. To learn more about the Hopi People I added a link to their tribal website: https://...

Some of my favorite pottery comes from the Acoma Tribe located 60 miles West of Albuquerque. The pottery tends to have a white base and is decorated with black and orange shapes. The tribe has the Sky City Pueblo that sits beautifully on top of a mesa. The orange color used in my cowl reminds me of the mesa when the sun hits the rock. You can t...

This design is meant to accompany The Peaceful People Hat. I flipped and flopped the original design to create a mosaic of shapes that swirl with clean bold lines. I love the way it turned out with its subtle colors and angles. I named it after the the Hopi people who are referred to as The Peaceful People. To learn more about the Hopi People I...

The Annie Beret is a reflection of Native American design incorporated in a classy accessory. I chose a beret design because of how delicate and sophisticated it looks. This hat is a tribute to Annie Dodge Wauneka who was a brilliant, gifted, and an influential Native American woman. I dedicate this design to her life and took color inspiration...

My grand mother (Shi masani) grew up with sheep/cattle and has herded them her whole life. She told me stories of how, as a kid, she was sent outside in the worst weather and still had to do her job. She said that she wished she had warmer clothes and I wish I had made this item 70 years ago so she could have got some use out of it, BUT she’ll ...

Shi Yazhi means “my little one,” in Navajo. This design is a simple, beginner, knit hat to keep those you love warm and comfy. Great as a gift for a baby shower or present for a birthday!

Finished measurements

I have always wanted to create a floral-themed item. I shy away from purple and pink tones but when I saw the yarn and inspiration board for the collaboration with FDF, I knew it was time to try. I had a design in my notebook that paid tribute to the pueblo-style pottery of the San Felipe People and I drafted the pattern with flowers scattered ...

The Desert Dweller Cowl is a narrow accessory