Thank you for lending your knitting skills to this Tempestry Collection depicting temperature data for the Ramapo Catskill region of New York State over the last 125 years!
What is a Tempestry?
A Tempestry is a knitted scarf-sized wall hanging that shows the daily high temperatures for a specific location and year. Collectively, a group of Tempestries for one location such as the Ramapo Catskill Libraries Collection creates a powerful visual representation of changing temperatures over time.
Why libraries?
The Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) works to create a world in which individuals, families and communities thrive when they have access to information, resources, learning environments and library services that respect the triple bottom line of social equity, economic feasibility, and environmental stewardship. The Ramapo Catskill Library System is the third public library system in the country to be certified through the Sustainability Libraries Initiative’s award-winning Sustainable Library Certification Program.
How do I participate?
Ramapo Catskill Tempestry Kits are available for order here. Please choose your year and include a brief comment about the importance of that year and why you are participating in the collection. We would like to include these blurbs with your finished work. Please reach out to TempestryProject@gmail.com if you have any questions, or would like to inquire about a sponsored kit (see next question as well).
I can’t knit a Tempestry myself – how can I support this project?
Thank you so much for your interest in supporting the Ramapo Catskill Libraries Tempestry Collection! You can donate a Tempestry kit by placing an order here. Please be sure to let us know in the comment field that this is a donated kit so that it can be paired with a knitter who might otherwise not be able to participate in the collection.
Why the knitted linen stitch?
Knitted linen stitch creates a beautifully sturdy fabric that won’t stretch the way that crochet and knitted garter stitch do and won’t curl the way stockinette does. This works well for Tempestries, which may be displayed for long periods of time.
Can I crochet or knit another stitch instead?
For this collection, we are asking everyone to use the knitted linen stitch. This creates a sturdy fabric and will also help keep all the Tempestries in this collection roughly the same size. Crochet and garter stitch Tempestries end up being a lot longer!
Why are we all using the same yarn?
An integral aspect of the Tempestry Project is that all participants around the world use the same color/temperature spectrum, making each individual piece a part of a global environmental mosaic. Tempestry Worsted was designed with this purpose in mind, featuring 100% US-sourced wool custom milled in Greenwich, NY and Nazareth, PA and custom dyed in Philadelphia, PA.
What’s the gauge?
In linen stitch, approximately 21-22 stitches per 4”
Where can I get help?
Please check with your local library to see if they have any knitters on hand who might be able to offer some guidance in person. You can also reach out to Emily at The Tempestry Project by emailing TempestryProject@gmail.com
Other useful resources:
VeryPink’s Tempestry Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30nG81Fu7yg
Knitted Linen Stitch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o0Y4Yu6wuA
When & where should I return my finished Tempestry?
Please return your completed Tempestry no later than July 1st, 2026. You can return your Tempestry to your local RCLS member library or ship it to:
Joanna Goldfarb, Ramapo Catskill Library System, 619 Route 17M, Middletown, NY 10940
Will my work be credited?
Yes! A list of makers and their year(s) will be included with the pieces when they are displayed. Please also feel free to include a sentence or two about the making of your Tempestry (why/if you chose the year, why you decided to participate in this project, how you felt during the process, etc.) when you return your piece to the library system.