Thank you for lending your knitting skills to the Mid-Hudson Libraries Tempestry Collection depicting temperature data for the mid-Hudson region of New York State over the last 125 years!
What is a Tempestry?
A Tempestry (or temperature tapestry) 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 Mid-Hudson Libraries Collection) creates a powerful visual representation of changing temperatures over time.
Why libraries?
The Mid-Hudson Library System (MHLS) 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 Mid-Hudson Library System is the first 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?
Mid-Hudson 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 us at 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 Mid-Hudson Libraries Tempestry Collection! You can donate a Tempestry kit by placing an order here. Please be sure to let us know in the Order Notes field that this is a donated kit. We will coordinate pairing it 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 & dyed in Nazareth and Philadelhpia, PA.
What’s the gauge?
There is no specific gauge for Tempestries, but generally linen stitch pieces should measure 8-10” wide and about 44” long. An inch or two in either direction is fine, though!
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. 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 Tempestry no later than the end of December! (That said, we hope to have mini-displays around the library system as finished pieces start coming in, so the earlier the better!) You can return your Tempestry to your local Mid-Hudson Library System member library or ship it to: Mid-Hudson Library System, 103 Market St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Will my work be credited?
Yes! We will keep a list of makers and their year(s), and will include this when pieces are displayed. Please email TempestryProject@gmail.com if you would like 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.). You will also receive a form to fill out in your Tempestry Kit, to return with your finished Tempestry if you’d like.
Pictured below: Tempestry Collections from around the country
