Terra Pericolosa: An Intro

Hi Everybody,

Courtney Shannon here (ravID: courtneyshannon) and after many years of knitting and crocheting I have decided to come out with my own pattern line. I thought I'd dedicate the first post of the blog to talking about the inspiration for Terra Pericolosa.

While knitting is my hobby #1, I have been enthralled by maps since I was a child. To me, maps are the a wonderful synthesis of science and art. Cartographers are artists that use their craft to educate the viewers about the vital facts of a place. As a child, I wondered how exactly did these artists go about doing their work.

Now that I am an "adult" (Mid-twenties is being an adult, right?!) with a whole lot of education concerning GIS, cartography, culture, and ecology under my belt, I know that the job of a cartographer if far less mystical than I imagined, but no less interesting. Now that I know about all the manipulation, editing, and guesswork that goes into producing a map, the career of a cartographer is more like an advertiser/newspaper editor than an artist. Even so, I still see maps as fantastic pieces of work that are worthy of a lifetime of study.

How does this relate to knitting and crocheting? I still love looking at old maps and a simple Google Image search yields thousands of delightful examples. As maps have evolved over the years, many terms, techniques, and concepts have fallen by the waste-side. A common terms on maps from hundred of years ago was "Terra Pericolosa" which is an Italian phrase for "dangerous land." When crafting my own patterns, I wish to take you on a journey into new techniques and ideas that I feel are worthy of further exploration.

Thanks for your interest,

Courtney