Ruth's Spirit Beanie

Ruth’s Spirit Beanie is named in memory of my ancestor Ruth, a young Indigenous girl taken from her Arizona home in the early 1900s as part of the U.S. boarding school system that sought to erase Native identity and culture. She was only a child when she was taken, and she never came home, her life ending in 1914. This design is my way of honoring her story, one shared by thousands of families who continue to feel the echoes of that loss. Today, the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) continues that heartbreaking legacy. In a time when political voices too often attempt to silence or distort Indigenous issues, keeping these stories alive matters more than ever. Ruth’s Spirit Beanie is a symbol of remembrance, resilience, and solidarity, a way to carry the strength of our ancestors into each stitch and amplify the voices that deserve to be heard. The pattern uses one strand of DK-weight yarn and one strand of fingering-weight yarn held together. This creates a beautiful marled effect with variegated yarns or a clean, elevated stitch definition with solid colors.