In the Navajo (Diné) and other Native American cultures, coyote stories are often told to children as a way to teach lessons. These mittens are inspired by one particular story about a coyote who sees a flock of crows flying in the sky and wants to fly with them. The crows each give him one of their wing feathers, but soon he becomes arrogant and prideful, and the crows take back their feathers. Without feathers the coyote cannot fly, and as he falls to the earth, his tail catches on fire. He lands in a pool of water, which puts out the fire, but to this day the coyote has a black-tipped tail.

These multicolored mittens make us think about this coyote story and the lessons that it illuminates. The various motifs keep the pattern engaging and interesting as you move from one section to the next. They can also be a fun way to depict a story of your own. Choose colors that might be significant to a memory or a story that taught you a lesson.

Photographs by Rachael Kass.

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