What's in a Name?

If you have encountered Alegria at your local yarn shop, or are stashing it for a special project, you understand how appropriate the name is. Alegria means "joy" in Spanish. The colorways of Alegria are bright and playful across the spectrum. Have you wondered about the colorway names? The Manos del Uruguay co-operative names them, and we want to take this opportunity to share a few of the references.

A9862 Jacaranda (left) is a genus of flowering plants that range in size from shrub to tree with blue or blue-purple flowers. A6729 Tannat (center) is a red-wine grape grown widely in Uruguay. A9741 Glicinas (right) is what we know in North America as Wisteria.

A8686 Ceibo (left) is the national tree of Argentina, often planted in parks and has bright red flowers. A9630 Rambla Sur (center) is an avenue along the coastline of Montevideo from the south of the Ciudad Vieja up to Parque Rodó. A9239 Periquito (right) is a budgie, or common pet parakeet.

A9452 Candombe brings together the colors of the costumes and the drums from the Candombe. Candombe is a Uruguayan music and dance style originating with African slaves. UNESCO has recognized this important aspect of the Uruguayan culture and has included it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. You can see Candombe performed regularly in the streets of old Montevideo's south neighborhood in January and February, during Carnival.

If you'd like to see more video of Candombe, click here or here! Does knowing the references for colorway names inspire you to pair them with a particular project? Let us know by leaving a comment on this blog post, in our Ravelry group or on our Facebook page!