EARTHRISE ...the Story in the Weave
SAVE OUR BLUE PLANET
The Earthrise Moment That Changed Everything
The Earthrise tartan was originally created to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 8 "Earthrise" photograph, taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on 24th December 1968. A photograph only made possible by a collaborative effort by all three NASA crew members.
The tartan pays tribute to this photograph which became the most iconic image of the 20th century, and was declared by wilderness photographer Galen Rowell (in Life Magazine's 100 Photographs that Changed the World edition) as "the most influential environmental photograph ever taken".
Thus inspired by earthlight, the tartan prompts us to remember our common humanity.
It reminds us of the humility we should all share with each other, that despite all the differences and contentions that exist among us, we are all from the same source...
A universal family in the blackness of the Void, alive on this magnificent BLUE JEWEL we call EARTH, OUR ONLY HOME.
Thus, the tartan not only serves as a beautiful tribute to our world ...it also becomes a stark reminder of just how truly precious, fragile and unique our planet really is.
A few years back, Artemis reminded us all
A few years ago when NASA's Artemis I mission launched, it brought that Apollo 8 moment rushing back—the Earth rising over the lunar horizon, that shift in perspective when we first saw our planet as one shared home. My 16oz weaves have brought that connection into wool, each one weaving Apollo's legacy with what comes next.
The Artemis I mission marked a significant chapter in space exploration. The Earthrise Tartan emerged from that moment as a symbol of this new era—my most recent 16oz weave deepened the connection to that iconic 1968 Earthrise image, the moment that shifted our collective perspective on the planet we call home.
This tartan carries our planet's preciousness, fragility, and the urgent need for stewardship. Inspired by that breathtaking view of Earth from the moon's orbit, it holds a message that's only grown more urgent over time.
Scroll down to explore the full gallery of Earthrise tartan images, then continue reading the story in the threads below...
Every Thread Tells the Story
Born in '69, I grew up with Apollo in my blood—that Airfix Saturn V model on my shelf wasn't just plastic. It was a dream that stayed with me. Years later, weaving Earthrise brought my boyhood wonder back to life in every thread.
The geometry, yarn colours and numeracy woven throughout the tartan all have special significance …telling the story of this historic event in human exploration and discovery.
Geometry and Colours: The tartan visibly portrays the image of the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon, the White, Blue, Black and Grey colours representing the Earth, Space and the Moon.
APOLLO 8 MISSION LENGTH: 6 Days 3 Hours. Launched 21 Dec 1968 (with splashdown on 27 Dec 1968) the 6 colours in the tartan represents the 6 days of the mission. The thread count itself (a total of 147 threads) then recognising the total mission length of 6 days and 3 hours …which equates to 147 hours.
68 black threads in the sett represent the year 1968, the year the mission took place.
The 3 black stripes pay tribute to the three Apollo 8 crew members:
Commander Frank Borman
Command Module Pilot James Lovell
Lunar Module Pilot William Anders
…with all three astronauts being recognised as playing a part in the collaborative effort which captured the Earthrise photograph, as the spacecraft orbited the moon.
29 dark grey threads notes the age at which Anders was awarded his Master of Science Degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1962 age 29.
A HALO OF TEN BLUE THREADS. 10 dark blue threads pays tribute to the reading aloud of Genesis 1 verses 1-10 …read by the three crew members as a special Christmas Eve message on 24th December 1968.
APOLLO 8 - Recital of Genesis 1:1-10
On Christmas Eve 1968, Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders, transmitted this holiday message as they orbited the moon (approximately 240,000 miles from the earth):
Bill Anders
"We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
Jim Lovell
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
Frank Borman
"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close, with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good earth."
E A R T H R I S E
…a tartan to represent our common humanity.
"Suddenly, from behind the rim of the Moon, in long, slow-motion moments of immense majesty, there emerges a sparkling blue and white jewel, a light, delicate sky-blue sphere laced with slowly swirling veils of white, rising gradually like a small pearl in a thick sea of black mystery. It takes more than a moment to fully realise this is Earth . . . home."
Astronaut Edgar Mitchell
Apollo 14, 1971
Want to Wear This Story?
The Earthrise kilt brings this tartan to life. If you're ready to carry this history, you'll find every detail there:
A thought from from Stevie
"Earthrise showed our fragile blue home rising from lunar darkness. From my Airfix Saturn V dreams as a '69 lad to weaving this tartan—the awe, the unity live in every thread."
— Steven Patrick Sim, The Tartan Artisan
Thank you for honouring these stories through tartan.
Stevie — Arbroath, Scotland
Quick Links
Official Registration
Scottish Register of Tartans #10983
The official Registration of the tartan - EARTHRISE