Milagros Batista was born in the colonial city of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Her birthplace and surroundings grounded her, honing her style, captivating her imagination. The sheer beauty and power of her childhood surroundings left very strong impressions: music and the sounds of the ocean, a dazzling palate, the movements and ways of the people, the smell of coffee, sugarcane, rum, mangoes and wild fruits in the air; and the beauty and power of the Caribbean sea.
As a child she drew inspiration from the strong women around her. From her mother she acquired strength, from her maternal grandmother she learned the value of independence and from a mentor/teacher, she learned about social justice and she learned to knit.
Milagros began knitting at the tender age of seven with Doña Maria Luisa, a “Master Knitter.” Doña Maria Luisa was a local legend, a woman ahead of her times. Milagros reminisces:
