A Wedding Blanket

A big fan of Cariboo Handwoven bought a wool blanket in January for her son and daughter-in-law for their wedding in late April. She and I met for lunch and had a lovely time, and I delivered the blanket then at the restaurant table.

I remembered the date coming and wished her well before. A few weeks later, I learned that everything went off without a hitch and it was a lovely wedding and wonderful family celebration.

I couldn't help but wonder how the blanket was received - well, this couldn't be nicer to hear:

I wanted to let you know that the blanket was a huge hit - apparently the ones I have here have been secretly coveted (I admit having suspected as much). It will enjoy pride of place in their home for many years to come.  

Thank you for the care and talent you put into your art. 

Best wishes to the new couple!

"Still Going Strong"

A friend in Ontario sent me that title on an email with this photo:

The towel is "still going strong" and I recalled that I gave it to her on a milestone birthday.  You can see that the plain weave hem has faded a bit and the label's edges are a bit beat up from washing agitation.  Here's what she added:

Anyway, isn't it an awesome  towel? Fourteen years of consistent wear and tear, and it still looks like a towel I like having in the kitchen. Lots of others become stained or faded so quickly. I have orange, red and baby blue Jane Perry towels. I know it sounds weird saying one has a favourite tea towel, but it's true - they are!!

Lovely feedback, makes me happy.  Thank you happy towel owner!

Caring for a Wool-Alpaca Blanket

A local buyer delivered his wool-alpaca blanket to me for hand washing. It was a gift in late 2014 from his wife who had bought it at my Station House Gallery show. I can remember exactly where on the west wall it was hung ... beside its partner blanket that also went to a local home.

Anyone with a wool blanket is welcome to return it to me for hand washing. That's easy if you're local - but a bit more difficult, although possible, if it requires transport. I also provide hand washing instructions for those who wish it, but most people are happy to hand over their blanket to me.

I am ALWAYS curious to see how a blanket has aged with use. My biggest fear in selling my work is that it won't stand up to reasonable use for a long time. Blankets should look well for at least 20 years, and I hope even longer.

So when I first saw this one, I looked to see how the cloth was wearing - any pills? No. How are the fringes, any unravelled? No. Has the blanket stretched out of shape at all? No. Is it aging well and was it good value for the price? Yes, I believe so.

Here it is drying on the line in the Cariboo sunshine.

A210 | Shetland wool and alpaca blanket | Private collection

Hand washing wool blankets tends to plump them up and freshen them nicely. Officially, I have to recommend dry cleaning since it is foolproof, but hand washing is gentler and I think helps extends the blanket's life.

I'll arrange to return it this week. The owner will appreciate my TLC, and I certainly appreciate the opportunity to make my own observations.

A Georgian Bay Blanket

Last year I began applying my love for Georgian Bay in my blankets and towels. Previous blog posts can be found under the "Georgian Bay Collection" label on the right - this is the fourth.

A fellow British Columbian bought one of the Georgian Bay blankets for her aunt, then couldn't resist one for herself. They are quite different, but both are in twill blocks and have the same theme of water, rock, trees and sky. Those blankets are described in one of those blog posts.

Rock with lichen, trees, lower sky

Top of trees and into the sky and clouds

The aunt is clearly delighted with her blanket. Here's what she wrote:

It makes my heart pound.
Maybe I'm seduced by the Georgian Bay moniker, but I love [the blanket's] hand, the gentle colours, the cleverness of it, and the merest of warm colour.  So real, so true to the inspiration.  My heart swells.  Thank you.
Every time my eyes land here, I smile and I feel warm even without being under the work of art. 

Her last line "Every time my eyes land here, I smile and I feel warm even without being under the work of art" - now that is eloquent and really original. I was really touched - and inspired - to receive this feedback, and just had to share it.

Thoughts from the Father of a Baby Blanket Owner

Pat, my husband, hired a summer student years ago, who was a really great person. This guy later married his girlfriend (who is also very special to us) and they have a son who is now five years of age. I sent them one of my cotton baby blankets when he was born. I recently received this from the dad:

[Our son] every night is wrapped warmly in your beautiful blanket. I enjoy feeling its fine, yet strong, texture. Though used daily, it still seems new. It comforts him with warmth, and comforts me as I tuck him in, thinking of you and Pat and our friendship.

And that is one of the most important reasons I weave. Or why anyone could possibly want to create.

Now I'm weaving more cotton baby blankets for some expectant young friends as well as for a local church drive. Posters around town show a baby wrapped in newspaper, depicting the limited options of some parents for their babies, and requesting donations. I hope some of my blankets will help to wrap up babies and then the newspaper can go.

C237

C238

C239

This is a true waffle weave pattern, but since it doesn't form the classic pocketed cells I call it waffle squares. These blankets are fun for me to weave - for many reasons.

Photo Contest!

Announcing a photo contest opening today, February 1, and closing on March 31 at midnight Pacific Daylight Time.

Send a photo of your Cariboo Handwoven blanket, towel or scarf in a unique pose or use. Think of an exotic location, creative use of props, or some other way to grab attention. Pets are allowed, but no people.

The winner will receive a hand towel with free shipping or delivery, in the colours of their choice based on what I have in stock or will soon be making.

Send your pic to Jane at [jane "at" cariboohandwoven "dot" ca] or my usual [cariboojane "at" shaw "dot ca]. I'll share the winning photo on this blog and the Cariboo Handwoven Facebook page.

Thanks for your interest ... have fun with this!

A Wedding Gift Blanket

This is another Cariboo Handwoven blanket story. One of my deluxe wool blankets with about 50% handspun wool arrived in Toronto recently. Here's the blanket:

And here's the buyer's response:

Hi Jane,
I picked up the blanket package yesterday and we are thrilled.  You are amazing.  To think that you spin the wool and weave it into that beautiful blanket is truly wonderful.  Your finishing of the fringes is so perfect as well.  Would the colours be natural or have you dyed them?   The blanket will make a very special wedding present – thank you. 

(Answer to question: The handspun grey/brown and cream are natural colours - in fact, I believe the entire blanket is natural colours with no dyes used.)

Thank YOU!

A Happy Blanket

A friend of mine bought a wool blanket back in March 2013 and has used it lots and enjoyed it a great deal. I was really happy to see a photo on Facebook in which she and her two young grandkids are cuddled up under it and reading together. This blanket was woven in twill blocks and the weft has two colours going all the time, giving it quite a textured and interesting look.

Here it is before washing:

My friend was recently at my studio to buy some towels, and she'd brought her blanket after remembering my offer to all blanket owners that I'll happily hand wash it when they'd like. I have to officially recommend dry cleaning, but gentle and careful hand washing is actually better for the fibres, and it will plump them up and soften them a little.

This was all very helpful for me to see: a blanket after over two years of use - very nice, no wear or problems - and how it looked after another washing. Even better!

Update: The blanket owner emailed me after receiving her blanket back and said: 

"The blanket looks better than ever (if that is possible). I can’t wait to snuggle into my favorite chair with it this evening. Thanks for the tender loving care, Jane."

Georgian Bay Blankets in North Vancouver

A friend of a friend of my sister was very interested in the idea of Cariboo Handwoven blankets from the Georgian Bay collection. We had a lovely email exchange for a few months (and got to know each other a bit in the process) and I designed and created two blankets for her.

Each blanket begins with shades of blue with whitecaps, then into grey granite with that bright orange lichen, then the evergreens - clumps of cedar and those beautiful solo windswept white pines, and then blue skies with puffy cumulus clouds. That's the sequence from one end of each blanket to the other.

One blanket is pure Shetland wool:

And the other is mixed with handspun mohair - I did the handspinning over the last long while and found lots of suitable colours from my archives:

(Both photos show the water, rock and tree sequence and miss all the sky.)

The blankets arrived in North Vancouver today and here's what the buyer emailed to me:

I confess to high expectations, but must say that the finished product has exceeded them - I am thrilled beyond measure. The online photos do no justice to the colour saturation, nor to the texture of your work.
I will give you some respite, but you have not heard the last of me as a customer. 

I was so thrilled to read her wonderful response!

I know I need to post better photos and I'm working on that, believe me. And, I have a new policy that anyone ordering from me can receive a full refund if what they receive is not to their expectations and they contact me right away and return the item quickly and in good condition. That means they can take the risk and only pay the shipping to and from their location. 

Anyway, feedback like that means a ton to me!  Thank you so much!! :-)))

A Second Cotton Blanket in Florida

My Canadian friend who spends time in Florida through the year (probably the winter, mostly) bought a second cotton blanket from Cariboo Handwoven. She'd already sent me a photo with her comments for a blog I posted last month.

As soon as she saw this blanket in soft blues and greens at the open house in Collingwood, she immediately thought of her newly refurbished bedroom in the new Florida house. So she had to have it!

Here it is in its new home, at the foot of the bed:

This is my bedroom in Florida where I bought your beautiful blanket for. The colours are perfect and L. and I love it. Thanks so much for your extraordinary work. You have added some wonderful 'Canadian' touches to our southern home. 

I always love to know that my work is being enjoyed in its new home. This is another good example of that, and it gives me a great feeling.

"Still cold here in Ottawa. Couldn't cope without my beautiful blankets."

I know I have a few fans in Ottawa. My sister, Alison, tops them all but Susan is one of those close in second place. Susan is amassing a nice collection of deluxe Cariboo Handwoven blankets. She likes mohair and brushed wool, and so some of her blankets are on the fuzzy side and extremely cozy.

Here is one of hers that I remember well from last year.  It's two shades of brushed wool alternating with Shetland wool, in wide stripes of soft shades of greens. I would expect that it's softened up nicely with use and looking even better than when she bought it.

When I saw Susan's Facebook comment, I wanted to share it widely. Thank you, Susan - hope to see you this year!

Sunflower Towels

A friend and former colleague has many of my towels from over the years. She designed my Cariboo Handwoven logo and I guess we could agree that we have high regard for each other's work.

Recently, she ordered a set of towels in a sunflower theme. She wanted yellow, gold, green and blue, and I suggested a little dark brown. I omitted any gold because my shades were too orangey, but I did enjoy working with the other colours.

She wanted two hand towels for her kitchen and matching small cloths for washing up and anything else.

Her response?

The towels are absolutely divine, thank you! They add to my sunflower-theme kitchen dreams and that is priceless to me. :) 

Always nice to hear. That's why I do this. 

Cotton Blanket in Florida

A long-ago high school friend bought one of my cotton blankets last year when I saw her. She just sent me a photo of it in its new setting along with some lovely comments.

Recognize the blanket??  I designed one of the bedrooms in my new Florida house around the colour scheme of your beautiful handiwork.  I am really pleased with the way the room turned out and I thought that you might like to see that your blanket had a 'place of honour' as I said it would.

Her cotton blanket at the foot of the bed includes soft yellows, beige and cream, and she has done a fantastic job of creating a new room around it. Pretty thrilling for me! I'm also glad that after all that time in Florida she is still spelling it "colour" and "honour." :-)

Cotton Blanket in Happy Use

This big cotton blanket sold at the medieval market in November to a couple I know pretty well. They actually visited my booth three times when, after leaving, they'd get another idea of a gift they'd like to buy and back they came. By the third time, we were laughing about this.

"He" bought this for "her" for Christmas. First, a close-up of it on the loom while being woven:

And here it is finished and draped:

Recently, I gently enquired about how she liked her blanket since officially receiving it, and here's the quick reply:

I love my blanket.  It is my couch buddy.

Good to hear!

Blankets in New Homes

The festive season created a lovely flurry of orders and studio visitors through the last month or so. And now the feedback is coming in. Here are three reasons why I love to weave.

First, a buyer at the Medieval Market in November took home my 11th and latest Wenger blanket that includes about 50% handspun Romney wool from the Wenger Sheep Farm on Fox Mountain, just north of Williams Lake. The weave structure is narrow columns of tiny herringbones, and the blanket is thick and soft.

Here's what the blanket owner wrote to me:

... I wanted to check with you as to whether putting it up as a wall hanging is advisable. Would you recommend that and what would be the best way to do that?  I worry about stretching and definitely do not want to do anything damaging.  ... There is something so tactile about this blanket that speaks to me of everything that went into it. It is really quite meditative and grounding so I want to keep it in safe reach.

I have extra dowels for hanging and plan to give her one for this blanket.

#2, I made this cotton blanket for a special person in her favourite blues.

And she said:

I love wrapping up with it for a snooze or when I am feeling a chill :)

And third, a friend of a friend on Vancouver Island contacted me in November, and we had an enjoyable exchange of emails that led to her order of a Shetland wool blanket for her father-in-law.

The colours are earthy browns and greys with a distinct and complementary reddish-brown. It's kind of a masculine blanket and I was really pleased to hear this back from her:

We want to let you know that the woven blanket we gave as a gift was such a hit. My father-in-law said it was the best gift he could receive and I know he meant it! Thank you again for your superb handwork.

The business of Cariboo Handwoven is enjoyable and all that, but the feedback itself is the best. Thank you!