It wasn’t enough that I was visually appreciating the beautiful Pendleton Wool blankets in a “Made in Oregon” store, no, then the elderly saleswoman asked if I needed help.
“Oh, I’m just enjoying these beautiful blankets,” I said.
You know, the pat answer you give to most salespeople.
But she stayed by my side, hearing my oohs and ahhhs and wows. She shared the legend and story of each one.
She held them out so I could photograph a few favorites.
She was a treasure trove of information.
She loved these blankets and her appreciation was contagious. This woman was working at the right job. She knew her passion.
The role of blankets, she told me, is woven deep in the history of Native Americans. They’ve been used for far more than warmth and comfort. They’ve been a medium of exchange. Some of the earliest were made of wool, feather, down, bark & cotton.
Some of the blanket names?
Brave Star
Spirit Bear
Taos
Up River
Sky City
Earth
Raven
Sons of the Sky
Daughters of the Earth
Eagle Saddle
Chief Joseph
Father’s Eyes
Painted Rock
Big Thunder
Storm
Aren’t those rich?
Some patterns are now retired.
There are patterns especially made for different National Parks.
Some for different States.
Celebrate the Horse was one the saleswoman had purchased for her granddaughter because to sleep under it brings strength to a girl. What a wise grandmother.
This gray and light blue one was one of my favorites. It’s name? Silverbark. The soft neutral colors appealed to me.
And this one – Canyonlands…
was so like the desert – whispering of blue rivers carving orange rock canyons – and I could almost hear the drums.
Pendleton is an actual city in Oregon. Pendleton Woolen Mills make blankets, clothing, baby blankets, pillows, moccasins, mittens, coffee cups, myriad items to be purchased as gifts, keepsakes and/or souvenirs from Oregon.
Susan Baxter, who created these beautiful moccasins, used Pendleton Rim Rock collection blankets and aptly named them Moss Beneath My Feet. Look closely, you’ll see the buttons are made from deer antlers. Every detail considered carefully. They can be found by clicking here.
But the Pendleton blankets are works of art – worthy of being hung prominently on a wall, folded at the bottom of a bed, or draped on a sofa.
They honor the Native American culture with special symbols, traditions and beliefs. Pendleton Mills still works closely with Native Americans to create high-quality blankets – each a lasting symbol of the American West.
What a serendipitous treat that stop was. Don’t you love those?
These are gorgeous! I know my cats would not appreciate the stories behind them, but they would love their warmth … and the felines would add their fur to the decoration!
Tammy recently posted..The Time I Got Questioned by the Cops
They are, Tammy, surprisingly warm for how light they are. The beauty of wool – which my skin doesn’t tolerate (makes me itch like crazy). But I’d fold one at the bottom of my bed. In a heartbeat.
Barb, these are gorgeous, especially “Canyonlands.” I love the muted, desert shades. Those baby booties are darling, too.
Are these the same people who make Pendleton clothing? I had a Pendleton suit or two back when, and I found the material heavenly soft and the workmanship quite timeless. It’s sad that it’s so hard to find Pendleton clothing now — probably because it’s more traditional rather than high-fashion.
Debbie recently posted..Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Yes they are Debbie. Their website is http://www.pendletonwoolenmills.com. I guess I could have put that in the post.
I do love it when a random stop turns into a delightful discovery like that! I’ve known of Pendleton as a maker of high-quality woolen textiles and clothing, but I never knew the extent of the history and designs of their blankets. It’s nice when each item has its own story.
We have a small collection of Native American made blankets accumulated from various branches of the family and our visits here and there in the Americas, but we don’t know if the patterns have any colorful legends associated with them.
What a treasure they must be Katrina! Having been to the Northwest before, even living here previously, I had no idea these blankets each had a story behind their pattern – and there was my delight and good fortune to have stumbled onto this woman who had studied, owned and loved them for years.
I didn’t realize that Pendleton was licensed to make these blankets. They are beautiful. We enjoyed viewing many old and new Navajo blankets at the Utah Museum of Natural History. The friend we went with was knowledgeable about these blankets and had also collected some. We intend to go to the Navajo blanket show in Park City in November. The basketry designs were also amazing and it was interesting to see how the designs have evolved over the generations. The newest baskets, which were in current production, were very richly colored and beautiful. Made me want to buy one – if only.
A Navajo blanket show, Karen? That sounds like my kind of event. I remember the amazing artistry of baskets in Santa Fe, NM we saw a couple years ago. They are works of art, aren’t they? And yes – to own one? If only. These Pendleton blankets are expensive too – but not out of reach. Most are from about 250 to 300 dollars – reasonable for the craftsmanship, function, beauty and lore they each have.
How absolutely beautiful. I had never heard of Pendleton blankets and oohed and aaahed throughout this post. Thank you so much.
So glad you enjoyed them Sue. They were spectacular to see.
I’ve always liked Pendleton blankets but didn’t realize that there were so many different styles of them, nor that each style had a name. Your photos are perfect and make me want to own at least one of these blankets. The colors in all of them call to me, ‘ya know?
Ally Bean recently posted..Bad Coffee On A Monday Morning
I heard those colors calling too Ally. I was given one years ago from some friends here in Oregon as a going away gift and remembrance of Oregon. It, and those friends, are a treasure.
Barb, where can I get those boots?! I tried to google them through Pendleton and struck out. LOVE them.
May recently posted..Lucky? Not Me.
May – they’re called Moss Beneath My Feet and you can find them at baabaabaxsheep on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/94183173/moss-beneath-my-feet-pendleton-rim-rock
Adorable down to their name. And they have deer antler buttons. Every detail is so thoughtful.
How gorgeous. I have only seen the clothing be these are truly stunning. What luxury to live with such beautiful pieces every day!
Grown and Flown recently posted..I Should Know Better