2020 Blankets with Stories to Tell
New Blankets Have Arrived
This year will be one that generates many stories, and 2020 is not over yet. In this very unusual year, we will keep bringing you beautiful wool blankets that have their own stories to tell. Here are some of our favorites, along with their legends.
Alamosa
“Of a time long ago, these things are said.” The Navajo language is spoken like a poem, and tells of the first beings, the Air-Spirit People, who emerged in the First World. There, a red island held the Insect People; ants, dragonflies, beetles, and a dwelling called House of Red Rock. To the east, a stepped pattern shows the Place Where the Waters Crossed, home to the sunrise. In the center, blue streams converge, then flow toward each of the sacred Four Directions.
This is one of our most popular introductions this year. See it here: Alamosa (this blanket is retired)
Juniper Mesa
Thanks to deep taproots, western junipers thrive where other trees fail, scattered across mesa tops in the deserts of the Southwest. Known for their twisting, mystical shapes and long life—some live over a thousand years—junipers produce aromatic berries used by Puebloans since ancient times as an herbal remedy. In this design, western junipers offer shade, sustenance and habitat to desert wildlife, shown as arrows that pass below, through and over branches.
This Nine Element blanket is a favorite among our design teams. See it here: Juniper Mesa (retired)
Saddle Mountain
Saddle Mountain is a scenic peak in the Oregon Coast Range, and the tallest mountain in Oregon’s Clatsop County. It is also one of the most beautiful places in Oregon to watch the sunrise. Bold blocks of warm colors evoke the rising sun in a design derived from early strip quilt patterns. In the center, a row of stylized stars evoke the planets Mercury and Venus, sometimes called Morning Stars, as they rise on a new day.
With its bold colors and quilt-inspired design, this blanket makes a strong statement. See it here: Saddle Mountain (retired)
Thunderbird Mountain
The Menominee of Northern Wisconsin tell of a great mountain that floats in the western sky. Here dwell the Thunderbirds, messengers of the Sun and controllers of the weather. These magnificent flying creatures delight in battles, and compete to accomplish deeds of greatness and heroism. They cause the rain and hail storms that can save crops, or ruin them. Their valor holds back the Misikinubik, giant horned snakes that might overrun the earth if not for the Thunderbirds.
See it here: Thunderbird Mountain (retired)
This blanket celebrates ancient legends with striking geometry. And because this one has such a striking reverse, here is the other side of Thunderbird Mountain. Which side do you like more? Reversibility is one of the benefits of blankets woven on jacquard looms; one blanket, two looks.
You can get more information and see the reverses of all these blankets at http://www.pendleton-usa.com.