Antiques
Vintage wool blankets
I can’t remember the colour of the blankets I had on my bed as a child growing up in England.. probably plain pink or cream.
If I had grown up in New Zealand – I am sure I would have remembered exactly what pattern I had as they are such fabulous colours and designs.
There are a multitude of gorgeous colour combinations in plain, stripes and checks.
The brand names so evocative of snugly nights: Shepherd Cosy, Warm Weave and the great named…Osowarm.
NZ wool was originally shipped to the UK for processing until New Zealand’s first woollen mills were built in 1871 – at Mosgiel and Kaikorai in Otago. These were followed by mills in Kaiapoi, Roslyn, Oamaru and Ashburton. The North Island followed with mills in Onehunga, Napier, Wanganui and Petone. Remember those labels?
You can still buy vintage blankets in great condition as with care they seem to last forever. If you have one, treasure it.
Some people are getting a bit more creative using them for crafts and making bags, cushions, toys and children’s clothes. It’s great to see a piece of NZ history being re-made as a cuddly toy to be loved for another generation!
Daphne Geisler of Vintage Treasures 4 Kansus St.Martinborough
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