pendleton national park blanket

Introducing the Zion National Park Blanket

/ pendletonwoolenmills / 1 Comment

The Zion National Park Blanket

A woman wih a Husky dog sits in Zion National Park wrapped in a Zion blanket.

It is always exciting to introduce our new blankets each year.  Pendleton is especially excited to introduce the Zion National Park blanket, just in time for National Park Week.

Pendleton Zion National park blanket in deep rusty red.

Blanket Stripes: The rich hues of Zion’s red rock formations in rusty red, ochre, and tan are lit by the clear brilliant blue of the afternoon sky in Utah’s desert wonderland.

Zion’s Wonders

Zion Park is a geographical wonderland full of formations and features, all part of a super-sequence of rock units called The Grand Staircase. According to Wikipedia, in the park you’ll find:

…the Temple of Sinawava, which is named for the coyote god of the Paiute Indians…and the Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel [which] ends at Mount Carmel. On the east side of the park, notable park features include Checkerboard Mesa and the East Temple.

The Kolob Terrace area, northwest of Zion Canyon, features a slot canyon called The Subway, and a panoramic view of the entire area from Lava Point. The Kolob Canyons section, further to the northwest near Cedar City, features Tucupit Point and one of the world’s longest natural arches, Kolob Arch.

Other notable geographic features of Zion Canyon include Angels Landing, The Great White Throne, the Court of the Patriarchs, The West Temple, Towers of the Virgin, the Altar of Sacrifice, the Watchman, Weeping Rock, and the Emerald Pools.

With 4.3 million visitors per year, this is a park to celebrate!

A girl stands in Zion National Park with the Zion blanket around her shoulders.

Inspiration

The Zion National Park Pendleton blanket features navy, ochre and goldenrod stripes on a brick red background. “We were really inspired by the bold stripe design of a version of the blanket from the 1950s,” says Amanda Coppa, senior merchandise manager of the home division at Pendleton. “The colors were drawn from the beauty and landscape of the park! We had to emphasize the deep red that Utah and Zion are known and loved for.”

Our label features a mountain lion, also known as a cougar, part of the wildlife that lives in Zion’s varied life zones (desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest). Animals range from the petite kangaroo rat (which is adorable, and resembles a very leggy gerbil) to enormous yet agile bighorn sheep. Mule deer, foxes, bats, and rock squirrels are often seen by the park’s visitors, and close to the ground, the amazing variety of rodents draw the park’s birds of prey, which include the California Condor, the Mexican Spotted Owl, and the Peregrine Falcon. All told, Zion is home to over 78 species of mammals, 291 species of birds, 37 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 8 species of fish.

The label of the Zion National Park blanket by Pendleton.

Label: As the sun sets, a solitary mountain lion pauses before the towering sandstone of the Great White Throne.

Our friend and brand ambassador, photographer Kristen Frasca, was able to take the Zion blanket home to its park for the photos in this post.

A husky dog stares at the camera in Zion National Park.

Thanks to her for these gorgeous photos, especially this last one, where her Husky dog is almost more commanding than the scenery! If you’d like to see more of Kristen’s work, please visit her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/kristenfrasca/

You can see the blanket and more at our website: Zion National Park by Pendleton

Pendleton label with bald eagle: "Pendleton since 1863 Highest Quality Made in the USA."

 

Iconic Pendleton Patterns: Stripes

/ pendletonwoolenmills / Leave a comment

Pendleton Stripes

In our last post, we talked about Shelter Bay, a pattern that combines our camp stripes with the motif from one of our most popular blankets, San Miguel (read the post here: Shelter Bay). Part of that pattern’s beauty lies in its camp striped borders.

blonde man and brunette woman seated in front of a window, wrapped in a pendleton Camp Stripe blanket. Woman is holding a cup of coffee.

photo by Cassy Berry

Pendleton’s camp stripe blankets are popular, and not just for their utilitarian history. Camp stripes bring the spirit of the outdoors to whatever they grace, thanks to colors that reflect Western landscapes: forests, lakes, river gorges, coastal crags, and the rich colors of the high desert. These stripes find their way to home goods and apparel, especially outdoor shirts and warm outerwear.  See them here: Camp Stripes

But what about our other stripes?

Serape Stripes

With their bands of contrasting colors, serape stripes are designed to dazzle.

Pendleton serape stripe blankets hanging on pegs, next to a stack of folded Pendleton serape stripe blankets

 

photo by Pendleton Woolen Mills

Traditional serapes (called sarapes south of the border) are colorful, sturdy blanket shawls that were part of life in the Mexican home. A serape could serve as a tablecloth, bedding, impromptu hammock, or improvised tent. It could be worn as a shawl, or converted to a poncho. Clothing, bedding, shelter: the serape was versatile!

When southern California’s surfers made trips to Baja, Mexico, to ride the waves, they brought home serape blankets and Baja jackets. The serape stripe became part of the “Endless Summer” of American surf culture. Pendleton’s serape stripes are found on shirts, jackets, hoodies, and bold wool blankets that are perfect for the beach, the porch, or the park.

Man standing on beach wearing striped overshirt.

photo by Danielle Visco

In the Southwestern United States, Pendleton serapes are also known as “Goopesala,” or “Good Blankets.” They are often used in the Give-Away Ceremony, performed at honor dances, weddings and many other occasions. Hosts give gifts to their guests, with no expectation of return. “What is given away returns to the giver, in another form of good.”

Archival photo from early 1900s of a Navajo family (father, mother, three young children) riding in a wagon with a Pendleton serape stripe blanket

photo: Pendleton Archives

In this photo from the Pendleton archives, a Pueblo family rides in one of the original wagons like those used by the Babbitt brothers, five shopkeepers who came west in 1886 to make their mark. They founded the CO Bar cattle ranch, in addition to opening a mercantile in Flagstaff, Arizona. In time, their success with commerce equaled their success with cattle. Over the next 100 years, the Babbitts owned and operated over twenty trading posts, doing business with the Navajo, Hopi and Apache peoples. Babbitt’s is still active and thriving—and working with Pendleton.

See our serapes here: Serape Stripe Blankets

Park Stripes

Some are bold, some are busy, but every National Park stripe blanket celebrates America’s Treasures, with a portion of sales supporting the work of the National Park Foundation.

Kyle_Houck_NP_CraterLake_Home (2)

photo by Kyle Houck

Here are a few fun facts about Pendleton National Park blankets:

  • The oldest design, Glacier Park, originally had “points” to give it the feel of an old-time “candy stripe” blanket traded by fur trappers, but the fur trade had ceased long before Pendleton began weaving blankets.
  • Any Pendleton National Park blanket with points was made before 1938. These marks referred to blanket size, and as the blankets grew in length and width, the points became inaccurate.
  • Pendleton has made blankets for 17 different parks. Two blankets, Crater Park and Shasta, are mysteries. They are listed but not pictured in archival sales materials, and there are no surviving examples.
  • Pendleton introduced plaid National Park throws after World War II. There were four different Grand Canyon plaid throws in those days, plus a newer one introduced in 2009.
  • Part of a National Park blanket’s appeal is its striped simplicity, but some older blankets featured mountains, pine trees, flowers—even a stylized Thunderbird.

Photo taken in Glacier National Park of a man and woman in front of a glacier, wrapped in a Pendleton Glacier National Park blanket

Photo by Kristen Irey

Park stripes are not just for blankets anymore. Their bold colors and happy associations make them a natural to wear and use each and every day. Park stripes prove their versatility in farmhouses, industrial spaces, ranch homes, tiny houses, lake cabins, tents, yurts and trailers! Wherever you live, park stripes are right at home.

See them here: Park Blankets

Which stripe is your favorite?

PWM_USA_label

Supporting our National Parks: Now More Than Ever!

/ pendletonwoolenmills / 1 Comment

the Poet Laureate of the national parks, poses in the Badlands of North Dakota with a Badlands blanket.

Meet Karla Morton

Karla Morton, our favorite National Park Poet, sent this amazing shot from her “Words of Preservation: Poets Laureate National Park Tour.” This is the Pendleton Badlands National Park blanket, at home in the Badlands National Park. Karla and her fellow poet laureate, Alan Birkelbach, are 26 parks into their tour, with Hawaii and Samoa coming up soon. We wish them well on their journey!

You can read more on their blog here: Poets Tour the Parks 

Along with our favorite poets, we have sent quite a few of our Pendleton National Park series blankets home to their parks with travelers, explorers and photographers. The blanket stripes and colors honor the landscapes, wildlife and ecology of our national treasures.

See our park blankets here: Pendleton National Park blankets

Through licensed National Park Collection products we are proud to support two park restoration projects through a donation to the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks. So far, through Pendleton’s initiatives with park series blankets and collaboration partners, we are closing in on 3/4 of a million dollars for two projects!

Many Glacier Hotel Stairway Project

In the 1950’s, the stunning double-helix staircase circling the lobby in the historic Many Glacier Hotel was torn out to make room for a gift shop. In 2017, with support from the Pendleton contributions, the historic staircase was rebuilt and now stands as a landmark feature in the newly restored lobby.

Grand Canyon Train Depot Project

Constructed in 1910, the Grand Canyon Depot is a National Historic Landmark and one of three remaining stations constructed from logs in the US. Today it remains an active rail depot, seeing thousands of visitors annually from its location near the canyon’s rim inside Grand Canyon National Park. Funds will support restoration and preservation efforts.

Our original plan was to partner with the National Park Foundation for two years, in honor of their 100 year anniversary. We have extended that partnership, as the parks need our support now more than ever. Buying a blanket is only one way to support your favorite park, and you can also make donations directly.  More information on ways to give can be found here: National Park Foundation Support

As Karla said, “…these lands, while under the preservation of the government, still need champions, still need those who are willing to give their time and hearts to make sure they continue to be protected.” Let’s all do our part.

Pendleton national park products: Crater Lake blanket and a group of socks.