Swan Island

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S wa n S I S l a n d


S wa n S I S l a n d B l a n K E T S

231 atlantic Highway, Route 1 northport, ME 04849

phone 207 338 9691 fax 207 338 9166

www.swansislandblankets.com

888 526 9526


Welcome to Swans Island

Generations ago lighthouse keepers

brought sheep out to Nash Island, a

lonely, windswept outcrop off South Addison,

Maine. Without any trees for shelter, the

sheep huddled together during the harsh

winter storms and grew luxurious, thick, and

lanolin-rich fleeces. Direct descendents of

this flock are still on Nash, and their wool is

known as some of the finest in New England.

“Feel this,” Bill Laurita says, rolling some

newly shorn wool between his fingers, “and

you know these are happy sheep.”

On shearing day, island stewards Eleni and

Alfie Wakeman and a boatload of volunteers

round up the sheep. Not only is the wool

thick, but because the sheep live their entire

lives on Nash with no trees or brush to tangle

in their fleeces, it is incredibly clean. Much

of it will be heading to a coastal farmhouse

where it will be painstakingly woven into

Swans Island blankets, a line of all-natural,

hand-dyed and hand-woven blankets and

throws designed to last a lifetime. Or two.

Or three.

Bill is a managing partner of the business that

was begun as an alternative to retirement

by John and Carolyn Grace, two Boston

attorneys who summered on Swans Island.

They wanted to make something on the

island that would embody the rugged coast,

yet summon the warmth of a good wood

fire. Inspired by blankets passed down from

John’s grandmother, they rediscovered a

product of pure utility, stunning simplicity,

and rare integrity.

Because the wool is so clean on the backs

of the sheep, it only needs mild organic

detergents for final washing, preserving the

fiber’s natural oils. It is then carded and spun

into skeins or onto cones. The natural blacks

and browns, the “rare wools,” are ready to use.

Other batches are dyed naturally, using madder

root for orange, indigo for blue, cochineal for

red and pink, kamala root for yellows.

Setting up each loom takes four days. Between

the warp and the weft, up to 3456 knots are

tied by hand. Yarn is spun onto bobbins; the

bobbins are installed in shuttles. It takes nine

hours to weave a queen-sized blanket and as

many as five more to pick out the last of the

chaff by hand. Its edges are finished in silk and

it is folded into its linen slipcase, complete

with moth-deterring cedar boards.

The result is no ordinary product. It is the

culmination of a process. The process is not

about saving time, but about investing it. It is

not about inventing something new, but about

rediscovering something tried and true. Swans

Island blankets embody the old idea that the

more care and effort that goes into something,

the better it will be.

Ironically, while a blanket is designed to

insulate us from the elements, a Swans Island

blanket connects us. Held in its weave are the

seasons on the Maine coast, the salt-tinged air,

the clatter of wooden looms, the quiet gossip

of the pickers. Snuggled beneath one, you will

feel not only how warm that sheep was on its

Maine island, but also how happy.

Curtis Rindlaub

WINTER BLANKETS

On Nash Island, down east of Penobscot Bay, a flock of sheep lives untended as it has for generations. This local breed provides fleeces for our Winter Blankets. This blanket uses a winter weave-two layers of wool for warmth-and is dyed by hand using all natural materials.

Blanket sizes: Single 70" x 90", Double/Queen 90" x 90", King 110" x 90"

Opposite page: white with yellow checks, white solid checks, white with pink checks, indigo solid checks, and white with grey checks

EQUINOX BLANKETS

The celestial equinox occurs when the balance of the day and night are equally balanced everywhere on earth. Equinox blankets balance a winter weave with summer weight rare wool to keep out the winter cold.


brown with black checks

RARE WOOL SUMMER BLANKETSSwans Island Rare Wool blankets are made from the wool of naturally occurring brown and black sheep. These sheep aren’t common, and after three or four years, their fleeces tend to go grey, so we are only able to weave a limited number of rare brown and black wool blankets each year.


brown with tan stripes, brown with deep orange stripes, brown with black stripes

SUMMER BLANKETSOnce common in New England, lightweight summer blankets keep you cool on hot summer nights by drawing warm air away from the skin. Then, as the night grows cooler, your wool blanket blocks the outside chill, and keeps the warmth of the day in.


grey with indigo stripes, grey with teal stripes, grey with brown stripes, grey with pink stripes, grey with yellow stripes, white and grey checks, grey with white stripes

white with grey stripes, white with indigo stripes, white with yellow stripes, white with pink stripes, sky blue with white stripes, white with teal stripes, white on white, indigo solid, white with brown stripes

CERTIFIED ORGANIC MERINO WOOL THROWS

These throws are amazingly soft. We spin these fleeces into worsted fine yarns that are woven on our hand looms. The colors come either right off the back of the sheep or from our own dye house.

Throw size: 50" x 70"

This page: solid green

Opposite page: blue band, yellow band, brown band, pink band, teal band, white on white, purple solid, indigo solid, yellow solid, red solid, sky blue with white stripes, white with indigo stripes, white with red stripes, white with pink stripes, white with grey stripes, white with brown stripes, white with yellow stripes, white with teal stripes

RARE WOOL THROWS

Swans Island Rare Wool throws are made from the wool of naturally occurring brown and black sheep. These sheep aren’t common, and after three or four years, their fleeces tend to go grey, so we are only able to weave a limited number of rare brown and black wool blankets each year.


brown with deep orange stripes, brown with tan stripes, brown with black stripes

NATURAL CORRIEDALE WOOL THROWS

The blanket throw is a natural, whether at the foot of the bed or draped across a sofa. Like our summer blankets, Swans Island Throws are woven from the fleece of Corriedale sheep. Our grey is full of light and dark tones from blending white and rare wools together.


grey with indigo stripes, grey with yellow stripes, white and grey checks, grey with brown stripes, grey with teal stripes, grey with pink stripes, grey with white stripes

BABY BLANKETS

There is no finer way to wrap a baby than in our classic hand woven, incredibly soft, organic merino wool baby blanket. Trimmed in silk and carrying the Swans Island weaver’s mark, its richness and simplicity is absolutely timeless. Our striped colors come from all natural dyes. Our baby blankets can be gently washed, blocked and dried or professionally dry-cleaned. Please see Custom Services for baby blanket embroidery choices.

Baby Blanket size: 36" x 36"

blue baby blanket, pink baby blanket, white baby blanket, yellow baby blanket

WEARABLES: Scarves and Wraps

We hand dye our colors using natural dyes. Each Swans Island scarf and wrap is made with soft organic merino wool, trimmed in silk and carries the Swans Island weaver’s mark.

scarves 10" x 70" / wraps 26" x 70"

brown and white tweed scarf, yellow scarf, pink scarf, brown scarf, blue scarf, red scarf, white scarf, white wrap, white with grey stripe wrap

CUSTOM ORDERS & MONOGRAMMING Swans Island Blankets is happy to accept custom orders for blankets, throws, pillows and bolsters. Monogramming is available on all of our products.

PackagingIn addition to our throw box and blanket bags, our baby blankets and scarves arrive in a white “jewelry type” box and our wraps come in a linen shoulder bag.

THROW BOX BLANKET BAGS

Our weaver’s mark is woven into our products by hand. The over weaves in our weaver’s mark can

only be achieved on a handloom, and serve as our seal of authenticity.

CleaningAll Swans Island products may be cleaned in one of the following manners. At Home: Use an organic soap suitable for wool. Soak, spin out, do not agitate, and do not place in a dryer. Full block out for drying. Do not dry over a line. Swans Island: Items may be sent to us for laundering. We use organic soap, block, air dry, press and return to you. Please call for pricing. Dry Clean: Use a reputable dry cleaner. The industry claims that their chemicals do not harm woolen products.

RepairsWool is extremely durable. If cared for properly it will last many generations. If your Swans Island product does need repair we operate a blanket hospital and can seamlessly fix what ails it.

Band Throws Striped Throws

Striped Summer BlanketsPictured is a queen size bed. On a king size bed the stripes run vertically.

This sweater is knit with 100% organic merino, robin’s egg blue, worsted weight yarn.

SWANS ISLAND YARNS

Swans Island Yarns are a certified organic merino yarn that is naturally dyed. The yarns are spun in Maine. They are mordented with non-metallic mordents, and then skein dyed with natural substances such as indigo, cochineal, madder. “They are color fast and their vibrancy reflects the beauty of the natural world.”

We offer the yarns in 100 gram skeins. There is a choice of fingering weight at 580 yards, or worsted weight at 250 yards. We have white and a grey blend of 85% merino and 15% natural brown/black alpaca. The remaining colors are: red, pink, orange, yellow, spring green, teal, indigo, robin’s egg blue, purple and brown.

CreditsSwans Island Blankets would like to thank the following people who helped make this book possible.

Curtis Rindlaub for his essay. Curtis is the author of A Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast. Peter Ralston (www.pralston.com) for his inspirational images of Maine. Sarah Szwajkos Photography (www.DamnRabbitStudio.com) for her beautiful interior images. Marti Stone (www.martistonephotography.com) for her photographs from Nash Island and the Northport Studio. Deborah Wilder for her elegant patterns (for her writing, go to www.deborahweisgall.com). The staff and partners of Swans Island Blankets for their dedication and perseverance. All of our customers over the years who have encouraged us so much.

S wa n S I S l a n d B l a n K E T S

231 atlantic Highway, Route 1 northport, ME 04849

phone 207 338 9691 fax 207 338 9166

www.swansislandblankets.com

888 526 9526


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Swan Island