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Wash your Hudson Bay Blanket with a gentle liquid soap–such as Woolite–in tepid water in either a wash tub or washing machine on the gentlest cycle. You can do this because even though the blankets are made of 100 percent wool, they are pre-shrunk when manufactured.
Are Hudson Bay blankets offensive?
“I found absolutely no evidence that the Hudson’s Bay company ever purposely infected anybody with blankets and smallpox,” said professor Paul Hackett from the University of Saskatchewan, who has researched the history of the Hudson Bay blanket.
How can you tell if a Hudson Bay blanket is real?
The Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket is a wool blanket with a series of stripes and points (markers on cloth) first made for the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) in 1779. The most iconic design is that which is white with green, red, yellow and indigo stripes; these colours are now used as an emblem for the HBC.
Can you wash a wool blanket in the washing machine?
For best results, always follow the manufacturer’s recommended care instructions. If your washing machine has a dedicated wool cycle, use that in place of the “delicate” or “hand-wash” cycle to clean a wool blanket. Dry-clean-only wool garments or linens should only be laundered by professional dry cleaners.
How do you date a Hudson Bay blanket?
In 1890, because other companies (including Pendleton) were making similar blankets, Hudson Bay began to label its blankets. The labels are how most collectors date the age of the blanket. If you ever spy an unlabeled, round corner blanket, scoop it up. It could date before 1890.
Who gave infected blankets to natives?
There’s evidence that British colonists in 18th-century America gave Native Americans smallpox-infected blankets at least once—but did it work? North American colonists’ warfare against Native Americans often was horrifyingly brutal.
Where are Hudson Bay blankets made?
The blankets have always been made in England; today they are made by John Atkinson, a sub brand of A.W. Hainsworth & Sons Ltd. Wools from Britain and New Zealand are used in the manufacture of blankets.
What do the black lines mean on a Hudson Bay blanket?
On every Hudson’s Bay blanket… most of which are white with red, green, yellow, and blue stripes…have points, or thin black lines, woven into one corner. The number of points indicates the size of the blanket. Eventually, the point blankets were the standard by which other items that were up for trade were valued.
How do you clean an old wool blanket?
The General Rule for all pure wool blankets is to always wash in cold water and gently wring or roll. A hand wash or delicate wash cycle and low-action washer spin on modern appliances can produce a good result.
What size is a 4 point Hudson Bay blanket?
The Hudson’s Bay 4-Point Wool Blanket measures72 W x 90 L and fits a standard double bed. Hudson’s Bay Blankets have been imported from England since 1779 and were once used as a form of currency between trappers and Native Americans.
Can I put my wool blanket in the dryer?
To dry wool blankets, it is best to hang them flat over a clothes line outside to support the weight of the wet blanket. Avoid putting wool blankets in the dryer, as it can destroy the softness and shape of the wool blanket.
How do you wash a sherpa blanket?
For most Sherpa blankets, the care is as follows: Machine wash cold. Only non-chlorine bleach. Tumble dry low. Do not iron. Do not dry clean.
Can wool be dried in a dryer?
Good news! Certain wool garments can safely be dried in a tumble dryer without the item shrinking. If your garment does not say Tumble Dry, it is best to flat dry your wool garment. You may also notice that your wool garment’s sew-in label says Machine Wash.
Do Hudson Bay blankets ever go on sale?
Those stylish stripes of green, red, yellow, navy and white on their iconic point blankets signify timeless class, style and quality. So, it’s no wonder that their twice-yearly sales, held in spring and fall and known as Bay Days, are some of the busiest and most popular sale days in the country.
Are old wool blankets valuable?
Textiles are usually pretty inexpensive when you find them used. Wool blankets might have a high price tag, even at a thrift store if they are considered collectible. Hudson Bay blankets with their heavy fulled character and stripes are usually at the high end, along with Pendleton blankets.
What size is a 6 point Hudson Bay blanket?
The Hudson’s Bay 6-Point Wool Blanket measures 90 W x 100 L and fits a standard queen bed. Hudson’s Bay Blankets have been imported from England since 1779 and were once used as a form of currency between trappers and Native Americans.
How many Native Americans died from smallpox blankets?
Harris estimated that 17,200 Indians died of smallpox in 1837–38, based on numbers from the main tribes involved: Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Lakota, Assiniboine and Blackfoot.
Can smallpox survive on blankets?
The virus can spread through these materials or through the objects contaminated by them, such as bedding or clothing. People who cared for smallpox patients and washed their bedding or clothing had to wear gloves and take care to not get infected.
How many natives were killed by colonizers?
European settlers killed 56 million indigenous people over about 100 years in South, Central and North America, causing large swaths of farmland to be abandoned and reforested, researchers at University College London, or UCL, estimate.
