Grenfell Rugs

Beginning in 1892 and for the next forty years English Doctor Wilfred Grenfell sailed the Labrador and Newfoundland Coasts setting up medical stations and maintaining them for the villagers living in remote huts who were in dire need of food, clothing and medical care.

Mat hooking was a native industry. The mats were hooked in straight horizontal lines, tightly packed with as many as 200 loops per square inch. The Grenfell Mission began trading clothing, food vouchers and money for the mats.

The mats were hooked with dyed stockings and cut starting at the top spiraling down to the tip of the toe. The stockings were hooked into finely woven burlap. Discarded xray film were cut into stencils and used to put the pattern unto the burlap. Each mat was tagged with a small cloth "Grenfell Industries" label and packed to be sent to the states.

Bibliography

Turbayne, Jesse A. Hooked Rugs. West Chester, PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1991

Visit www.heritage.nf.ca Grenfell Mission for more details.