The second to last piece we’re featuring in this Countdown to Backspace Forward is a simple and beautiful woven blanket. The blanket’s donors provided information indicating that the fibres were dyed with beets and onions, but the blanket’s colouring doesn’t appear to match what one would expect from beets (mauves/greys) and onions (greens.golds) This blanket is from the mid-19th century, so over the years factual information passed down by family can be lost or changed. While it is very likely that the fibres were hand-dyed, it is unlikely that the source for the red is beets.
The simple striped pattern is typical of the era. The blanket was worked by Margaret Morton c. 1835 and brought to Canada from Scotland. The centre seam gives a lovely effect, slightly breaking up the striped pattern and there’s some inspiring mending on the blanket’s reverse side. 
