The Green Sheep

Every blanket has a story.

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Maureen

“My sisters LOVED their throws (both cried).” (“Peace” and “Butterflies for Momma”)

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Hello! I’m Joan Olson, designer and maker of The Green Sheep blankets, all made from repurposed and felted wool sweaters. Each design begins with a story, such as a mom’s love for her daughters (“Happy Winter”) or an empty-nester roadtrip through Colorado (“Garden of the Gods”). I’m delighted when people tell me they reach for the comfort of their blanket just as they would a favorite sweater.

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  • Baby and toddler items (20)
  • Blankets (102)
    • Big blankets and throws (73)
    • Blankets for children (24)
    • Custom-made blankets (43)
    • Lap blankets (4)
    • Legacy Blanket Collection (11)
  • Items available to buy (9)
  • Miscellaneous posts (62)
  • Other wool things (9)
    • Mittens and fingerless gloves (5)
    • Ponchos and vests (2)
    • Stockings (4)
  • Recycling (4)

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Glorious, peaceful, rejuvenating morning walk 🌾 #morningsarethebest #northernillinois #midwestlife
Playing with some polar bear sketches and paper trials.
Following a couple of very busy months, I had a surprise rainy day (always productive!) off today from my day job (low census!) and so began building a baby blanket for a client. A little polar bear will be part of this before the project is through.
I recently finished this pair of custom-ordered blankets, made almost entirely from a customer’s own cashmere sweaters. Soft, soft, soft! But the variety of colors was initially hard for me to wrap my mind around. (I write about some of that process over on the blog —follow link in profile.) I ended up thoroughly enjoying the challenge, and I got very attached to each unique blanket.
Some time ago I put a pic here of me casting off some knitting that someone else had begun. That piece arrived in a box of eight 100% wool, hand knit sweaters that a client’s mom had made. Her mom passed away suddenly and the sweaters were put into storage until recently. Now they’ve been remade into two blankets for twin grandsons of the original knitter. It’s so cool to me to be part of passing on something so meaningful 😊. (You can read more of their story over at my website. Link in profile, o’ course!)
Got some bold contrast and hot colors burning up the hardworking sewing machine needle this week. #custom order #customerssweaters
Unusual, beautiful crystals on the balcony railing outside my bedroom this morning. #winter #northernillinois #itgotcoldagain #morningsarethebest
Have you guys played with @makelight ’s free color tool? It lets you see the colors you used most frequently through 2017 on your Instagram account. You can even check out the color scheme on someone else’s account if you want to do a little research 🤓. (Be sure to watch the video first to get the most out of the tool.) Oh MY, it’s fun. Photo 1: I moved the greens to the middle. Photo to: Colors in my most-liked posts. Each consecutive photo further refined the group to the most used colors. I actually love the last group! #yearofcolour #greensheepstudio #sewingstudio #artstudio #fiberartist #fiberart #textileartist #textileart
After a sweet end of 2017 with precious people, I’m now back in the studio making a pair of blankets from an amazing set of hand-knit sweaters. It feels so good to be slicing, laying out, solving design problems, and sewing. Ahhhh. A favorite space!

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The Gallery of Blankets

A Soft Answer
A Soft Answer
“G” is for Griffin
“G” is for Griffin
Bora Bora Blue: The Sea Beckons Her
Bora Bora Blue: The Sea Beckons Her
A Quiet Creature
A Quiet Creature
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods
Fullness of Peonies
Fullness of Peonies
The Things We Love to Wear
The Things We Love to Wear
Whooo's Sleepy?
Whooo’s Sleepy?
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Satin and Lace
Satin and Lace
Thirsting for Righteousness
Thirsting for Righteousness
Sunshine and Happiness
Sunshine and Happiness
Easy Together
Easy Together
Blessed are the Meek
Blessed are the Meek
Heart[h] and Home
Heart[h] and Home
A Plaid Affair
A Plaid Affair
Whooo's Sleepy?
Whooo’s Sleepy?
Blessed are the Merciful
Blessed are the Merciful
Yellow Roses
Yellow Roses
Hope
Hope
Honorarily Dutch
Honorarily Dutch
Learning to Swim
Learning to Swim
The Pond
The Pond
The Pond
A Sunbeam to Warm You
A Sunbeam to Warm You
The Night Garden
The Night Garden
Sealed with a Kiss
Sealed with a Kiss
Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice
Blessed are the Meek
Blessed are the Meek
Rainy Day
Rainy Day
The Norwegian Artist
The Norwegian Artist
The Twain Shall Meet
The Twain Shall Meet
Sunshine and Happiness
Sunshine and Happiness
Under the Sea
Under the Sea
The Birthday Coat
The Birthday Coat
Easy Together
Easy Together
Under the Sea
Under the Sea
The Artistic Norwegian
The Artistic Norwegian
Summer Nostalgia
Summer Nostalgia
Happy Winter
Happy Winter
The Norwegian Artist
The Norwegian Artist
Family
Family
A Sunbeam to Warm You
A Sunbeam to Warm You
Irish Grey
Irish Grey
The Norwegian Artist
The Norwegian Artist
Baby in the Badlands
Baby in the Badlands
Quiet at Last
Quiet at Last
The Light Changes Everything
The Light Changes Everything
Little Cherished One
Little Cherished One
A Pair for Notre Dame
A Pair for Notre Dame
Celebrating Ellie
Celebrating Ellie
Rainy Day
Rainy Day
Sealed with a Kiss
Sealed with a Kiss
Calliope's Castle
Calliope’s Castle
Sunset with Flowers
Sunset with Flowers
The Things We Love to Wear
The Things We Love to Wear
The Twain Shall Meet
The Twain Shall Meet
A Soft Answer
A Soft Answer
Celebrating Ellie
Celebrating Ellie
Heart[h] and Home
Heart[h] and Home
Sunshine and Happiness
Sunshine and Happiness
Learning to Swim
Learning to Swim
©Joan Olson "Blessed are the Merciful" (61x75) Felted wool sweaters
©Joan Olson “Blessed are the Merciful” (61×75) Felted wool sweaters
Pink Posies
Pink Posies
“G” is for Griffin
“G” is for Griffin
The Sand and the Sea
The Sand and the Sea
Butterflies for Momma
Butterflies for Momma
Little Cherished One
Little Cherished One
Happy Winter
Happy Winter
The Princess & the Sunny Day
The Princess & the Sunny Day
Whooo's Sleepy?
Whooo’s Sleepy?
Mickey & Theo
Mickey & Theo
Baby in the Badlands
Baby in the Badlands
Nap Hunting
Nap Hunting
Summer Nostalgia
Summer Nostalgia
Nap Hunting
Nap Hunting
A Pair for Notre Dame
A Pair for Notre Dame
Irish Grey
Irish Grey
Tiger Tracks
Tiger Tracks
Love in the Rainforest
Love in the Rainforest
A Quiet Creature
A Quiet Creature
Visiting Grandma
Visiting Grandma
The Things We Love to Wear
The Things We Love to Wear
Rainy Day
Rainy Day
Pink Posies
Pink Posies
The Artistic Norwegian
The Artistic Norwegian
Baby Goes Hiking
Baby Goes Hiking
The Princess & the Sunny Day
The Princess & the Sunny Day
The Things We Love to Wear
Calliope's Castle
Calliope’s Castle
Peace
Peace
Thirsting for Righteousness
Thirsting for Righteousness
In Argyle Style
In Argyle Style
The Sand and the Sea
The Sand and the Sea
The Light Changes Everything
The Light Changes Everything
Irish Blue
Irish Blue
The Christmas Rainbow
The Christmas Rainbow
The Redbud
The Redbud
Baby Goes Hiking
Baby Goes Hiking
Fullness of Peonies
Fullness of Peonies
Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice
J Loves J
J Loves J
In Argyle Style
In Argyle Style
Thirsting for Righteousness
Thirsting for Righteousness
The Christmas Rainbow
The Christmas Rainbow
Honorarily Dutch
Honorarily Dutch
Irish Cream
Irish Cream
Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkin Patch
Butterflies for Momma
Butterflies for Momma
Hope
Hope
The Artistic Norwegian
The Artistic Norwegian
Satin and Lace
Satin and Lace
Mickey & Theo
Mickey & Theo
Sealed with a Kiss
Sealed with a Kiss
A Plaid Affair
A Plaid Affair
Poncho
Poncho
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Blessed are the Merciful
Blessed are the Merciful
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
The Twain Shall Meet
The Twain Shall Meet
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods
Family
Family
A Soft Answer
A Soft Answer
“G” is for Griffin
“G” is for Griffin
The Princess & the Sunny Day
The Princess & the Sunny Day
Irish Cream
Irish Cream
Quiet at Last
Quiet at Last
Bora Bora Blue: The Sea Beckons Her
Bora Bora Blue: The Sea Beckons Her
Tiger Tracks
Tiger Tracks
Under the Sea
Under the Sea
Pillows for a Princess
Pillows for a Princess
Pillows for a Princess
Pillows for a Princess
Peace
Peace
Yellow Roses
Yellow Roses
The Sand and the Sea
The Sand and the Sea
Calliope's Castle
Calliope’s Castle
Sunset with Flowers
Sunset with Flowers

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