Grenfell mats: a mission cottage industry of hooked mats in Newfoundland and Labrador (1906/1909/1913 to late 1960s)
Research finding · not yet checked at the source
- Made by
- Grenfell Mission (Dr Wilfred Grenfell), Industrial Department
- Date
- founded 1906, 1909 or 1913 (sources differ); peak late 1920s–early 1930s
- Place
- Northern Newfoundland and Labrador
- Materials
- burlap, silk and rayon stockings, dyed fabric
- Themes
- Rug-making techniques, Hooked & handmade rugs
Cite this source
Research notes
How it worked: the Industrial Department gave women kits of pre-dyed material and burlap with stencilled designs (dog teams, geese, polar bears), and they hooked the mats at home. A 1928 mission appeal asked supporters for worn stockings, so many mats are hooked with fine silk or rayon strips. The mission sold them through churches and supporters to fund medical work (Textile Museum of Canada; Canadian Encyclopedia; Meer). Conflicts: start date 1906 (Meer), 1909 (Paula Laverty, Silk Stocking Mats, McGill-Queen's, 2005, as summarised) or 1913 (Canadian Encyclopedia). Mats were made until the late 1960s, and output peaked in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Sources: https://textilemuseum.ca/collection/hooked-rug-t84-0117/ · https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rugs-and-rug-making · https://www.meer.com/en/37268-hooked-mats-of-the-grenfell-mission · https://49thshelf.com/Books/S/Silk-Stocking-Mats Research note (Oct 2026): from search results; pages not opened.