Te Haukaikoura - Behind the Weave

Te Haukaikoura 

The Winter wind. 

This term is coined for the cold southern winds that blow upon our maunga. It identifies the winter season, more so, snow is falling to the south. It’s a seasonal marker, a sign of change, carrying with it the chill of winter and a reminder that all seasons come to an end, the old and withered die and the land hibernates. The village naturally draws closer together around the ahikaa, the long burning fires of duty. We inhibit warmth as we converse, we spark the embers of memory, provoke deep discussion of the present and cast our hopes and dreams forward into the future. 

This design is a reference to the value of seasonal markers that indicate change in our lives.

As the environment cycles we take our cue, commemorating the season that was, we cherish its bounty and mourn its losses. We look forward with hope into the future and usher in a new phase of growth.

 We wanted to acknowledge Takurua, a star cluster associated with Winter. The body of the blanket identifies a number of these stars, together they represent various aspects or personified forms of winter upon the earth. The color palettes reflect these and the environment at this time of the year. The golden leaves of foreign trees fall upon the path and the natives grow dark in the fog of wet valleys. We wove in a light blue hue as an ode to Hinetakurua, the winter maiden at sea with Tamanuiterā, leaving the land cold and the skies gray. 

 The style of this blanket is an ode to the period of early settlers, where wool blankets were a high value trading item or gift and became common attire, the ‘cross-hatch’ patterns and tasseled edges reflect an iconic part of our wool heritage story.

Read more about this series:

The Wayfarer Story - Part 1
The Wayfarer Story - Part 3
The Wayfarer Story - Part 4