Kate Clayton “Granny” Donaldson, Cow Blanket, 1936, crocheted and appliquéd cotton and vegetable-dyed wool, 31 7/8 × 35 1/2 inches. Gift of Peggy Dodge, 1976.62.71. © Estate of Kate Clayton Donaldson, image David Dietrich. Kate Clayton “Granny” Donaldson lived in rural Marble, NC, not far from the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, which was founded in 1925. Granny Donaldson was known for her striking small blankets—sometimes referred to as cow blankets—that combined crocheting and appliqué and were often used as wall hangings. Although the motifs are similar in all of Donaldson’s blankets—a human figure, a basket, various animals, vines, a vase of flowers—each is its own individual composition. In this refreshingly cheerful work, recognizable farm animals in differing colors and sizes (including a pink mouse) inhabit the same landscape as what appears to be two camels. Both abstract and fanciful, Donaldson’s blanket draws the viewer into a game of guessing the identity of each shape.
