Mum’s new venture has baby covered

News release

Mum’s new venture has baby covered

A Christchurch mum has set up her own business producing merino blankets for babies after searching in vain for a traditional New Zealand-made wool blanket for her new-born daughter.

“I couldn’t find something that was soft and nice that also had the last-a-life-time concept,’’ explains 37-year-old Daneen Lascelles. “Everything was either made in Australia or made in China and if it was a wool blend it wasn’t soft.’’

Instead of settling for second-best Daneen decided to produce her own line of Snuggly blankets made of 100% New Zealand high country merino wool. The blankets are made in South Canterbury and come in a range of colours. Each is edged with luxurious French ribbon to add a contemporary touch. The blankets are ideally suited for bassinettes and cots but are large enough to fit a single bed so your child can keep the blanket as they grow.

With daughter Samantha aged just nine-and-a-half-months getting the business, Cover Me Blankets, off the ground has been tough but satisfying work for the first-time mum who is driven by a desire to see every New Zealand child with their own woolen blanket.

“I’ve just donated a box-load of blankets to Plunket and that meant more to me than selling 100 blankets. A woolen blanket is something every child in New Zealand should have.

“There is something so comforting about being wrapped in wool,’’ says Daneen, whose father was a wool buyer and whose grandparents were farmers.

“This is a completely new venture for me - I used to work in the hotel industry. This isn’t something I would ever have come up with if I hadn’t been pregnant and unable to find a blanket for my baby like the one I had when I was a little girl.’’

The business has only been running for a couple of months but the blankets are already being sold nationwide in leading babies/children’s stores and Daneen is eying opportunities for expansion.

She is currently working on a range of interior throws for adults who want the comfort and warmth of a merino blanket. She is also looking at expanding the colour range of her baby blankets, which are non-allergenic and asthma-friendly.

But with Samantha nearly walking and only in childcare for a few hours two days a week life for Daneen is a juggling act: “On Tuesdays and Thursdays while Sam is at daycare I put on my business hat and just go for it. Sometimes I’m not sure how it all happens but I guess when you’re passionate about something then you just find a way of making it all work.’’

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