Wool Blanket

Touch of luxury: Heavy Wool Blankets

There is nothing like a thick, boiled wool blanket on a cold winter’s day. Curling up beside a good fire with a blanket over your knees is indeed, a touch of luxury. There are many types of wool blanket thick ones thin ones, coloured, decorated, grey, cellular, woven, knitted or crocheted. It is your decision which blanket is the right one for you. Small blankets can be used as beautiful shawls, as a throw on your sofa or on a bed.

Wool Blankets Canada Blanket Traders

In Canada during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries blankets were used for trading purposes. The blankets were made in Witney, Oxfordshire, England of 100% pure wool and exported to Canada. The Canada wool blanket, a heavy wool blanket, was the equivalent of todays high tog duvets.

The Point blanket

There was a point system, invented by French weavers in the 1700’s, where the blanket was graded and indigo/navy blue lines were woven onto the side of the blanket denoting its finished size. The blankets were traditionally white with red, yellow, green and indigo stripes and came in a variety of sizes. In the 1812 war, point blankets were used to make the mackinaw a heavy wool coat, they did not shrink or get hard in the severe weather as they had already been treated in England prior to being exported.

Wool types

Merinos are a breed of sheep which are bred specifically for their wonderful thick, fine and warm wool. It is, arguably, the best and softest wool in the world, spinners and weavers alike love the superb quality. The wool is often used in a blend with other wool types such as cashmere and silk and in New Zealand a mix of merino and possum fur is used to produce fine quality knitwear. Climbers and hikers the world over choose merino wool in preference to synthetic fibres for its warmth retaining properties and its ability to regulate the temperature of the body when worn next to the skin. Blankets made from Merino wool are light yet wonderfully warm and highly prized in the market place.

Alpaca Wool Blankets

There are many other fibres that can be used either on their own or blended with sheep wool to produce fine wool fabric or wool yarn for making blankets. Alpacas are bred specifically in the Andean regions of South America for their fibre and meat. They are smaller than the llama and not designed for carrying. The fibres are used to produce many items including blankets, ponchos, hats, bags and fine alpaca wool sweaters. Their wool is a soft, durable and warm natural fibre with water repellent properties. Angora wool comes from the Angora rabbit it is a relatively new wool it is generally blended with sheep wool to give the fibres more elasticity. Mohair wool comes from the Angora goat and has tremendous insulative properties.

Types of blanket

There are many types of blanket available on the market from many retail outlets. There are also blankets that you can create from home or in a good night class at your local school or college. Woven blankets are the most common blanket and come in a multiplicity of wonderful colours and contemporary designs. They are woven on either a factory loom or from a hand craft outlet on a hand loom. The handcrafted blanket will cost more but will usually be an original piece with a unique design and colour way. Boiled wool blankets are felted and extremely heavy but will be the warmest type of blanket available. Canadian wool blankets are renowned for their quality.

If you wish to create your own wool blanket then the best way is to equip yourself with a pair of knitting needles or a crochet hook, some fine, pure wool knitting yarn and an elementary design to start with either on paper or in your head and start knitting.