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Bed blankets
Blankets measured against the bed they cover
One cloth, woven in three widths. Our bed blankets are a two-and-two twill in a slightly heavier Scottish-spun wool than the throws, milled firmly and brushed on both faces, so they hold warmth and stand up to years of use.
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Sizes and prices
| Blanket | Finished size | Weight | Made for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bed blanket, single | 150 × 200 cm | about 1.5 kg | UK single bed, 90 cm wide | £135 |
| Bed blanket, double | 200 × 230 cm | about 2.3 kg | UK double bed, 135 cm wide | £165 |
| Bed blanket, king | 230 × 250 cm | about 2.8 kg | UK king bed, 150 cm wide | £195 |
Every blanket comes in bracken, rowan, heather or peat, with hemmed or fringed ends at the same price, and is posted folded in a cotton storage bag.
Sizes against bed widths
The widths in the table are the standard UK mattress widths: 90 centimetres for a single, 135 for a double and 150 for a king. Subtract the mattress width from the blanket width and halve it, and you have the overhang on each side. A single blanket on a single bed hangs 30 centimetres each side. A double on a double hangs 32.5. A king on a king hangs 40.
That overhang is what lets you tuck a blanket under the mattress, which is how a wool blanket works best: held close, with no gap at the sides for the heat to escape. If you like a blanket to sit loose on top of a quilt instead, you can go down a size, but for tucking in, buy the size of your bed.
Length works the same way. A standard mattress is 190 to 200 centimetres long, and our blankets are 200 to 250 centimetres, enough to fold back a generous turn at the top and still tuck at the foot.
- Widths cut for UK mattresses, with overhang worked out above.
- Weights listed are averages after milling; one blanket may differ by a little.
- Folded into a drawstring cotton bag for storing out of season.
Layering, and weight by season
A wool blanket is most useful as one layer among several. In the depth of winter, put it directly over the top sheet and under a quilt or duvet; the wool traps a still layer of air close to you while the quilt keeps it there. In spring and autumn, take the quilt away and the blanket alone is often enough. On a warm summer night, fold it down to the foot of the bed where it waits for the early hours.
Because we weave one blanket cloth, the weight you choose is set by the size of your bed rather than by the season. If you sleep warm, a single blanket folded double across the foot of a double bed is a good half-measure. If you sleep cold, two blankets layered are warmer than one heavier one, because of the air held between them.
Hemmed or fringed ends
The sides of every blanket are selvedges, the closed edges that form as the weft turns back at each pick, so they need no finishing. The two ends are where the cloth was cut from the loom, and you choose how we finish them. Hemmed ends are turned over twice and stitched flat, which is tidy and tucks cleanly under a mattress; this is the standard. Fringed ends are twisted into cords at the bench, the same way as our throws, and suit a blanket that lies over the foot of the bed or a chest. The price is the same either way; say which you want on the order sheet.
Washing wool by hand
A wool blanket needs washing much less often than you might expect. Air it outside on a dry, breezy day two or three times a year and it will stay fresh. When it does need washing, a bath is the easiest place to do it.
- Fill the bath with cool to lukewarm water, no warmer than you would comfortably keep your hands in, and dissolve a little wool wash in it.
- Lay the blanket in, press it gently under, and leave it to soak for ten minutes. Do not rub, scrub or wring; agitation is what shrinks wool.
- Drain, refill with water at the same temperature to rinse, and press again. A sudden change of temperature can mill the cloth further.
- Press out what water you can, roll it in large towels, then dry it flat or over two parallel lines, away from direct heat and strong sun.
Never tumble-dry a wool blanket, and keep it away from radiators while it dries. Once fully dry, a light brush with a soft clothes brush will lift the nap again.
The yarn behind the blanket
Our blankets are woven from a two-fold Scottish-spun wool a little thicker than the throw yarn, chosen to stand up to tucking, pulling and years of laundering. It is all wool: there is no nylon, acrylic or other synthetic thread anywhere in the cloth, and we do not offer a blended version at a lower price.
Colourways match the throws and scarves, so a bracken blanket and a bracken throw sit together on one bed exactly as you would hope.
Buy from the loom