Pendleton Merino Wool Blanket

100% virgin merino wool is soft, warm and breathable, and the woven red tartan is homey and versatile. The wool from merino lamb is finer than other wools, so this blanket is plenty soft to the touch. There’s really nothing like cocooning in a wool blanket, drinking something warm and perhaps alcoholic, and noodling away from the whips and blows of the coming cold months. Wool is a natural insulator, the lamb hair sealing in the heat and locking out moisture, should you spill a little warm beverage.

Pendleton has been warming people’s bodies for over 140 years, weaving wools for nearly a hundred of those in their own mills in the Pacific Northwest. It started in 1863, when English weaver Thomas Kay left the second ever Northeast milling company to sail down to Panama, cross over the Straight on a donkey, and scoot up the Pacific coast. He set up shop in Oregon, in what was then America's newest state. The climate was perfect for raising sheep — not too cold, and lots of rain. Originally weaving Native American blankets for tribes based on their designs, Kay's company encapsulated the pioneer spirit of the American West.

Wool fibers are naturally resistance to stains, water, and even fire (though tossing it in the fireplace to prove a point is not recommended).

Wool's resilience, low static and hairy surface help to repel dirt. On a normal day, just brush the dirt off the surface and air out.

Wool also doesn’t wrinkle. Just hang it if it seems a little rumpled, and it’ll be nice and straight by morning.

These blankets are incredibly low maintenance. Yet another reason why Pendleton was the favorite of cowboys and native Americans, and any one else with a rugged outdoor life.

If necessary, the blankets should be dry cleaned.

Freshly shorn wool is scoured to remove dirt, sweat salts, oil, and grease — which account for close to 50 percent of the weight off a sheep's back. (Note to self: Never hug a sheep.) The wool is then blended and dyed with vibrant, European acid-based dye, prior to being carded and spun into yarn.

Pendleton (named after the small town where the mill stands to this day) was passed down from generation to generation, the heirs trained since birth in the inner workings of the woolen mill industry. To this day, Pendleton is still a family company. Despite advancements over the last century and a half in scouring, shearing and weaving technology, the blankets are all still Oregon-made. The wool is shorn from live, humanely treated sheep, and nothing that leaves the mills is made from scrap wool. It’s all fresh — and toasty to boot.

Please email support@kaufmann-mercantile.com.  We reply to every email promptly. Or call us at 347 529 5122.

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