Wool Throw Blankets & Valentines Ideas
Curling up on the sofa under a blanket with a good book is one of my favourite things, especially if I can persuade the dog to come and have cuddles too. So, I’m very excited to introduce my new lambswool throw blankets!
Bringing Collingwood-Norris into the Home
This is the first time I’m trying homeware, bring Collingwood-Norris into your home. Until now I have been predominantly making accessories for wearing outside, so it feels like the right time to also offer something to keep you warm and cosy when you’re inside. Before now I haven’t tackled wool throws and blankets because I wasn’t sure I could knit something wide enough on my knitting machine. This year I thought I should at least try one and see, and the result is a generous single blanket. They’re ideal if you want the whole thing to yourself when having a little nap on the sofa, or big enough to share with someone else as a lap blanket when you’re having a night in and watching a film- and I’m really pleased with them.
Lightweight Lambswool
Like my blanket scarves, the blankets are very lightweight, but still warm and cosy. They’re made from the best quality lambswool, which is all mulesing/cruelty free, and spun and dyed in Scotland using GOTS (global organic textile standard) approved dyes. Wool is a great fibre for a throw or blanket- the fibres trap the heat, so it is warm but breathable. The lambswool I use is incredibly soft, and unless you’re extremely sensitive, it feels really nice against the skin.
I hand frame each lambswool blanket on my knitting machine- they’re the biggest pieces I’ve ever made and they take time, care and precision. They are then hand washed and hand finished by me and checked at all stages.
New Colours for Blankets
I’m gradually introducing some new colourways this year, and the lambswool throw blankets seemed like a good place to start. You may recognise Mist and Jura, both very popular as blanket scarves, and the blankets are just bigger versions. I’m also introducing Skye and Rona, new colours for 2020.
The Skye blanket has rich Hebridean sea tones, with a flash of lime green reminiscent of evening sun catching bright green seaweed on the beach.
The Rona blanket makes me think of those wonderful deep evening sunsets you sometimes get, with a deep warm red, pink and dark blue.
Thoughtful Ideas for Valentines Day
Now that it’s February, a certain day is coming up… Valentine’s Day. If you’re concerned about your impact on the climate, why not opt for thoughtful gifts or experiences instead of buying short lived pink things? Plan an outing to visit somewhere new (I bet there’s something local you haven’t been to because it’s close by) or walk to a good viewpoint at sunset (maybe with a blanket for when you get there as it’ll be cold while you’re watching the sun go down!). You could bake a favourite cake or cook a favourite meal, go dancing, or take a class together and learn something new. Or of course, you could snuggle up together under a cosy blanket and watch a great film, or maybe start reading a book together.
I always think the best gift you can give is your time. It’s so easy with occasions like this to buy things that you’re “supposed to” buy like flowers or cute teddies, but these things are often a short-lived gift, quite often made or grown unethically, and it’s really just a gesture rather than something meaningful.
Whatever it is you do for your loved one, I think the main thing is to make it thoughtful, spend time with them and of course show the person and people you care about that you love them on other days of the year too!
Getting Leni to sit on this chair did involve bribery, and even then she left it very quickly!
The great thing about my lambswool throw blankets is that they’ll last for years if you look after them. They’ll be there every time you want to have a cosy evening on the sofa, something to go round your shoulders at the beach, or on the bed every night.
My dog Leni thought thinks they are great- it’s the first time she’s been so happy to be in photos, and she was really put out when the blankets were taken away at the end. A real furry seal of approval!