Premium Ritzy Juniper Heavyweight Unbleached Wool Blanket - Natural Cream & Brown Plaid, 60" x 80" - Cozy Warmth for Bed, Sofa & Winter Camping

Product Description

Heirloom Quality At Reasonable Cost RITZY wool blankets are designed with affordable luxury in mind, using the best possible materials, and time honoured techniques, to deliver heirloom quality at reasonable cost. We love working with wool, and we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of RITZY blankets. Our blankets are made from 100% pure wool, a delightfully comfortable, durable, and versatile material, with renowned natural qualities. We believe that making well-informed, sustainable buying decisions by investing in quality products that stand the test of time, is not only the kindest choice for our planet, but by far the best value for your money. We're thrilled to share our knowledge and experience to help you choose the right wool blanket for your needs! Heirloom Quality At Reasonable Cost RITZY wool blankets are designed with affordable luxury in mind, using the best possible materials, and time honoured techniques, to deliver heirloom quality at reasonable cost. We love working with wool, and we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of RITZY blankets. Our blankets are made from 100% pure wool, a delightfully comfortable, durable, and versatile material, with renowned natural qualities. We believe that making well-informed, sustainable buying decisions by investing in quality products that stand the test of time, is not only the kindest choice for our planet, but by far the best value for your money. We're thrilled to share our knowledge and experience to help you choose the right wool blanket for your needs! Why Choose A 100% Wool Blanket? There are some advantages to adding synthetic fibres to wool blankets; wool blend blankets are often more budget friendly, lighter, and less prone to shrinking. However, when considering the long term value of investing in a quality wool blanket, the addition of synthetic fibres introduces a variety of disadvantages; blankets made from a blend of wool and synthetic fibre do not have the same insulating properties of 100% natural sheep's wool, and will never feel as warm and comfortable. Synthetic fibres are not breathable, and while they are moisture wicking, they are not moisture absorbent, leaving excess moisture and humidity to be reabsorbed by your clothing and bedding. Wool fibres can absorb large quantities of water vapour – twice as much as cotton and thirty times as much as polyester – helping to keep your body dry and prevent the build-up of sweat and unpleasant smells. Why Choose A 100% Wool Blanket? There are some advantages to adding synthetic fibres to wool blankets; wool blend blankets are often more budget friendly, lighter, and less prone to shrinking. However, when considering the long term value of investing in a quality wool blanket, the addition of synthetic fibres introduces a variety of disadvantages; blankets made from a blend of wool and synthetic fibre do not have the same insulating properties of 100% natural sheep's wool, and will never feel as warm and comfortable. Synthetic fibres are not breathable, and while they are moisture wicking, they are not moisture absorbent, leaving excess moisture and humidity to be reabsorbed by your clothing and bedding. Wool fibres can absorb large quantities of water vapour – twice as much as cotton and thirty times as much as polyester – helping to keep your body dry and prevent the build-up of sweat and unpleasant smells. The fineness rating of wool determines the weight, warmth and cost of wool blankets. Wool of 28-32 microns fineness is ideally suited to weaving the finest thick, heavy weighted blankets, that are better at insulating heat by trapping more air between fibres. GSM rating is an important factor to consider when choosing the right blanket for you; GSM stands for Grams Per Square Meter and refers to the weight of the fabric. The higher the GSM rating, the thicker and warmer the blanket. GSM rating Wool Fineness Rating What Determines The Weight, Warmth & Cost Of Wool Blankets? RITZY blankets are woven from 100% natural sheep's wool of 28-32 microns fineness, that has not been chemically treated. RITZY Plaid Squares is a heavyweight, 650 GSM wool blanket, suitable for cold winter nights indoors, or cooler overnight temperatures outdoors. RITZY Plaid Squares is uniquely designed to keep you warm on those cooler evenings at the cottage, cabin, camping, around the fire pit, or while enjoying outdoor events. Size 66in x 86in Weight 5lbs 100% Wool 28-32 Microns 650 GSM Sheep's Wool Smells Like Lanolin & That's A Good Thing! Sheep's wool is coated in a naturally occurring waxy substance called lanolin, a highly beneficial emollient, that aids in repelling surface water and maintaining the moisture balance of the wool fibres. Most of the lanolin contained in wool fibres is separated and purified during wool processing and added to cosmetics and other products, as it is revered for its ability to slow down water loss from the skin. The remaining lanolin gives sheep's wool its characteristic smell, and while it is not appreciated by everyone, it repels surface water and stains, and also protects and maintains the wool fibres to keep your blanket in top shape for a long time. Lanolin is unique to sheep's wool products! Why Do Wool Blankets Shed Fibres? Shedding has about as much to do with the quality of the wool fibres used, as it does with the thickness, weave, and finish of your blanket. Shedding is often more pronounced with softer, more lustrous wool fibres like angora, mohair and alpaca that have raised, fuzzy, hair like texture. Extra care should be taken when washing this kind of blanket, as any moisture and agitation will cause significant shedding. Blankets made from wool blended fibres like polyester and nylon, will often shed more than pure wool blankets, simply because synthetic fibres do not felt and interlock together the way that wool fibres do, and more often than not, the synthetic fibres end up releasing in the wash; synthetic fibres are prone to static electricity, which makes them cling and transfer onto other surfaces. If shedding is a concern, a pure wool blanket is the way to go! During our special milling and finishing process, moisture, heat and friction are carefully applied to tighten the weave and improve the feel and texture of your RITZY blanket. This process ensures that with proper care, your blanket will not shed, or shrink in the wash. Why Do Wool Blankets Shed Fibres? Shedding has about as much to do with the quality of the wool fibres used, as it does with the thickness, weave, and finish of your blanket. Shedding is often more pronounced with softer, more lustrous wool fibres like angora, mohair and alpaca that have raised, fuzzy, hair like texture. Extra care should be taken when washing this kind of blanket, as any moisture and agitation will cause significant shedding. Blankets made from wool blended fibres like polyester and nylon, will often shed more than pure wool blankets, simply because synthetic fibres do not felt and interlock together the way that wool fibres do, and more often than not, the synthetic fibres end up releasing in the wash; synthetic fibres are prone to static electricity, which makes them cling and transfer onto other surfaces. If shedding is a concern, a pure wool blanket is the way to go! During our special milling and finishing process, moisture, heat and friction are carefully applied to tighten the weave and improve the feel and texture of your RITZY blanket. This process ensures that with proper care, your blanket will not shed, or shrink in the wash. TIPS For Easy-Peasy Washing & Wool Blanket Care! Caring for your wool blanket is much simpler, and less demanding than you might have thought! Wool blankets are very easy to care for and you don’t need to wash them often, in fact, it’s best to wash them sparingly, once every three months. The hydroscopic properties of wool allow wool blankets to absorb up to 30% their weight in vapour moisture. This ability to absorb moisture prevents wool blankets from building up static electricity which attracts lint and dirt from the air. It is most often enough to air wool blankets outside whenever freshening up is needed, give them a good shake, and use a soft bristle brush to remove surface soil and smooth the fibres of your blanket. When wool is soiled it's important to remove stains promptly. The outer layer of wool fibre has a thin protective wax-like film, which acts like a raincoat, enabling wool to shed droplets of liquid without wetting the fabric. While it is best to wipe up spills in the moment, you can remove a liquid stain by spot cleaning as soon as possible, with warm water and a mild detergent. Do not scrub the fabric! Instead, soak the stained area with warm water and detergent and blot with a soft cloth. When heat and moisture is applied to wool fibres they become weaker and more prone to felting. Wool fibres have scales that allow wool material to be breathable and absorbent, but when they become saturated with water, the scales open and fibres easily become entangled, especially if excessive heat and friction is applied. What does that mean for your blanket? Wool blankets that are heavily soiled, can be washed safely at home, either by hand or in the washing machine & by adhering to the following simple tips, you can ensure that your blanket will last a very long time: When selecting a wash cycle, look for your washing machine's wool cycle. If your machine does not have a wool specific cycle, make sure to select a gentle cycle, that does not agitate the clothing harshly. You want to avoid washing machine cycles that feature an excessive spin cycle. You'd want to make sure to select either a cold, or lukewarm water cycle, that is relatively quick, no longer than half an hour, to avoid soaking your wool products longer than needed. Modern washing machines have special cycles that aim to reduce the amount of water used to clean a load of laundry. While great for the environment overall, this is bad news for your wool blanket. You'd want to make sure that your wool items are not crowded, and have plenty of space and water in the wash, to reduce agitation as much as possible. Wool dries very quickly, and should never be tumble dried. The best approach for drying wool blankets, is to lay them on a flat surface until dry. It's important to keep wool blankets out of direct sunlight and away from heat when drying, sunlight can cause colour fading; excessive heat while drying may result in coarseness of the fabric. As long as you care well for your blanket by following these simple rules, it will look and feel amazing for a very long time!