Via This is GlamorousAs winter approaches, I'm constantly consumed by thoughts of all things cozy. Something I would have loved to own is a family heirloom blanket, and while I do have some memories of a plaid blanket stowed in the trunk of my mom's Volvo, it was a polyester blend that probably incorporated naturally-shed squirrel fur, recycled plastic and motor oil. I don't remember anyone ever sitting near, let alone on that blanket.
For those of you who also haven't been lucky enough to inherit your grandma's well-cared for wool blanket, there is still hope. That hope is currently being hand-made in Northern Maine, where they know a thing or two about keeping warm.
Their story from the Web site:
"In the early 1990’s John and Carolyn Grace moved to Swans Island off the coast of Acadia National Park and commenced a small weaving operation using local wool. They had been lawyers in Boston and had finally realized their dream of living close to the land in Maine. They knew that many Maine islands were traditionally sheep islands, and that the wool they produced was used in textile mills that today stand idle or have found new uses. The Graces decided to create wool blankets by hand using time-honored and still-remembered traditions. They found people who raised sheep and learned to make their own dyestuffs, to weave on hand looms, and gradually discovered how to produce beautiful blankets. By 1996 Swans Island Blankets was nationally recognized and won a Smithsonian Blue Ribbon for Craft."
Not surprisingly, these blankets and throws do not come cheap -- with prices in the hundreds they definitely fall into wedding gift territory. If you want to learn more about these heirlooms, check out Katy Elliott's post about her visit to their studio, and if you're interested in buying one locally, Valerianne in Vienna, Va. has several in stock.