MIAKASA BLANKET (CORAL)

While a blanket is wonderful to keep warm and comfortable it is also a very decorative element in your home. Just look at any interior magazines or type into living room or bedroom and you will spot a (wool) blanket in majority of the images. Similar to decorative pillows, wool blankets also add that extra splash of colour and style to your life. The advantage of a wool blanket is that it does not catch fire, burn or melt.

• Shearing : Sheep are sheared once a year—usually in the springtime. A veteran shearer can shear up to two hundred sheep per day. The fleece recovered from a sheep can weigh between 6 and 18 pounds (2.7 and 8.1 kilograms); as much as possible, the fleece is kept in one piece. While most sheep are still sheared by hand, new technologies have been developed that use computers and sensitive, robot-controlled arms to do the clipping.
• Cleaning and Scouring : Wool taken directly from the sheep is called "raw" or "grease wool." It contains sand, dirt, grease, and dried sweat (called suint); the weight of contaminants accounts for about 30 to 70 percent of the fleece's total weight. To remove these contaminants, the wool is scoured in a series of alkaline baths containing water, soap, and soda ash or a similar alkali. The byproducts from this process (such as lanolin) are saved and used in a variety of household products. Rollers in the scouring machines squeeze excess water from the fleece, but the fleece is not allowed to dry completely. Following this process, the wool is often treated with oil to give it increased manageability.
• Carding : Next, the fibres are passed through a series of metal teeth that straighten and blend them into slivers. Carding also removes residual dirt and other matter left in the fibres. Carded wool intended for worsted yarn is put through gilling and combing, two procedures that remove short fibres and place the longer fibres parallel to each other. From there, the sleeker slivers are compacted and thinned through a process called drawing. Carded wool to be used for woolen yarn is sent directly for spinning.
• Spinning : Thread is formed by spinning the fibers together to form one strand of yarn; the strand is spun with two, three, or four other strands. Since the fibers cling and stick to one another, it is fairly easy to join, extend, and spin wool into yarn. Spinning for woolen yarns is typically done on a mule spinning machine, while worsted yarns can be spun on any number of spinning machines. After the yarn is spun, it is wrapped around bobbins, cones, or commercial drums.
• Weaving : Next, the wool yarn is woven into fabric. Wool manufacturers use two basic weaves: the plain weave and the twill. Woolen yarns are made into fabric using a plain weave (rarely a twill), which produces a fabric of a somewhat looser weave and a soft surface (due to napping) with little or no luster. The napping often conceals flaws in construction. Worsted yarns can create fine fabrics with exquisite patterns using a twill weave. The result is a more tightly woven, smooth fabric. Better constructed, worsteds are more durable than woolens and therefore more costly.
• Finishing : After weaving, both worsteds and woolens undergo a series of finishing procedures including: fulling (immersing the fabric in water to make the fibres interlock); crabbing (permanently setting the interlock); decating (shrink-proofing); and, occasionally, dyeing. Although wool fibres can be dyed before the carding process, dyeing can also be done after the wool has been woven into fabric.
  The thread is twisted into yarn The yarn is wound into a warp that is put on a loom and woven to fabric. The fabric is washed, and perhaps felted or brushed to get an appropriate 'finish'. The cloth is cut into blankets and an edging is sewn on

Wool is a breathable fibre that provides instant warmth unlike synthetic materials. It regulates itself to the individual body temperature and really is warm in winter whilst cool in summer. It is also a great buffer against rain, wind and snow. The scientific reasons for these ‘miraculous’ properties are that, in cold temperatures, wool removes (wicks) moisture from the skin whilst at the same time its insulating qualities trap dry air and warmth. In warm temperatures, wool’s breathable qualities draws in air which removes excess heat and moisture from the body, helping the wearer stay cool. To add to that, wool is naturally water-resistant, repelling moisture vapour through its fibres and making it resistant to rot, mould and mildew.

Wool is a highly practical fibre. Easy to clean because dirt sits on the surface of the fibre, it needs very little washing or laundry. It dries quickly and is flameretardant. Naturally anti—allergenic, wool doesn’t collect static which attracts dust and dirt and so those with allergies to house-mites or dust are turning to wool bedding.

In the winter, wool warms without overheating or causing clamminess. Conversely, in spring and summer, it helps to keep you cool by wicking moisture away from your skin. This capability makes wool the ideal material for bedding as it helps your body to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the night, regardless of the season.