Tartan Blanket Co. Recycled Wool Blanket - Rust Check

The whole range of sustainable blankets from TBCo. are so beautiful!  From traditional tartan designs to modern check and herringbone, all in stunning colours... there's something for every taste here! The recycled wool range is made from the most durable wool and is incredibly soft, super warm, generous in size, and machine washable.

We think it's just fab that these blankets have been woven from discarded clothing, and waste diverted from landfill, and have been made into something so beautiful, useful, and durable! With the proper care for these blankets could last you for many years to come.

We love the ethos of this wonderful small business too! As a business they are committed to go above and beyond in their positive impact, to not just focus on doing no harm, but to do some real good instead. They are committed to donating 1% of all their revenue to the planet and 1% to the people. So 1% of every purchase you make with TBCo. will go to helping protect the environment and offsetting more carbon than they are producing, and 1% will go to charities and community projects around the world to help those in need. This means that each time you choose to buy a TBCo product, you are also choosing to give to others.

Read about their Positive Impact Pledge HERE

Here's some expert advice from the TBCo. on how to care for your recycled wool blanket:

"You know we’re all about colsie self-care, and we’re all about wool care too! Here's our approachable guide to washing wool. It's easier than you think and can be done at home. Discover our best tips and tricks for keeping your blankets and scarves as beautiful as the day you bought them.

CARING FOR WOOL

Freshen Up:

Wool is naturally breathable which allows any moisture it may pick up to dissipate. Lucky for you, this means you can get away with washing it less than other fibres, and less washing prolongs the lifespan of the material and is better for the planet. So before you try washing, have a go at letting your blanket hang outside for a couple of hours on a dry day to refresh your wool.

Spot Treat:

If your wool is stained in one place, try spot treating with a bit of wool soap. Wet the spot, then gently work the soap in the stained area. Remove soap and dirt with a cloth that does not leave lint behind. Instead of sponges and paper towels, try soft towels or an old pillowcase. Be sure to remove all soap by dampening the cloth and repeating the process.

Depilling:

When wool fibres become loose, they form little balls or pills. Pilling is a direct result of friction (which naturally occurs with movement), so the more you use your wool, the more likely it is to pill. Good news is, pilling is easy to take care of with a depilling comb (also known as bobble remover). Just glide the comb in one direction over target areas to leave renewed yarns behind.


WASHING & DRYING WOOL

Machine Wash:

Ideal for Recycled Wool.

Most wool can’t be washed in a machine because heat causes shrinkage and spinning can cause loss of shape, but thanks to the 30% landfill-saved fibres in our Recycled Wool, the dense, twill weave stays tight and only gets softer with each wash. Make sure to separate darks and lights and add wool soap and fabric softener (optional) to the dispensing drawer rather than to the drum. Run the “wool wash” if your machine has one under 30ºC (or 80ºF for our friends across the pond). If not, run a 30ºC or less cycle with the lowest possible spin cycle. You want to avoid friction as much as possible. If there is a stain, let wool soap sit on the spot for 10 minutes before washing. We can’t guarantee every machine will be able to wash a blanket without problems, but when we tried it ourselves they turned out just lovely.

Hand Wash:

Hand washing wool is pretty straightforward, and for the most part, you just let water and soap do its thing. Fill your sink or bathtub with lukewarm water (30ºC or less) and add some wool soap, which is a gentle laundry detergent specially made for washing wool and delicates. Mix it in well before adding your wool to the water. Submerge your wool into the soapy water, then let it soak for at least 10 minutes. We also highly recommend using this 10 minutes for a nice cup of tea :)

Next, give your wool a gentle swirl and give any areas that need particular attention a gentle rub with your hands. Avoid rubbing the fabric together, like you might do when you hand wash other fabrics. Friction is the key thing to avoid with wool, as that is what causes shrinking and bobbling. Remove the wool and rinse twice with clean water.

Dry Clean:

Ideal for Merino & Cashmere, and all wool types.

The safest way to wash any wool textile is to have it dry cleaned.

Drying:

Now, this is the bit where you need to take the most care. The last thing you want to do is stretch your wool by wringing it or hanging it to dry. Instead, press the water gently, and lay your wool flat to dry. To speed up the process, lay it on clean dry towels and roll your garment up like a swiss roll in order to squeeze out the excess water. Unroll your wool, reshape if needed, and lay flat to dry.


STORING WOOL

Storage:

The best way to store your blanket is to fold it in a breathable container, like a cotton storage bag in a dark and dry place. Clean your blanket before you store it to prevent moths, which is especially important for cashmere. You can always pop some natural moth repellent into the container with your blanket and rest assured."

THE TARTAN BLANKET CO.

"Emma and Fergus here, the co-founders behind The Tartan Blanket Co.

The Tartan Blanket Co. was born out of a desire to create a company with real passion and real soul. We wanted to create beautiful, natural products which would bring warmth to people's hearts and homes, as well as having a truly positive impact on the world around us. However, it didn’t happen overnight and the wonderful brand we have managed to create is the result of many evenings dreaming, a crazy amount of hard work, a constant juggle of family and business, an amazing team behind the scenes and a huge leap of faith.

Back in 2014 we were living and working in London, but our hearts were still firmly back in our home town of Edinburgh. We spent many nights talking about our dreams to start our own business and what that might look like. Then following our wedding we decided to take a big risk and make another huge commitment to each other, to start our own business together! As they say, ‘in for a penny in for a pound’! So we packed up our London life and headed back up north ready to start our new chapter.

With Fergus’s background in business and experience in the highland-wear industry and my background in fashion buying and merchandising, we saw an opportunity to bring a modern approach to one of our favourite Scottish products: the tartan blanket. Traditional Scottish tartan blankets are made of wool or cashmere which means they are all natural and fully sustainable, which felt really important to focus on, especially in today's world of fast fashion and disposable products. We wanted to take this sustainability element even further and travelled the world looking for mills in line with our ethics to join us in our vision of traditional Scottish goods with a contemporary edge.

We soon realised that Scottish mills were not always the most sustainable, transparent and dynamic option, so we began to look further afield. This led to a big adventure around the world learning a huge amount about the process of wool production, dying, spinning, weaving and finishing. After exploring many different production options, we settled on two main partnerships in India and Inner Mongolia.

After years of nourishment and growth, they have now become an elemental part of our journey and The Tartan Blanket Co. family. Our partner mill in India is run by a family team, who uses 100% recycled materials and supports a community of women who hand finish all of our recycled wool blankets, creating much needed jobs and giving each blanket a personal, unique finish.

Our other partner mill is a family business based in Inner Mongolia who uses traditional, people-led farming methods, putting the animals welfare first. They also work with local dyers, spinners, weavers and finishers, which supports the village community and maintains end-to-end production transparency and control. Due to their climate and farming methods, this area is known for having the softest lambswool and cashmere worldwide and allowed us to expand our range into the most beautifully gentle scarves and baby blankets.

While creating and developing our production partners, our family has grown too! Our first born Alfie (the dog) joined us in 2014 followed by the arrival of our little girl Aila in 2016 and then our twins Amabel and Mara in 2018. They really have turned our world upside down with their arrival, but in all the right ways and there is never a dull moment! Like our family, our wonderful office and warehouse team has grown very quickly too. Through it all, the ethos of creativity, community and kindness has been a focus at every stage. Our team is a family in itself, supporting and helping each other and our customers, while using their creativity and passion to develop modern, Scottish inspired designs.

A huge focus for us while creating this business has been the people we work with and the impact we are having on the planet, especially as we grow. We have always focussed on being a mindful, supportive company, but this year we made a commitment to be a Positive Impact Company. We don’t want to just avoid leaving a negative footprint on this planet, but to try and leave a positive handprint and a bit more love in our wake. So we are super proud to have launched our 1% for the planet, 1% for the people commitment, where we will donate 2% of all revenue to help protect our wonderful planet and support those in need.

The Tartan Blanket Co. was created with passion and soul and we try to put that into every design created, every product woven, every email sent, every order wrapped and every pound donated. We feel that this is what makes our products so unique and real, keepsakes that you can treasure and gift with pride and joy, designs to be loved and used daily that are passed down for generations. When we read customer stories about how much you’ve loved your blanket, how beautifully it was wrapped and noticed what care went into your order, it’s a feeling that can’t be beat; it makes all the late nights and hard work completely worthwhile. So thank you to everyone who has shopped with us, you really have helped make our dream come true!

All of our Love and Warmth,

Emma, Fergus, Aila, Amabel, Mara, Aflie

& the rest of The Tartan Blanket Co. family x"