Exquisite Mohair & Wool Blanket

Exquisite Mohair & Wool Blanket

Description & Details

This sumptuously soft and cosy mohair blanket is made from the hair of an angora goat, one of the most luxurious fibres in the world. It is woven by master craftsmen in Spain according to traditional techniques dating back 700 years. Its silky lightweight yet dense and resilient fibres not only keep you warm in the winter – due to their insulating properties – but also cool in the summer – due to its moisture repelling and evaporating qualities. Since the 1930s, the Valgañón family has been weaving only the finest mohair in its mill, bringing out its remarkable natural qualities.

Mohair's Natural Qualities

A hollow breathable fibre that warms almost instantly when placed against the skin.
Naturally avoids wrinkles, dirt and odours, as it is a smooth fibre (like our own hair) requiring little cleaning.
Low static propensity.
Naturally flame-retardant.
100% biodegradable and ecologically sound, as the Angora goats are gentle on the land and don't cause erosion.
Extremely light - but amazingly warm.

Size & Weight

130x200cm
450gr/m2

Composition & Colour

73% Mohair & 27% Wool
Multi-Coloured

Ideas for use

Cuddle up on your couch with a warm tea and good book.
Rejuvenate an old chair or sofa.
Exchange your blanket with one or several mohair blankets for sleeping - because of its good moisture and temperature management properties, mohair bedding products can produce a deep and comfortable sleep in both the summer and the winter.

Care

It is recommended to dry clean this product; however, we have hand-washed many of our mohair pillows and throws in tests, and they wash well, if washed with care, in cool water using a wool-approved detergent. But NEVER spin dry or tumble dry.

How it is made

The Town of Ezcaray

Ezcaray is a small town in the Upper Oja Valley in northern Spain. Surrounded by mountains, forests and abundant water, it has been a reference in the textile sector for centuries.
The Angora Goat

Mohair is the wool from an angora goat and regarded as one of the most luxurious fibres in the world. It is characterized by and renowned for its outstanding smoothness, elasticity and durability; and its whiteness, glossy sheen and silkiness allow achieving vivid, bright colours.
Spinning

After the angora goats are sheared, the wool goes through an initial was hand is then combed and transformed into the soft, luxurious mohair "top". It is then spun, first into thicker and then finer yarn. The quality of the end product largely depends on this step and Mantas Ezcaray has safeguarded traditional spinning methods, which give their mohair a unique exquisiteness.
Cleaning

Once the wool is spun, it then goes through a cleaning, first in a cold bath, then in a hot bath from the waters of the clear river that runs alongside Mantas Ezcaray’s factory. The water in the region is perfect for textile cleaning and dyeing, which is one of the reasons there used to be many factories in the past.
Dyeing

The yarn is hank dyed, which is a very time consuming process in which colour penetration is maximised by dipping the fibre several times for periods of 48 hours in the dye before fixing it through steam. This method allows the yarn not only to achieve more vivid, bright and rich colours but also to retain a softer, loftier feel.
Air-Drying & Repose

The wool dries hanging on wooden sticks. The constant humidity of the Upper Oja Valley is good for the mohair and the slow natural process of air-drying adds to its quality. It then reposes before winding.
Winding

To prepare the weaving of the mohair, it is first winded on bobbins. This step needs to be done slowly and with care so as not to disturb the sleeping fibres essential for the end product’s fluffy and cosiness.
Warping & Tying

To make the mohair fabric, the yarn is warped, creating the lengthwise part of the fabric and the fringes, and then tied. Tying alone takes about two hours for one piece of fabric. If the crafts(wo)man makes a mistake during this step, the entire cloth needs to be undone, therefore, requiring incessant concentration and attention to every detail.
Weaving

The master crafts(wo)men use pick a pick looms from the 18th century to weave the mohair. These looms are originally mechanic but Mantas Ezcaray reconverted them into manual looms in order to be able to make any texture and idea they have in mind.
Quality control

To guarantee a perfect final mohair product, rigorous quality control is an essential step of the process. For example, if a yarn broke during weaving, it is manually repaired during quality control.
Finishing

Each mohair piece is finished by brushing it with natural teasels. This is another step in the process that sets Mantas Ezcaray apart from almost all other producers, who use metal teasels. Working with natural teasels makes the process a lot more complicated but yields more refined results to raise the "nap". Records indicate that in ancient Egypt mohair cloth was combed with natural teasels for the cloth worn by the pharaohs.
The Final Brush Stroke

To give them their fluffiness, the woven mohair is manually brushed, in line with traditions that go back to the 15th century. With extreme care, the crafts(wo)men gently coax the mohair to ease out tangle and create a soft and airy fabric.