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It is not known when the blanket was made, but it and several others were found in the old MacLeod home in Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia. The quality of wool depends on the type of sheep from which it was taken. Most sheep are sheared once a year, after which the wool is washed to remove grease, plant matter and other dirt the sheep has picked up. The wool is spun into yarn, and then woven or knitted into the desired handiwork. The fibers, or staples, can vary from being fine with a very tight crimp, or coarse with a loose crimp. Finer staples are used for clothing and the coarser ones are used for upholstery, blankets, carpets and other utititarian products. The properties and accessibility of wool make it an excellant material for use in bedding. It is an excellant insulator and will last for years without looking old or worn. This wool was woven on a loom with 5 stripes running along one edge. Various desired lengths were cut and then joined by hand-stitching the white sides together, providing a striped border on either side. Source: Humphries, Mary. Fabric Reference. Third Edtion. Upper Saddle River, NJ:Pearson Education, Inc. 2004
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