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Throws
Two throws, one width, two ways of crossing the threads
Both of our throws measure 130 by 180 centimetres and are woven from the same Scottish-spun two-fold wool. What separates them is the weave structure and the finish, and those two things change how each one sits on a sofa, how warm it feels and how it wears.
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The prices
| Piece | Price |
|---|---|
| Herringbone throw, 130 × 180 cm | £98 |
| Twill throw, 130 × 180 cm | £92 |
Each throw is posted folded in a drawstring cotton storage bag, and comes in bracken, rowan, heather or peat. Postage is added at the rates on our postage page.
Herringbone against twill
A twill is any weave in which each weft pick passes over two or more warp threads and the starting point steps along by one thread on every row. The result is a diagonal line running across the face of the cloth. Our twill throw is a plain two-and-two twill: over two, under two, stepping one each time, with the diagonal running the same way from selvedge to selvedge.
Herringbone takes that same twill and reverses the direction of the diagonal at regular intervals, so the lines meet in a point and the cloth reads as a column of chevrons, like the spine of a fish. On our loom the diagonal turns every twelve warp ends. Where it turns, the threads interlace a little differently, and that tiny break gives herringbone its crisp, ridged surface.
In practice the herringbone is woven slightly closer, with more picks beaten in per centimetre, so it is the denser and heavier cloth. The twill is woven a touch more open and then brushed, which makes it lighter and softer to the touch.
- Herringbone throw, £98. 130 × 180 cm, about 1.2 kg. Two-fold Scottish-spun wool. Washed and milled; face left smooth. Twisted fringe at both ends.
- Twill throw, £92. 130 × 180 cm, about 1.0 kg. Same yarn. Washed, milled and lightly brushed for a soft nap. Twisted fringe at both ends.
Weight in the hand
We list the weight of every throw because it is the most honest single measure of how a piece of wool will feel. Two throws of the same size can differ by several hundred grams, and you notice that difference the moment you lift one onto your lap. Ours are weighed after finishing, and the figure we give is a rounded average; any single throw may be a few dozen grams either side, because milling never closes two lengths of cloth to quite the same degree.
At about 1.2 kg the herringbone has a settled, substantial feel. It stays where you put it and does not slide off the arm of a chair. At about 1.0 kg the twill is easier to fling over your shoulders and fold into a basket, and it drapes into softer folds. Neither is a bed blanket; for a bed, see our bed blankets, which are woven from a slightly heavier yarn.
Size
130 by 180 centimetres is the width of a seated adult with a little to spare and long enough to reach from shoulders to feet on a sofa. It is also a size that folds into thirds to sit neatly along the foot of a double bed. We weave one size only for throws, because it suits nearly everyone and keeps the price fair.
Finishing: washed, milled, brushed
Cloth leaves the loom stiff and open, with the oil from spinning still in it. Every throw is first washed in warm soapy water to carry the oil away and let the yarn relax. Next it is milled: worked in water so the scales on the wool fibres catch on one another and the cloth shrinks a little and closes up. Milling is what makes a throw windproof and stops the threads shifting. The twill then goes one step further and is brushed, which lifts a fine layer of fibre from the surface into a soft nap. We leave the herringbone unbrushed so the chevrons stay sharp.
Fringe
Both throws are finished with twisted fringe, about eight centimetres long. At the finishing bench we take two small groups of warp threads, twist each the same way, then twist them together the opposite way and knot the end. The fringe cannot unravel and hangs in tidy cords.
Colourways
Each throw comes in all four of our colourways. In bracken, the herringbone shows its chevrons in copper against a darker rust; in peat, the pattern is quieter and you see it more by touch than by eye. Heather is the most changeable in different light, and rowan the brightest. If you are unsure, the yarn colour card costs £3 and shows every yarn we use.
We do not weave throws in other colours or in check patterns to order. The four colourways are the range.
Looking after a throw
Shake it out and air it outdoors now and then; wool sheds smells in a breeze. Brush off any surface fluff with a soft clothes brush, working with the nap on the twill. Wash only when it is truly needed, by hand in cool water with a wool wash, without rubbing or wringing, and dry it flat. Store it clean and folded in its cotton bag, which lets the wool breathe; a sealed plastic bag traps damp.
Ready to choose?
Tell us which throw, which colourway and where it is going. We reply with the total including postage and a link to pay. Nothing is charged before that.
Buy from the loom