Why wool is different from fleece
Fleece is warm, light, and cheap. But fleece is polyester: it does not breathe, does not absorb moisture, and is flammable. Wool absorbs up to 30% of its weight in moisture before it feels wet. It regulates temperature passively: warms you when you are cold, cools you when you are warm. It is naturally flame-retardant: wool does not begin to burn until around 600°C. And wool lasts decades with proper care; fleece pills and loses loft after five to ten years of washing.
Pendleton's mill in Oregon
Pendleton operates its woollen mill in Pendleton, Oregon, and a second mill in Washington State. The company has existed for more than 150 years and has never moved production to lower-cost countries. A Pendleton blanket is a thoroughly American product: the wool comes partly from their own flocks, the weaving and dyeing happens in their own mills. That is unusual in the textile industry.
Buying as an investment, not a commodity
A Pendleton National Park blanket costs around $120 to $160. That is four to six times more than a standard fleece blanket. But with proper care (cold wash on a wool cycle, laid flat to dry) it lasts twenty to thirty years without loss of quality. Over that period, it is the cheaper option.
The National Park series
The National Park series began in 1938 as a tribute to America's national parks. Each pattern is based on the colours and motifs of a specific park. The Yellowstone and Yosemite patterns are the most recognised. They have become collector's items: families keep them for generations.
