New Scottish Blanket

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31166, 16 September 1966, Page 2

New Scottish Blanket

Research and inventiveness in the world of science have undoubtedly made the life of the housewife much easier than it was for her grandmother.

One has only to think of the machines now used in the home, of new fabrics, washing and cleaning products, of new techniques of food preservation, to realise how greatly the work of running a home has been eased and improved. Yet, sometimes, the discoveries of the 20th century are used to their best advantage when they are allied with techniques and processes known for generations. One company in Scotland is combining man-made fibres and the age-old techniques of lace-making to produce blankets which are selling throughout the world. The blankets, as soft as cashmere, give warmth without weigh' and combine fleeciness with an open weave. They are woven from nonshrink fibres such as brinyion and acriian, and can be washed either in a machine or the sink. They can be spun-dried or wrung without

coming to any harm. They will not burn ojr even smoulder—and they can be stored without fear of damage from mildew or moth.

The idea of using lacemaking machines to produce blankets from man-made fibres wa: first thought about by two companies in Scotland at a time when, it was felt, the very existence of such fibres threatened the existence of the lace industry. The two companies decided to combine their knowledge and experience of techniques to form a new company which, after much research and experiment, produced the blanket.

Not the least of its appeal to the housewife, in addition to practical considerations, lies in the attractive range of contemporary colours available—blues, pinks, greens, yellows and lilac. The size range goes from double-bed to cot and pram sizes. Other products now in the

research stage include bedspreads and sheets.

In the short time that the blanket has been on the market in Britain its sales have rocketed —and it is now exported to many countries, including Australia, South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, Canada, Singapore, France, and the countries of the Middle East