MacAusland Wool Blankets & Throws🍁

Here at The Real Wool Shop, MacAusland Wool Blankets are a top seller! Our customers love the high-quality and comfortable feel of these Canadian-Made blankets. Whether you're looking for a new blanket for your bed, a throw for the couch, a cottage essential, or a great gift, these MacAusland blankets are the best choice! Read on to learn more about how MacAusland’s Woollen Mills came to be the company we know and love today!

History of MacAusland’s Woollen Mills

This family-owned business hailing from Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, is a jewel of the Atlantic – it is the only mill in Atlantic Canada producing quality, pure, virgin wool blankets! The mill was originally a gristmill and sawmill back in 1870. In 1902, Archibald MacAusland realized his dream of opening a woollen mill and they began operations by producing yarn. In 1932, they moved into the blanket weaving business after recognizing the great success it could bring them. Over the years, the business has been handed down the generations and, as of 2023, is in its 5^th and 6^th generation!

The mill has gone through a couple of significant changes in its time the first being a major fire in 1949. Although only one piece of equipment survived (an extractor), they rebuilt and continued to run their business. The next big change came in 1976 when they converted from water turbine and diesel power to full electrical motors. Despite the changes over the years, the mill chooses to continue crafting its high-quality products with old-fashioned machinery and techniques!

Transforming Wool into Blankets

Check out our From Sheep to Shop Blog to learn more about the process wool goes through to make it into your favourite woollen products. MacAusland wool is washed and dried before being put through a carding machine to be brushed. The wool then gets spun and put onto a loom so it can become a blanket – it takes 1600 warp threads to make a blanket! The freshly woven blankets are then pre-shrunk, hung to dry, brushed, and hemmed to make the polished finished product we sell here at The Real Wool Shop.

Visiting and Shopping

If you ever find yourself in PEI, you can stop by MacAusland’s Woollen Mill to see where and how your MacAusland blanket came to be. They are happy to welcome visitors interested in their family-owned and proudly Canadian business! If you can’t make it out East, come shop with us at The Real Wool Shop where we carry a variety of lovely MacAusland blankets! Not only will you love your MacAusland blanket, but they also make for perfect gifts!

We also carry Eucalan Wool Wash for all your wool washing needs - check out our blog on Eucalan to learn more about its benefits!