Cozy Blanket – What Material?

Hi there, everyone!
In a few months, we’ll be celebrating an 80th birthday in our family. My gift idea is a warm, cozy (lap) blanket. I’d be interested to know what kind of material is popular with women of that age.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts...
Best wishes, Traudelina

Dear Traudelina,
I think your idea is great. I used to work as a geriatric caregiver, and the residents really loved having something warm over their knees.
I imagine organic cotton or mohair would go over quite well.
But I have no idea how easy they are to knit with, since I haven’t worked with them before.

Best wishes, Petra

I wouldn’t make something like this out of cotton, since it tends to make the blanket “relatively” heavy. I’d go for a cotton blend (for ease of washing) or fine merino wool—it’s lightweight and keeps you warm.

I think I’d go all out—it is an 80th birthday, after all :-)
A blend of
camel hair and wool
or
cashmere and wool

If you’re going to do it, do it right :-)

Thank you so much for your suggestions.
Yes, it really should be something woolly. I’m just not sure whether to go with organic sheep’s wool (since it relieves pain if something starts to ache now and then), but it has to be hand-washed—or maybe something else. Mohair is as light as a feather, but I’m not sure if that’s what people of that age are looking for in a blanket. Do people tend to prioritize lightness at 80?
Cashmere might also be lighter in terms of weight. Hmm…

Something that feels nice and isn’t too heavy. Cashmere would definitely be an option, especially since it’s a milestone birthday.
A relative who works at a nursing home once gave me this tip: when making something for older people, patterns with a bit of “texture”—something you can feel—work well. As eyesight declines, people often use their hands to orient themselves.

I’d recommend something that’s easy to care for. Cashmere is elegant, but it’s quite delicate. And if the blanket is going to be used often, it’ll need to be washed every now and then. That shouldn’t be too complicated for an 80-year-old lady. It should also dry quickly.

Thank you all.
Well, the birthday girl is still in good health (aside from a few minor ailments)—so the texture doesn’t really matter. Maybe I’ll go with something made of alpaca instead of delicate cashmere. Oh, the agony of choice…

I used LangYarns’ Omega yarn for a baby blanket. It’s cozy and soft, doesn’t shed, and is lightweight, too. Plus, it washes well, which is also an important factor. 

How about baby alpaca or merino?

Bamboo viscose also feels really nice—not exactly “cozy,” but wonderfully smooth and soft.

@Cornelia
Well, 100% poly... is out of the question for me. I don't carry that kind of material in my yarn shop either. But thank you anyway for your suggestion.



@Mel
I've also already considered baby alpaca and/or with merino.
I really like viscose, but I think for a blanket it can be warmer, too.
Thank you very much to you as well for your tip.

Well, polyamide is actually recommended specifically for babies. And the yarn is also recommended for babies. 

I totally agree with you about 100% acrylic. I don’t use that either. But Omega isn’t 100% acrylic. And I’ve seen that you also carry blended yarns containing acrylic in your yarn shop.

Omega is made of 50% polyamide and 50% acrylic = 100% synthetic fiber—sorry, I just don’t like that kind of thing personally, even if it’s highly recommended for babies. I’d rather give something of better quality as a gift. No hard feelings.

I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone in advance for your opinions and tips.
Best wishes,
Traudelina—who’s now decided on merino :-)
(Subject to a change of heart—grin)

It just goes to show how different tastes can be :) Pure wool would be too warm for me :) I only use it for clothes I wear outside in the winter when temperatures are around 0 degrees. By that, I don’t mean materials like kapok, silk, etc., but rather the warm natural fibers.