Interview: Meet The Maker Behind our Favourite Woollen Blankets

McNutt's Irish woollen blankets are firm favourites for several reasons. They make the perfect gift to so many different people in your entourage - Whether it's your friend who is constantly cold, the home lover who would rather stay in and watch movies  than go out or your design lover friend who is looking for the perfect throw to go on their couch. 

With their growing success and Winter having truly arrived, we decided to have a quick chat with William McNutt who has worked hard on growing the family business. 

McNutt have been making woollen products since 1953, what inspired you to continue the family business?

"The first real motivation was the lack of real alternatives, if we want to continue to live here in Donegal, we have to provide for ourselves! However we are also passionate about textiles, creating new designs and we have a wonderful team working here depending on us to keep the show on the road."

Where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the blanket colouring?

"We mostly find it from our surroundings here in Donegal. We are lucky enough to be based on the beautiful West Coast of Ireland, we feel we are where Ireland meets Scandinavia. We like to blend traditional Irish design with the use of bright colours and incorporating some Nordic influences too."

What stage of the production is still hand-made?

"The finishing touches to the blankets are still hand-made such as the cutting of the cloth, the labelling and the folding for all the blankets to then be ready for delivery."

What would you recommend the best wool would be to keep warm on a cold and wet day?

"I always feel the lambswool blankets are the best to keep warm, as they are soft and comfortable as well as warm – the ideal blanket to wrap yourself into."

What’s the biggest challenge when it comes to working with wool?

"It would have to be the relentless pressure to keep coming up with something “new”."

You did a Collaboration with Industry & Co where yourself and our creative director Vanessa worked on a special production. Is this something you enjoyed? 

"This was a great experience. In order to create the Industry blanket, Vanessa brought some fresh creative thinking and we worked on a few new concepts and techniques. Which we have actually now incorporated into some of our own designs going forward."