Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with blanket

DOG PERIOD BLOOD IN BED. CAN I JUST SLEEP IN IT?

defmute — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:15:08 -0800

my dog bled on my blanket (i think mine's called a com-fort-or). can i still sleep in my bed? my dog's been on her period for a while and we always kick it pretty good in bed and i thought her period was over but i guess not and i've actually been sleeping in bed with a few half dollar siezed dogperiodblood spots on the pillows, com-four-door, sheets and mattress. am i okay? do i need to disinfect my sleeping arrangements?

A warm-weather comforter that's heavy and cool

muddgirl — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:37:20 -0800

My spouse is desperately looking for a "summer comforter", that is at the same time heavy and not-too-hot! We've tried a normal polyester comforter (heavy enough, a little too hot) and a duvet-style comforter from Target that was labeled "Warm" (certainly heavy enough, also a little too hot). On the other end, the single-layer woven blanket that I use isn't heavy enough. He hates having multiple layers of sheets/blankets, which is why I think a duvet is the way to go.

Now, I'm looking for the softest, thinnest duvet insert to see if that will satisfy him. But it seems like "heavy" and "breathable enough to be cool" are mutually exclusive. Does anyone have experience finding a good summer comforter? Is there a particular insert material we should be looking for? Is there a good way of evaluating the warmth of a duvet insert before we buy it?

Where can I find a cheap waterproof picnic blanket?

orangemiles — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:56:22 -0800

Where can I find a cheap, waterproof, picnic blanket? Didn't Off used to make one? I seem to remember a highly-advertised waterproof throw blanket that was available in grocery stores or Target/Walmart stores. It was royal blue on one side and sky blue on the other... my friend used to use it under her kids' high chairs. Where can I find one? Google is failing me.

Where can I find THAT blue one?

I need help identifying blanket with Arabic writing on it.

Listening — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:45:00 -0800

I have a blanket with Islamic (Arabic) writing (maybe parts of the Quran, Koran?) woven around it that I found and need help identifying it? The blanket is beautiful but the interesting thing is that it has metal threads woven in the fiber. Very very small flat threads that are woven into the yarn it's self. When I first felt the blanket I thought I was feeling some very raw wool because of its ruff hand, but after using my loop (field lens) I saw the metal. It looks to be brass, maybe gold. It doesn't show very much from the front or back so doesn't seem to be ornamental. I also think that the writing that is woven around the inner and outer edges are Arabic but I don't know what they say, someone suggested passages from the Quran. Any help would be great. It is such an unusual piece. I should mention that the fibers are all natural.

Testing the warmth of a blanket.

plasticbugs — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:03:47 -0800

How can I empirically test the relative warmth of a blanket? For science (and for my very strange job), I need to test three different blankets for "warmth".

My plan: to put three different people inside of three separate refrigerators (like cola refrigerators - the ones you see in convenience stores with the glass doors). My test subjects will be wearing nothing but boxer shorts and one of three test blankets. The refrigerators will probably be set to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

I am taking all safety precautions and won't be keeping my subjects inside the refrigerators for more than 30 minutes. Don't worry, there's going to be PLENTY of people on hand to ensure this is done safely.

How best can I test the "warmth" of these blankets? I'm thinking that if each subject wears a large pool thermometer around their neck, I'll get a reading from the amount of heat that exists between the person's body and their blanket.

Am I on the right track? Or will each thermometer read approximately 98.6 (because of its proximity to the body) after 30 minutes of testing?

How do I knit with multiple strands of yarn?

timetoevolve — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:19:41 -0800

My knitting pattern directs me to knit with multiple strands of yarn held together, but I keep ending up with a mess. What's the best way to do this? I am the moistest newborn in knitting, and this snuggly throw is my first non-scarf project. I am using the same yarn and supplies mentioned in the pattern (different colors, however), but I'm a bit lost on the holding-four-strands-together business. I have the yarn wound into four separate center-pull balls, but how do I keep it from becoming a snarly mess?

I don't care so much about the strands being perfectly separate - it's just a throw, and I think the colors are supposed to blend together. At the moment, I have the balls inside a plastic shopping bag tied together at the top, and I have been pulling a yard or so of each ball out at a time. Is there a better way?

Thanks in advance (from my cold, blanketless feet).

Help me find some WoW bedding for my boyfriend.

internet!Hannah — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:22:12 -0800

Attention WoW users! I'm trying to find a World of Warcraft blanket or pillow for my boyfriend's upcoming birthday, does anything like this exist? My google-fu is weak. Secondary question: If they don't make these, do you have an recommendations for those websites that will custom make pillow cases and whatnot? I'd like something quality and comfortable, not those cheap looking and feeling homemade pillows you see.

Tertiary question: Any other gift suggestions for a WoW obsessed boyfriend? He's already preordered the new one coming out, and I don't play myself, so I'm kind of at a loss here. T-shirts aren't possible, as he would wear them in public with me (my enabling only goes so far).

Thanks!

Slanket v snuggie

condour75 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 07:01:57 -0800

I've given up any pretenses to dignity. Should I buy a slanket or a snuggie? From what I can tell, the original Slanket seems a little longer and comes in more colors, but it's effectively 4 times the price of the Snuggie. So is the slanket simply overpriced, or is the snuggie a cheap imitation?

Googling slanket versus snuggie reveals that the question has been asked, but no one has come up with a definitive answer.

Best Blanket

dreamphone — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:47:08 -0800

Seeking first-hand accounts of experiences with warm blankets. Choices (as I see it) are wool, fleece, or flannel. This year, we bought a midweight down duvet (~48 oz, queen sized), planning to pair it with a warm blanket in the cold New England winter months. Anyone have strong recommendations or warnings-off for fleece, flannel, or wool? (I’m guessing that cotton isn’t going to be warm enough. )

Additional relevant details: We keep our thermostat around 62 at night, and I run cold. In previous years, we used two duvets, stacked, within the duvet cover. We do have an old (likely 45+ years) Hudson Bay Point wool blanket, which I haven’t tried yet. We’ll switch to a lightweight duvet in spring and summer, so no blanket needed for those months.

My Office Is So Cold the Lactic Acid FREEZES.

Medieval Maven — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:11:54 -0800

So I've started a new, pretty hard-hitting exercise regime (bootcamp, if you wanted to know) and I'm sore as crap, and my office is excruciatingly cold. I'm trying to figure out how to mitigate this, since the cold is making my muscles clench up and that, you know, does not feel good. Things I can't do-

1) Turn the thermostat up past 72. People will bitch and then turn it back down.

2) Space heater, for obvious reasons.

3) Not work out until I am no longer sore.

FWIW, I did not have this problem yesterday, but yesterday I went home where I can make sure the house is not so cold as to send me into gales of shivering.

I was thinking blanket for my legs (I am already wearing a sweater), maybe an electric blanket. Is this a really awful idea for reasons I don't know? I know that hot yoga is supposed to be good because it facilitates better stretching with the being hot part, and I don't want to get THAT hot, but even with getting up frequently, eating meals outside, and stretching today, my legs are ridiculous. Sorry if this seems stupid, but I've just not been in this particular situation before and I don't want to do something stupid out of ignorance. Any other suggestions that do not involve Ben-Gay (since I do have coworkers, who are apparently also Polar Bears) are very, very welcome.

Bedroom tips needed!

mikewas — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:57:00 -0800

Last night I slept in my own bed after several days in the road and realized that the hotel beds were much more comfortable and rejuvenating than my own. How can I replicate the hotel-bed experience at home? My mattress and/or box spring is about due to be replaced, so I'm more than willing to do that. Also looking for tips on the frame and bedding (sheets, blankets, duvet, duvet covers, and pillows... especially duvet and pillows). What should I look for, including specific brands? How often should I expect to replace the various components?

Tips from hotel professionals are especially appreciated.

Night Night little ones

widdershins — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:28:22 -0800

How do you get toddlers to keep their blankets on overnight? We have 18-month old twin girls. They wear PJ's to bed (full-length/footies now that it's getting cooler [we live in CT]) and we cover them with a nice fleecy blanket. Problem is, of course, that they move around at night and manage to kick their blankets off and they're not big enough yet to pull their blankets back on. So my wife and I get up frequently throughout the night to make sure they're covered and warm enough.

Are there any tricks to get them to keep the blankets on? I'd love to hear your experiences with anything that worked. When do they start pulling blankets back on themselves?

(They're too big for the HALO sleepsacks. We also pay attention to their temperatures, and they're not pulling the blankets off because they're too hot.)

Microfleece Blanket Pilling

jasmeet — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 21:57:53 -0800

My sweetie bought me a microfleece blanket for Christmas, and it's great, except it's been pilling like there's no tomorrow, from day one. I've run a lint roller on it, I've washed it several times, and it seems to be getting worse. I really want to 'fix' this blanket, since it was such a special present. Not to mention it's winter and I've been sick.

Are layers really warmer?

white light — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 06:10:19 -0800

If layers are better for warmth (as I have been told as long as I can remember), why isn't there a blanket made out of a bunch of thin layers fastened together?