While I still think that the Scottish Mills aren't ripping us off, admittedly Arrocgow has a point. I don't think that worsted wool 13 ounce can easily cost $8 a yard, but it doesn't have to cost $70 a yard, either. I'm guessing what drives the price throught he roof is the wide variety of tartans they produce.

Examples of tartan woolens that DON'T cost what the Scottish Mills charge...

Amana Woolens Blanket
http://www.amanawoolenmill.com/store...&svSubGroupID=

$50 for what is essentially a two-yard piece...ie $25 a yard.

Northwest Woolen Mills also produces blankets in solid and simple checks. The blankets are both 100% wool and various blends. The price is amazingly low. Of course, you have to buy 50 of them!

http://www.northwestwoolen.com/bedblankets.htm

I wonder if they can do a tartan run? I wonder what the difference is between producing blankets and producing tartan

Here's a throw from Woolrich.

http://www.woolrich.com/CGI-BIN/LANS...D5506Z+PRD+ENG

Great price! Note the product details...wool/acrylic blend and imported. I wonder where it was made?

On the other hand, here is a selection of blankets from several USA and European Woolen Mills. One of them is the Faribault Mill, one of the oldest Mills in the USA. Note the prices for what is essentially 2 yards of double-width cloth; from about $55 a yard to about $75 a yard.

http://www.orgonelab.org/cgi-bin/sho...=yblankets.htm

Finally, something to note.... I didn't look all That hard, and of course everybody knows about Pendleton Woolen Mills. but you know, I found a fair number of USA-based woolen mills that made blankets...quite a few that made cotton things, but almost NONE that made actual wool cloth. Lots of places produce yarn, in fact that's almost a cottage industry. People that keep 100 sheep or 50 alpaca produce their own yarn.

But strangely enough, I didn't find many references to actual cloth-producing, wool-utilizing mills in the USA or Canada. I bet I know why, too....

...because they can't compete with the incredibly low prices of cloth coming out of Asia and Central America. I don't KNOW that, but I *bet* that's the case. When the Chinese and Indians and Indonesians decide that there's a market for worsted, yarn-dyed wool and they can make a significant amount of money at it, then there will be inexpensive kilting wool around.