The wool throw for the end of the sofa.

Pendleton has woven blankets in the Pacific Northwest for more than a century, and most of its wool blankets still come from its mills in Oregon and Washington. The Eco-Wise line is its machine washable wool: 100 percent wool, colorfast, and made to resist shrinking and pilling. It is OEKO-TEX certified.

The throw is 54 by 60 inches plus a 3 inch self fringe. Pendleton's instructions are to machine wash it separately, cold, on a gentle cycle, with no bleach, and to line dry. That is the whole reason to choose it over a dry clean only throw: the dog can sleep on it and nobody has to make a trip to the cleaner.

It is a flat, practical wool, not a lofty, brushed one. If you want the famous Pendleton patterns, note that many of the jacquard throws are wool and cotton blends that must be dry cleaned.

Faribault Mill has been weaving in Faribault, Minnesota, since 1865, and it is one of the few American woolen mills that still handles the whole process under one roof. The Cabin throw is woven there from a Rambouillet and Merino wool blend sourced from Rocky Mountain sheep farms, finished with a whipstitched edge.

At 50 by 72 inches and 1.75 pounds it is longer than most throws and heavy enough to feel like a blanket without being a burden in the lap. The maker lists it as machine wash and line dry. It has several hundred reviews on the maker's site, the large majority five stars, with softness and weight the usual praise.

Wool from Rambouillet and Merino is soft for wool, but it is still wool. Anyone who finds wool itchy against bare skin should look at cashmere or a cotton throw instead.

Pendleton has woven blankets in the Pacific Northwest since the early twentieth century, and its National Park stripes are among its best known designs. This throw is 90 percent wool and 10 percent cotton, 54 by 72 inches, big enough to drape over the back of a sofa or across the foot of a bed.

It comes with a leather carrier and shoulder strap, so it rolls up for picnics, games and road trips, which is what makes it a good gift as well as a good throw. Pendleton supports the National Park Foundation with each purchase.

Skip it if you want something quiet. The stripes are bold by design, and in a spare, pale room they will be the loudest thing in it.

Faribault Mill has woven wool in Faribault, Minnesota since 1865, and the Frontier throw is made there: 100 percent wool with a fine hand, in a natural color with a classic stripe inspired by the American West.

At 50 by 72 inches and about 1.75 pounds, it is lighter than a camp blanket and easy to fold over the arm of a chair. The natural color is the one to choose if you want the throw to blend in rather than stand out.

Skip it if you need a throw you can machine wash. For that, Faribault's Cabin throw and Pendleton's Eco-Wise line are the easier choices.