There's something inherently comforting about sleeping under a summer blanket—like being wrapped up in your favorite time-worn T-shirt—soft, familiar, casual. Once commonplace in New England, the lightweight wool blanket has given way to generic, slightly sterile white down comforters. The hand-loomed blankets by Swans Island are steeped in old-world charm, not to mention craftsmanship and quality. The timeless styles are created by hand from a rustic 18th-century farmhouse in Northport, Maine. Loomed on vintage machines, they're then dyed with such natural materials as indigo, finished with silk thread and packaged in custom cedar-lined linen bags. The understated luxury and simple styling certainly resonated with another historically-minded Maine designer, Rogues Gallery's Alex Carlton. After picking up some for his house, he decided to stock the cult-favorite covers at his flagship in Portland, just south of Swans Island's farmhouse factory.

From $495, at Swans Island

• The rare wool blankets are made from naturally occurring black sheep, which go gray after just three years.