Newbie from New Hampshire USA Looking for Wool in All the Wrong Places

raminthethicket · 17th November 10, 12:47 PM

Hi All!

I'm sad to say that I do not wear a kilt (I'm female for starters) but I came here to ask for some information, and I hope you all don't mind. I dye wool yardage for a living here in the U.S. and I am visiting Scotland in a few weeks, in part to visit some wool mills and perhaps bring some lovely wool yardage home with me. The other thing I hope to accomplish is to find a mill that would weave a simple white wool plainweave for me to overdye and sell here in the U.S. I have had no luck finding such places online, despite hours of research, and I suspect that the working mills I am interested in do not appear online -- only the tourist places. So I thought I would visit here and see if anyone can give me any contact information for a mill or two. I am especially trying here, because so many mills specialize in spinning and producing yarn and this is not what I want -- I am after fabric. It only seems natural that a mill that would make tartan plaids might make simpler fabrics too. I am really looking for small local mills, and not the big tourist places -- they will not be interested in a venture like mine. I have contacted the Knockando Mill in Knockando Aberlour, and I have a visit scheduled with them, but I would like to have one or two more names.

Any help you might give me would be so appreciated!

Thank you,

Susan

**Chas** · 17th November 10, 02:33 PM

Hello Susan,

I only know about wearing a kilt, not how it is made, nor how the fabric is made. That having been said, I wish you well in your endeavours and welcome you to XMarks from the middle of Thetford Forest in Norfolk, England.

Regards

Chas

**Graham A. Robieson** · 17th November 10, 03:05 PM

Hello and welcome,

I am a volunteer weaver at the Woodside weavers in Glenrothes in Fife, the yarn we use comes from different places, plus I got my own tartan weaved and a kilt by Geoffrey (Tailor) Highland Crafts Limited, here are some links:

http://www.fairfieldyarns.co.uk/

http://www.geoffreykilts.co.uk/

http://www.geoffreykilts.co.uk/tartanweavingmill.html

You can make inquires at there main office on the royal mile, or visit there mill at the top of the royal mile. I haven't been there since 2007, so I don't know what changes (if any) have been made. This is some of the info I know at hand, but I will dig some more and see what I come with.

Thank-you for your time,

Graham

**M. A. C. Newsome** · 17th November 10, 03:16 PM

I'd suggest contacting one or both of these two places:

1) Ardalanish, on the Isle of Mull, who specialize in organic and ethical wools and much of their tweeds are made from undyed wool to begin with.
http://www.ardalanish.com/

2) Andrew Elliot, Ltd, in Selkirk. Robin Elliot, the owner, is used to dealing with specialty requests, as you'll get a taste of on their web site.
http://www.elliot-weave.co.uk/

Good luck!
M