The Making of Harris Tweed

[Nick Fiddes]

Further to my posting yesterday about Harris Tweed tartans (http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...tartans-57972/ ) I thought this perhaps deserves its own thread, as I didn't want it to be buried half way down another topic where it could easily be missed.

I've written up a piece that explains the rather wonderful story of how Harris Tweed is actually produced, step by step. Hope some of you find this as inspiring and fascinating as I do!

Note that this is a slightly drafty first draft, and I'll be adding corrections and additions for the next few days at least. But I'm so excited by it I just wanted to share!

http://www.scotweb.co.uk/info/how-is...tweed-produced

Let me know if you spot any howlers. Hope you enjoy it. :-)

Nick

[Brian K]

Thanks for the link, Nick. As soon as I saw your post I clicked and read it. Fascinating stuff and it makes me think that if I ever have one of my tartans woven it really ought to be in Harris Tweed! Now if I can just manage to win the lottery!!

Regards,

Brian

[Jock Scot]

I was too intrigued to notice any mistakes. --------- and some people still moan at the price of it!

[Lallans]

Following the sad news about Mr Fess Parker, I seem to be on a grade-school nostalgia trip today, but now I'm reminded of a story we practiced reading aloud on in those years: it was about a crofter family weaving Harris Tweed for the Prince of Wales- at the end of the process they all sat in a circle and tossed the fabric back and forth (or something, hey I was about 8), spending some several hours to soften it. That was one of the two British-based stories they exposed us to in elementary (grammar) school that was set anywhere north of London and perhaps for that reason it instilled in me a life-long respect for Harris Tweed. Whatever, I'll wager that degree of hand crafting is no longer practiced but it's a wonderful product. And it's been VERY hard to find since recent developments in Scotland.

[Nick Fiddes]

And it's been VERY hard to find since recent developments in Scotland.

One of the saddest aspects of our trip was discovering the overwhelming absence of good places to buy Harris Tweed on the islands themselves. This really brought home the catastrophic cultural effect of Mr Haggis' folly on the local area.

For example, in the centre of Stornoway (the capital) itself, we found just a couple of places selling a scattering of items. But the main Harris Tweed specialist outlet closed when its supplies dried up, and has yet to be replaced now that independent producers are again starting to be able to supply. In Tarbert we found a good shop, with a good range of local products, and vast stocks of fabric for sale. But then we realised that here was just the remnants of one of the old mills driven out of business by the changes, and their business was mostly just an unsustainable clearance of stocks from a once-prosperous industry. Really sad.

So we're intending to make a big push to do our bit to get Harris Tweed back into circulation again. This isn't just a business thing for me. It's hopefully helping to preserve a wonderful tradition and a way of life. That's may sound corny, but it happens to be true.

[creagdhubh]

Further to my posting yesterday about Harris Tweed tartans (http://www.xmarksthescot.com/forum/f...tartans-57972/ ) I thought this perhaps deserves its own thread, as I didn't want it to be buried half way down another topic where it could easily be missed.

I've written up a piece that explains the rather wonderful story of how Harris Tweed is actually produced, step by step. Hope some of you find this as inspiring and fascinating as I do!

Note that this is a slightly drafty first draft, and I'll be adding corrections and additions for the next few days at least. But I'm so excited by it I just wanted to share!

http://www.scotweb.co.uk/info/how-is...tweed-produced

Let me know if you spot any howlers. Hope you enjoy it. :-)

Nick

Wonderful! Thank you!

[piperdbh]

Nick,
I've looked over your site a couple of times and can't find the price schedule for the tartan tweed. Am I overlooking it, or is it still being finalized before you post prices for the yardage?

[Lallans]

So we're intending to make a big push to do our bit to get Harris Tweed back into circulation again. This isn't just a business thing for me. It's hopefully helping to preserve a wonderful tradition and a way of life. That's may sound corny, but it happens to be true.

I'll certainly do my part. My credit cards are set at 'ready'.

[piperdbh]

Nick,
I've looked over your site a couple of times and can't find the price schedule for the tartan tweed. Am I overlooking it, or is it still being finalized before you post prices for the yardage?

Never mind. I just found it.

[Nick Fiddes]

Nick,
I've looked over your site a couple of times and can't find the price schedule for the tartan tweed. Am I overlooking it, or is it still being finalized before you post prices for the yardage?

Early to middle next week I hope to have a full range (i.e. several thousand) of Harris Tweed tartans for sale through our fabric finder, using computer generated mockups for display. There's a bunch of tech work to do first, but it's a high priority. These will be priced at similar levels to our current special weave tartans.

We'll also have a handful of other traditional Harris Tweeds for sale then, at much lower prices than our current selection.

Then within a few weeks we hope to have several hundred more traditional designs available to special order, in short lengths of a few yards. There's a ginormous photography task for these, to get the entire library of historic design swatches available. These will also be priced at similar levels (i.e. very affordably) to our current special weaves.

It's all dead exciting for us!