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Harris tweed

January 01, 1970

Harris tweed (Scottish Gaelic: Clò mór or Clò hearach) is a tweed cloth that is handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, finished in the Outer Hebrides, and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides. This definition, quality standards and protection of the Harris tweed name are enshrined in the Harris Tweed Act 1993.[1][2]

Harris tweed, herringbone pattern

Etymology edit

The original name of tweed fabric was "tweel", the Scots word for twill, as the fabric was woven in a twill weave rather than a plain (or tabby) weave. A number of theories exist as to how and why "tweel" became corrupted into "tweed"; in one, a London merchant in the 1830s, upon receiving a letter from a Hawick firm inquiring after "tweels", misinterpreted the spelling as a trade name taken from the River Tweed, which flows through the Scottish Borders. Subsequently, the goods were advertised as "tweed", the name used ever since.[3]

History edit

 
Harris tweed weaver, c. 1960

For centuries, the islanders of Lewis and Harris, the Uists, Benbecula and Barra wove cloth known as clò-mòr (lit. 'big cloth' in Scottish Gaelic) by hand. Originally woven by crofters, this cloth was woven for personal and practical uses and was ideal protection against the often cold climate of northern Scotland. The cloth was also used for trade or barter, eventually becoming a form of currency amongst islanders; it was not unusual for rents to be paid in blankets or lengths of clò-mòr.

By the end of the 18th century, the spinning of wool yarn from local raw materials had become a staple industry for crofters. Finished handmade cloth was exported to the Scottish mainland and traded, along with other commodities produced by the Islanders, such as goat and deer skins.

 
The lichen Parmelia saxatilis, a lichen known as "crottle", gave a deep red colour and distinctive scent to older Harris tweed fabrics.

As the Industrial Revolution reached Scotland, mainland manufacturers developed mechanised weaving methods, with weavers in the Outer Hebrides retaining their traditional processes. The islanders of Lewis and Harris had long been known for the quality of their handwoven fabrics, but up to the middle of the nineteenth century, this fabric was produced mainly for either home use or for trade and barter at the local market.

When Alexander Murray, 6th Earl of Dunmore, inherited the North Harris Estate from his father in 1836, production of tweed in Outer Hebrides was still entirely manual. Wool was washed in soft, peaty water before being dyed using dyestuffs derived from local plants and lichens. It was then processed and spun, before being hand woven by the crofters in their cottages.

Traditional island tweed was characterised by the flecks of colour achieved through the use of natural dyes, including the lichen known as "crottle" (Parmelia saxatilis and Parmelia omphalodes), which gave the fabric deep red or purple-brown and rusty orange colours respectively.[4] The use of these lichens also resulted in a distinctive scent that made older Harris tweed fabrics easily identifiable.[5]

 
A crofting village on the Isle of Lewis

Upon the death of the 6th Earl of Dunmore in 1843, responsibility for his estate on the Isle of Harris passed to his wife, Lady Catherine Herbert. Lady Catherine noticed the marketing potential and high quality of the tweed cloth produced locally by two sisters from the village of Strond. Known as the Paisley Sisters after the town where they had trained, the fabric woven by them was of a remarkably higher quality than that produced by untrained crofters. In 1846, the Countess commissioned the sisters to weave lengths of tweed with the Murray family tartan. She sent the finished fabric to be made up into jackets for the gamekeepers and ghillies on her estate. Being hardwearing and water resistant, the new clothing was highly suited to life on the Dunmores' estate.[citation needed] Her ideas were complemented by the work of "Fanny" Beckett. She organised the weavers, created training and quality control procedures, and promoted Harris tweed as a sustainable and local industry.[6]

The Countess began to promote the local textile as a fashionable cloth for hunting and sporting wear. It soon became the fabric of choice for the landed gentry and aristocracy of the time, including members of Queen Victoria’s inner circle. With demand established for this high quality "Harris tweed", Lady Catherine sent more girls to the Scottish mainland for training. She improved the yarn production process to create a more consistent, workable cloth and by the late 1840s, merchants from Edinburgh to London were supplying the privileged classes with hand-woven Harris tweed.

"Fanny" Beckett moved to London in 1888 and the "Scottish Home Industries", which managed the new product, became a limited company in 1896.[6]

From this point on, the Harris tweed industry grew, reaching a peak production figure of 7.6 million yards in 1966.

Harris Tweed Authority edit

Main article: Harris Tweed Authority
 
The Harris Tweed Orb Mark
 
Stamping Harris tweed with the Orb Mark

As the demand for Harris tweed expanded in the first decade of the 20th century, there was an influx of weavers into the industry seeking a wage and soon a poorer quality tweed was being made by inexperienced weavers from imported, mainland mill-spun yarn, giving rise to the pejorative name of 'Stornoway tweed'. This inferior tweed affected the market for traditional Harris tweed made by experienced weavers from hand-spun yarn.

Legal protection of the name of Harris tweed by a trade mark and an established standard definition became essential. Groups of merchants in both Lewis and Harris applied to the Board of Trade for a registered trade mark. When this trade mark, the Orb, was eventually granted, the board insisted that it should be granted to all the islands of the Outer Hebrides i.e. to Lewis, North and South Uist, Benbecula and Barra, as well as to Harris, the rationale for this decision being that the tweed was made in exactly the same way in all those islands.

In 1909, after much negotiation and a degree of acrimony from merchants in Harris who felt that the trade mark should have been granted exclusively to Harris, the Orb Trade Mark was granted. The Harris Tweed Association, a voluntary body, was formed to protect both the use of the Orb Trade Mark and to protect the use of the name ‘Harris tweed’ from imitations.

The original definition attached to the Orb Trade Mark stated that: Harris tweed means a tweed, hand-spun, hand-woven and dyed by the crofters and cottars in the Outer Hebrides.

In 1993, a new statutory body to guard the Orb Trade Mark, the Harris Tweed Authority, replaced the original Harris Tweed Association. Also in 1993, an Act of Parliament, the Harris Tweed Act 1993, established the Harris Tweed Authority as the successor to the Harris Tweed Association, its purpose being "to promote and maintain the authenticity, standard and reputation of Harris tweed; for preventing the sale as Harris tweed of material which does not fall within the definition...".

The following definition of genuine Harris tweed became statutory: "Harris tweed means a tweed which has been hand woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides, finished in the islands of Harris, Lewis, North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist and Barra and their several purtenances (The Outer Hebrides) and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides".[7]

Today, every 50 metres of Harris tweed are checked by an inspector from the Harris tweed Authority before being stamped, by hand, with the Orb Mark.

The Harris Tweed Authority is the legally appointed governing body responsible for upholding the integrity of Harris tweed in accordance with the Harris Tweed Act 1993. They are involved in instigating litigation, issuing of the Orb Stamp, inspection of mills and weavers sheds, promotion of the industry and safeguarding Harris tweed on behalf of the islanders of the Outer Hebrides. Based in the island capital of Stornoway the Authority consists of a chief executive, secretary and two inspectors and stampers. There is also an overseeing board of unpaid members and a legal team in support.[citation needed]

Harris tweed mills edit

There are three mills operating on the islands, each with a public-facing company associated with them. The companies handle marketing, sales, customer service and distribution of Harris tweed to customers while their mills handle certain aspects of the production process.

  • The Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd mill based in Stornoway is the oldest of the current producers in the Outer Hebrides and has been making Harris tweed since 1906.[8] Since 2019 the mill has been owned by Alexander Lockerby, who had previously managed the mill.[9]
  • The Carloway Mill is an independent wholesale producer of Harris tweed in the village of Carloway and the smallest of the three existing Harris Tweed textile mills. It uses traditional craft machinery to produce a unique, individualistic and bespoke Harris tweed cloth. The mill owners announced in January 2016 that they were seeking a buyer for the business and as such the future of the mill is uncertain.[10]
  • Harris Tweed Hebrides, who reopened a disused mill in Shawbost in November 2007.[11] The main shareholder in the company is Ian Taylor, a Scottish businessman who had spent thirty years in the oil industry.[12]

Weavers edit

All weavers are self-employed and can work as a 'mill weaver' commissioned by any of the three mills or as an 'independent weaver' making and selling their own cloth, sometimes on private commission. Mill weavers are supplied with beamed warps and yarn directly from the mills along with instructions on how the cloth must be woven. Once the tweed is woven, it is collected by the mill for finishing and stamping, and is then sold by the mill. Independent weavers on the other hand must purchase yarn from the mills and warp it themselves, often to their own design. The independent weaver then sends their woven cloth to the mill for finishing and stamping (which they pay for as a service) before it is returned to the weaver to sell for themselves. A weaver can work both as a mill weaver and an independent weaver.[citation needed]

Harris Tweed Industry Liaison Group meets regularly to discuss issues facing the industry and consists of a range of interested parties such as mill owners, weaver representatives, HTA officials, funding bodies, local council members, buyers and other industry figures.

Production processes edit

 
The Orb stamp on Harris tweed
 
Harris tweed jacket

The creation of Harris tweed begins with fleeces of pure virgin wools which are shorn from Cheviot and Scottish Blackface sheep. Although most of the wool is grown principally on the UK mainland, in the early summer the island communities still join to round up and shear the local sheep to add to the mix. The two types of wool are blended together to gain the advantages of their unique qualities and characteristics

Once shorn the wool is scoured before being delivered in large bales to the mills of the main tweed producers where it is then dyed in a wide variety of colours for blending.

The freshly dyed coloured and white wools are weighed in predetermined proportions and then thoroughly blended by hand to exact recipes to obtain the correct hue. It is then carded between mechanical, toothed rollers which tease and mix the fibers thoroughly before it is separated into a fragile, embryonic yarn. This soft yarn then has a twist imparted to it as it is spun to give it maximum strength for weaving. The spun yarn is wound onto bobbins to provide the ingredients of weft (left-to-right threads) and warp (vertical threads) supplied to the weavers.

This vitally important process sees thousands of warp threads gathered in long hanks in very specific order and wound onto large beams ready to be delivered, together with yarn for the weft, to the weavers.

All Harris tweed is hand woven on a treadle loom at each weaver's home on a 'double-width' Bonas-Griffith rapier loom in the case of mill weavers, or normally an older 'single width' Hattersley loom in the case of independent weavers. The weaver will 'tie in' their warp by threading each end of yarn through the eyelets of their loom's heddles in a specific order then begins to weave, fixing any mistakes or breakages that occur until completed.

The tweed then returns to the mill in its 'greasy state' and here it passes through the hands of darners who correct any flaws.

Once ready the cloth is finished. Dirt, oil and other impurities are removed by washing and beating in soda and soapy water before it is dried, steamed, pressed and cropped.

The final process is the examination by the independent Harris Tweed Authority which visits the mills weekly, before application of their Orb Mark trademark which is ironed on to the fabric as a seal of authenticity.

Harris tweed today edit

 
Handbag made using Harris tweed

In 2012 the weavers and mills of the Harris tweed industry produced one million metres of Harris tweed, compared to 450,000 metres in 2009, which was the highest production figures in 17 years.[13] The last three years have seen Harris tweed remain "on-trend" and a regular feature in both High Street stores and on catwalks in couture collections and the increase in popularity has led to the training of a new generation of weavers to meet production demands.[14]

Menswear brands such as Tommy Bahama, Topman,[15] Barutti,[16] Brooks Brothers,[17] Nordstrom,[18] Thomas Pink,[19] J. Crew,[20] Nigel Cabourn,[21] Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Primark and Prince of Scots use the fabric for jackets, outerwear and suiting.

Footwear brands have also used Harris tweed, most notably Nike,[22] Dr Martens,[23] Aigle,[24] Red Wing Shoes,[25] and Clarks.[26] The luxury interiors market is also expanding following the use of over 90,000 metres of Harris tweed in Glasgow's 5-star Blythswood Square Hotel in 2008.

New markets are emerging within the BRIC nations[27] and more traditional markets are reviving in the USA[28] and Europe, as well as East Asian countries, including South Korea.[29] Sales forecasts are optimistic for the cloth.[30]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Word of the Week: Clò". Harris Tweed. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021. Clò Mòr or Clò Hearach (literally Big Cloth or Harris Cloth) is how we refer to Harris Tweed® cloth in Gaelic
  2. ^ "Harris Tweed Act 1993 (c. xi)". Legislation.gov.uk. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  3. ^ Dunbar cites Scots philologist W. F. H. Nicolaisen's suggestion that this "too plausible" explanation may be folk etymology, noting a use of "twedlyne" in 1541, and suggesting "tweedling" in parallel to "twilling" as the origin of "tweed"; see John Telfer Dunbar, The Costume of Scotland, p. 150.
  4. ^ Fraser, Jean: Traditional Scottish Dyes, Canongate, 1983
  5. ^ J.C.T. Uphof, Dictionary of Economic Plants, Hafner, New York, p. 210, cited at Bibliographical database of the human uses of lichens 27 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 20 May 2007
  6. ^ a b Lodge, Christine (2004). "Beckett [née Bousfield; other married name Thomas], Frances Sarah [Fanny] (bap. 1821, d. 1902), philanthropist and a founder of Scottish Home Industries". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/56317. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 22 December 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. ^ Harris Tweed
  8. ^ "Harris Tweed in Yorkshire hands". BBC News. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Harris Tweed mill in Lewis given to its manager as a gift". BBC News. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Owner of Carloway Mill on Lewis plan to sell". Daily Record. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  11. ^ "Mothballed tweed mill to reopen". BBC News. 1 November 2007. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  12. ^ . Stornoway Gazette. 1 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Harris Tweed production hits a million metres". Bbc.co.uk. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  14. ^ "Harris Tweed celebrates a loom boom". Heraldscotland.com. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  15. ^ Aciman, Alexander (15 November 2012). "Harris Tweed for Topman | Old Names, New Looks: 10 Menswear Brands Reinvented | TIME.com". Style.time.com. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  16. ^ . Barutti. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  17. ^ [1] 22 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "John W. Nordstrom x Harris Tweed". Blogs.nordstrom.com. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  19. ^ "10engines: thomas pink x harris tweed". 10engines.blogspot.co.uk. 16 December 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  20. ^ "Harris Tweed sportcoat in Ludlow fit : Ludlow sportcoats". J.Crew. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  21. ^ "Nigel Cabourn Authentic Autumn/Winter 2012 collection | Lineage of influence". Lineageofinfluence.wordpress.com. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  22. ^ Cramb, Auslan (21 June 2004). "Nike's Harris tweed shoes give island weavers a lift". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  23. ^ Carvell, Nick (29 October 2012). . Gq-magazine.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  24. ^ [2] 2 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ [3] 14 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ . Clarks.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  27. ^ [4] 14 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ "USA 'an enigma' says Harris Tweed company chairman". BBC News. 30 December 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  29. ^ "South Korea target market for Harris Tweed mill". Bbc.co.uk. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  30. ^ "Strong year for Harris Tweed predicted". Stornoway Gazette. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2015.

Further reading edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harris Tweed.
  • Hunter, Janet: The Islanders and the Orb. Acair Ltd. 2001. ISBN 0-86152-736-4
  • Dunbar, John Telfer: The Costume of Scotland. London: Batsford, 1984, ISBN 0-7134-2534-2, 1984 (paperback 1989, ISBN 0-7134-2535-0)
  • Fraser, Jean: Traditional Scottish Dyes. Canongate, 1983, ISBN 0-86241-108-4
  • Vogler, Gisela (2001). A Harris Way of Life: Marion Campbell (1909–1996). West Tarbert: Harris Voluntary Service. ISBN 090396029X.
  • Baurmann, Jana Gioia (17 August 2018). "Donald John Mackay: Plötzlich rief Nike an - Der Weber Donald John Mackay sah die Tweed-Industrie in seiner schottischen Heimat zugrunde gehen. Dann bekam er einen neuen Kunden". DIE ZEIT (in German). Vol. 2018, no. 34. Retrieved 3 November 2019. [5][6]
  • Marquardt, Jens-Peter (2 November 2019). Tanne, Regina (ed.). "Rau aber herzlich - die Äußeren Hebriden". WDR 5 Mit Neugier unterwegs - Das Reisemagazin (in German). Westdeutscher Rundfunk. Retrieved 3 November 2019.

January 01, 1970
harris, tweed, scottish, gaelic, clò, mór, clò, hearach, tweed, cloth, that, handwoven, islanders, their, homes, outer, hebrides, scotland, finished, outer, hebrides, made, from, pure, virgin, wool, dyed, spun, outer, hebrides, this, definition, quality, stand. Harris tweed Scottish Gaelic Clo mor or Clo hearach is a tweed cloth that is handwoven by islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland finished in the Outer Hebrides and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides This definition quality standards and protection of the Harris tweed name are enshrined in the Harris Tweed Act 1993 1 2 Harris tweed herringbone pattern Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Harris Tweed Authority 4 Harris tweed mills 5 Weavers 6 Production processes 7 Harris tweed today 8 See also 9 References 10 Further readingEtymology editThe original name of tweed fabric was tweel the Scots word for twill as the fabric was woven in a twill weave rather than a plain or tabby weave A number of theories exist as to how and why tweel became corrupted into tweed in one a London merchant in the 1830s upon receiving a letter from a Hawick firm inquiring after tweels misinterpreted the spelling as a trade name taken from the River Tweed which flows through the Scottish Borders Subsequently the goods were advertised as tweed the name used ever since 3 History edit nbsp Harris tweed weaver c 1960 For centuries the islanders of Lewis and Harris the Uists Benbecula and Barra wove cloth known as clo mor lit big cloth in Scottish Gaelic by hand Originally woven by crofters this cloth was woven for personal and practical uses and was ideal protection against the often cold climate of northern Scotland The cloth was also used for trade or barter eventually becoming a form of currency amongst islanders it was not unusual for rents to be paid in blankets or lengths of clo mor By the end of the 18th century the spinning of wool yarn from local raw materials had become a staple industry for crofters Finished handmade cloth was exported to the Scottish mainland and traded along with other commodities produced by the Islanders such as goat and deer skins nbsp The lichen Parmelia saxatilis a lichen known as crottle gave a deep red colour and distinctive scent to older Harris tweed fabrics As the Industrial Revolution reached Scotland mainland manufacturers developed mechanised weaving methods with weavers in the Outer Hebrides retaining their traditional processes The islanders of Lewis and Harris had long been known for the quality of their handwoven fabrics but up to the middle of the nineteenth century this fabric was produced mainly for either home use or for trade and barter at the local market When Alexander Murray 6th Earl of Dunmore inherited the North Harris Estate from his father in 1836 production of tweed in Outer Hebrides was still entirely manual Wool was washed in soft peaty water before being dyed using dyestuffs derived from local plants and lichens It was then processed and spun before being hand woven by the crofters in their cottages Traditional island tweed was characterised by the flecks of colour achieved through the use of natural dyes including the lichen known as crottle Parmelia saxatilis and Parmelia omphalodes which gave the fabric deep red or purple brown and rusty orange colours respectively 4 The use of these lichens also resulted in a distinctive scent that made older Harris tweed fabrics easily identifiable 5 nbsp A crofting village on the Isle of Lewis Upon the death of the 6th Earl of Dunmore in 1843 responsibility for his estate on the Isle of Harris passed to his wife Lady Catherine Herbert Lady Catherine noticed the marketing potential and high quality of the tweed cloth produced locally by two sisters from the village of Strond Known as the Paisley Sisters after the town where they had trained the fabric woven by them was of a remarkably higher quality than that produced by untrained crofters In 1846 the Countess commissioned the sisters to weave lengths of tweed with the Murray family tartan She sent the finished fabric to be made up into jackets for the gamekeepers and ghillies on her estate Being hardwearing and water resistant the new clothing was highly suited to life on the Dunmores estate citation needed Her ideas were complemented by the work of Fanny Beckett She organised the weavers created training and quality control procedures and promoted Harris tweed as a sustainable and local industry 6 The Countess began to promote the local textile as a fashionable cloth for hunting and sporting wear It soon became the fabric of choice for the landed gentry and aristocracy of the time including members of Queen Victoria s inner circle With demand established for this high quality Harris tweed Lady Catherine sent more girls to the Scottish mainland for training She improved the yarn production process to create a more consistent workable cloth and by the late 1840s merchants from Edinburgh to London were supplying the privileged classes with hand woven Harris tweed Fanny Beckett moved to London in 1888 and the Scottish Home Industries which managed the new product became a limited company in 1896 6 From this point on the Harris tweed industry grew reaching a peak production figure of 7 6 million yards in 1966 Harris Tweed Authority editMain article Harris Tweed Authority This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed August 2015 Learn how and when to remove this message nbsp The Harris Tweed Orb Mark nbsp Stamping Harris tweed with the Orb Mark As the demand for Harris tweed expanded in the first decade of the 20th century there was an influx of weavers into the industry seeking a wage and soon a poorer quality tweed was being made by inexperienced weavers from imported mainland mill spun yarn giving rise to the pejorative name of Stornoway tweed This inferior tweed affected the market for traditional Harris tweed made by experienced weavers from hand spun yarn Legal protection of the name of Harris tweed by a trade mark and an established standard definition became essential Groups of merchants in both Lewis and Harris applied to the Board of Trade for a registered trade mark When this trade mark the Orb was eventually granted the board insisted that it should be granted to all the islands of the Outer Hebrides i e to Lewis North and South Uist Benbecula and Barra as well as to Harris the rationale for this decision being that the tweed was made in exactly the same way in all those islands In 1909 after much negotiation and a degree of acrimony from merchants in Harris who felt that the trade mark should have been granted exclusively to Harris the Orb Trade Mark was granted The Harris Tweed Association a voluntary body was formed to protect both the use of the Orb Trade Mark and to protect the use of the name Harris tweed from imitations The original definition attached to the Orb Trade Mark stated that Harris tweed means a tweed hand spun hand woven and dyed by the crofters and cottars in the Outer Hebrides In 1993 a new statutory body to guard the Orb Trade Mark the Harris Tweed Authority replaced the original Harris Tweed Association Also in 1993 an Act of Parliament the Harris Tweed Act 1993 established the Harris Tweed Authority as the successor to the Harris Tweed Association its purpose being to promote and maintain the authenticity standard and reputation of Harris tweed for preventing the sale as Harris tweed of material which does not fall within the definition The following definition of genuine Harris tweed became statutory Harris tweed means a tweed which has been hand woven by the islanders at their homes in the Outer Hebrides finished in the islands of Harris Lewis North Uist Benbecula South Uist and Barra and their several purtenances The Outer Hebrides and made from pure virgin wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides 7 Today every 50 metres of Harris tweed are checked by an inspector from the Harris tweed Authority before being stamped by hand with the Orb Mark The Harris Tweed Authority is the legally appointed governing body responsible for upholding the integrity of Harris tweed in accordance with the Harris Tweed Act 1993 They are involved in instigating litigation issuing of the Orb Stamp inspection of mills and weavers sheds promotion of the industry and safeguarding Harris tweed on behalf of the islanders of the Outer Hebrides Based in the island capital of Stornoway the Authority consists of a chief executive secretary and two inspectors and stampers There is also an overseeing board of unpaid members and a legal team in support citation needed Harris tweed mills editThere are three mills operating on the islands each with a public facing company associated with them The companies handle marketing sales customer service and distribution of Harris tweed to customers while their mills handle certain aspects of the production process The Kenneth Mackenzie Ltd mill based in Stornoway is the oldest of the current producers in the Outer Hebrides and has been making Harris tweed since 1906 8 Since 2019 the mill has been owned by Alexander Lockerby who had previously managed the mill 9 The Carloway Mill is an independent wholesale producer of Harris tweed in the village of Carloway and the smallest of the three existing Harris Tweed textile mills It uses traditional craft machinery to produce a unique individualistic and bespoke Harris tweed cloth The mill owners announced in January 2016 that they were seeking a buyer for the business and as such the future of the mill is uncertain 10 Harris Tweed Hebrides who reopened a disused mill in Shawbost in November 2007 11 The main shareholder in the company is Ian Taylor a Scottish businessman who had spent thirty years in the oil industry 12 Weavers editAll weavers are self employed and can work as a mill weaver commissioned by any of the three mills or as an independent weaver making and selling their own cloth sometimes on private commission Mill weavers are supplied with beamed warps and yarn directly from the mills along with instructions on how the cloth must be woven Once the tweed is woven it is collected by the mill for finishing and stamping and is then sold by the mill Independent weavers on the other hand must purchase yarn from the mills and warp it themselves often to their own design The independent weaver then sends their woven cloth to the mill for finishing and stamping which they pay for as a service before it is returned to the weaver to sell for themselves A weaver can work both as a mill weaver and an independent weaver citation needed Harris Tweed Industry Liaison Group meets regularly to discuss issues facing the industry and consists of a range of interested parties such as mill owners weaver representatives HTA officials funding bodies local council members buyers and other industry figures Production processes edit nbsp The Orb stamp on Harris tweed nbsp Harris tweed jacket The creation of Harris tweed begins with fleeces of pure virgin wools which are shorn from Cheviot and Scottish Blackface sheep Although most of the wool is grown principally on the UK mainland in the early summer the island communities still join to round up and shear the local sheep to add to the mix The two types of wool are blended together to gain the advantages of their unique qualities and characteristicsOnce shorn the wool is scoured before being delivered in large bales to the mills of the main tweed producers where it is then dyed in a wide variety of colours for blending The freshly dyed coloured and white wools are weighed in predetermined proportions and then thoroughly blended by hand to exact recipes to obtain the correct hue It is then carded between mechanical toothed rollers which tease and mix the fibers thoroughly before it is separated into a fragile embryonic yarn This soft yarn then has a twist imparted to it as it is spun to give it maximum strength for weaving The spun yarn is wound onto bobbins to provide the ingredients of weft left to right threads and warp vertical threads supplied to the weavers This vitally important process sees thousands of warp threads gathered in long hanks in very specific order and wound onto large beams ready to be delivered together with yarn for the weft to the weavers All Harris tweed is hand woven on a treadle loom at each weaver s home on a double width Bonas Griffith rapier loom in the case of mill weavers or normally an older single width Hattersley loom in the case of independent weavers The weaver will tie in their warp by threading each end of yarn through the eyelets of their loom s heddles in a specific order then begins to weave fixing any mistakes or breakages that occur until completed The tweed then returns to the mill in its greasy state and here it passes through the hands of darners who correct any flaws Once ready the cloth is finished Dirt oil and other impurities are removed by washing and beating in soda and soapy water before it is dried steamed pressed and cropped The final process is the examination by the independent Harris Tweed Authority which visits the mills weekly before application of their Orb Mark trademark which is ironed on to the fabric as a seal of authenticity Harris tweed today edit nbsp Handbag made using Harris tweed In 2012 the weavers and mills of the Harris tweed industry produced one million metres of Harris tweed compared to 450 000 metres in 2009 which was the highest production figures in 17 years 13 The last three years have seen Harris tweed remain on trend and a regular feature in both High Street stores and on catwalks in couture collections and the increase in popularity has led to the training of a new generation of weavers to meet production demands 14 Menswear brands such as Tommy Bahama Topman 15 Barutti 16 Brooks Brothers 17 Nordstrom 18 Thomas Pink 19 J Crew 20 Nigel Cabourn 21 Hugo Boss Paul Smith Primark and Prince of Scots use the fabric for jackets outerwear and suiting Footwear brands have also used Harris tweed most notably Nike 22 Dr Martens 23 Aigle 24 Red Wing Shoes 25 and Clarks 26 The luxury interiors market is also expanding following the use of over 90 000 metres of Harris tweed in Glasgow s 5 star Blythswood Square Hotel in 2008 New markets are emerging within the BRIC nations 27 and more traditional markets are reviving in the USA 28 and Europe as well as East Asian countries including South Korea 29 Sales forecasts are optimistic for the cloth 30 See also editTraditional dyes of the Scottish HighlandsReferences edit Word of the Week Clo Harris Tweed 25 March 2020 Retrieved 18 February 2021 Clo Mor or Clo Hearach literally Big Cloth or Harris Cloth is how we refer to Harris Tweed cloth in Gaelic Harris Tweed Act 1993 c xi Legislation gov uk 4 July 2011 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Dunbar cites Scots philologist W F H Nicolaisen s suggestion that this too plausible explanation may be folk etymology noting a use of twedlyne in 1541 and suggesting tweedling in parallel to twilling as the origin of tweed see John Telfer Dunbar The Costume of Scotland p 150 Fraser Jean Traditional Scottish Dyes Canongate 1983 J C T Uphof Dictionary of Economic Plants Hafner New York p 210 cited at Bibliographical database of the human uses of lichens Archived 27 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 20 May 2007 a b Lodge Christine 2004 Beckett nee Bousfield other married name Thomas Frances Sarah Fanny bap 1821 d 1902 philanthropist and a founder of Scottish Home Industries Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed Oxford University Press doi 10 1093 ref odnb 56317 ISBN 978 0 19 861412 8 Retrieved 22 December 2020 Subscription or UK public library membership required Harris Tweed Harris Tweed in Yorkshire hands BBC News 7 December 2006 Retrieved 22 June 2021 Harris Tweed mill in Lewis given to its manager as a gift BBC News 2 September 2019 Retrieved 22 June 2021 Owner of Carloway Mill on Lewis plan to sell Daily Record 19 January 2016 Retrieved 26 September 2016 Mothballed tweed mill to reopen BBC News 1 November 2007 Retrieved 22 June 2021 Shawbost mill to re open through Harris Tweed Hebrides Stornoway Gazette 1 November 2007 Archived from the original on 17 March 2020 Harris Tweed production hits a million metres Bbc co uk 24 December 2012 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Harris Tweed celebrates a loom boom Heraldscotland com 31 October 2012 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Aciman Alexander 15 November 2012 Harris Tweed for Topman Old Names New Looks 10 Menswear Brands Reinvented TIME com Style time com Retrieved 1 August 2015 Fabrics knowledge Barutti Archived from the original on 6 July 2015 Retrieved 1 August 2015 1 Archived 22 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine John W Nordstrom x Harris Tweed Blogs nordstrom com Retrieved 1 August 2015 10engines thomas pink x harris tweed 10engines blogspot co uk 16 December 2010 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Harris Tweed sportcoat in Ludlow fit Ludlow sportcoats J Crew Retrieved 1 August 2015 Nigel Cabourn Authentic Autumn Winter 2012 collection Lineage of influence Lineageofinfluence wordpress com 16 August 2012 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Cramb Auslan 21 June 2004 Nike s Harris tweed shoes give island weavers a lift London Telegraph Retrieved 1 August 2015 Carvell Nick 29 October 2012 Dr Martens blue Harris Tweed Beckett boots GQ co uk Gq magazine co uk Archived from the original on 10 January 2016 Retrieved 1 August 2015 2 Archived 2 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine 3 Archived 14 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Clarks Sale Is Now On Clarks co uk Archived from the original on 2 July 2014 Retrieved 1 August 2015 4 Archived 14 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine USA an enigma says Harris Tweed company chairman BBC News 30 December 2009 Retrieved 1 August 2015 South Korea target market for Harris Tweed mill Bbc co uk 12 January 2012 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Strong year for Harris Tweed predicted Stornoway Gazette 16 January 2013 Retrieved 1 August 2015 Further reading edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harris Tweed Hunter Janet The Islanders and the Orb Acair Ltd 2001 ISBN 0 86152 736 4 Dunbar John Telfer The Costume of Scotland London Batsford 1984 ISBN 0 7134 2534 2 1984 paperback 1989 ISBN 0 7134 2535 0 Fraser Jean Traditional Scottish Dyes Canongate 1983 ISBN 0 86241 108 4 Vogler Gisela 2001 A Harris Way of Life Marion Campbell 1909 1996 West Tarbert Harris Voluntary Service ISBN 090396029X Baurmann Jana Gioia 17 August 2018 Donald John Mackay Plotzlich rief Nike an Der Weber Donald John Mackay sah die Tweed Industrie in seiner schottischen Heimat zugrunde gehen Dann bekam er einen neuen Kunden DIE ZEIT in German Vol 2018 no 34 Retrieved 3 November 2019 5 6 Marquardt Jens Peter 2 November 2019 Tanne Regina ed Rau aber herzlich die Ausseren Hebriden WDR 5 Mit Neugier unterwegs Das Reisemagazin in German Westdeutscher Rundfunk Retrieved 3 November 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Harris tweed amp oldid 1220912747, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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