The raw material! This little fellow is hand-reared and responds to a call.
The work in progress - all 1400 plus warp threads are tied individually by hand.
A close-up of the twill on the loom. It is checked throughout the weaving process for any thread breakages.
And the man himself: Mr. John MacLean of Garynahine Harris Tweed who very kindly welcomed us into his weaving shed and took the time to explain the whole tweed-making process to us, even letting us have a go on the loom (so a tiny area of that cloth was made by me!). These are his lambs, by the way, as he is a crofter as well as a weaver.
Mr. MacLean sells to Savile Row, but his tweed is also available through a local co-operative, where a bouquet of tweed flowers [see the end of that article] was recently made for Her Majesty the Queen.
(More of the finished product later).
Oh, I love this. Have you ever been to Shilisdair on Skye?? It's a wonderful yarn shop in Waternish, and the contributing sheep are just beyond the door.
Posted by: Pamela | 18 August 2009 at 01:00 AM
Oh and I do so love the stuff, beautiful, beautiful tweed. So come on? Did you purchase anything??
Posted by: Rebecca | 18 August 2009 at 08:55 AM
I haven't been there, Pamela, though I've heard of it - I'll note it for another trip!
Posted by: Cornflower | 18 August 2009 at 09:41 AM
Just tiny things, Rebecca (they'll be coming up tomorrow), but the friend who was with us bought a length of Mr. MacLean's tweed to have a jacket made - it's lovely stuff.
Posted by: Cornflower | 18 August 2009 at 09:43 AM
The colours are so beautiful, the mists of heather, rock, mountain and sea- nothing like it in the world. I too would have been tempted to buy a small piece of this traditional craft.
Posted by: Fran | 18 August 2009 at 10:47 PM
Heavenly!
Posted by: Louise | 20 August 2009 at 04:55 PM
Looks like you had a wonderful time - there is absolutely nothing else like Harris Tweed or the Hebrides themselves. The star of your first picture is utterly winsome, too!
Posted by: Mary | 22 August 2009 at 09:36 PM
John has got a new website up and running:
http://www.garynahineharristweed.com
Regards,
Jan.
Posted by: Jan Schouten | 24 August 2009 at 09:00 PM
Thankyou, Jan, I've put up a link!
Posted by: Cornflower | 25 August 2009 at 09:21 AM
How wonderful! This kind of handmade artisanal product has got to be preserved. That you got to see the process up close is delightful
Posted by: Easy and Elegant Life | 25 September 2009 at 03:03 PM
Hmm. hoping the gravatar followed me. Forgive the random posting to see if it will. Thanks.
P.S. did you come away with any of the Harris Tweed?
Posted by: Easy and Elegant Life | 25 September 2009 at 03:06 PM
Yes, and one of our party is having a jacket made with Mr. MacLean's tweed even as we speak!
Posted by: Cornflower | 25 September 2009 at 03:10 PM
Just lovely, I would love to see the mill and meet the owners!
Posted by: Art by Karena | 25 September 2009 at 03:12 PM
Hi
We love this blog now and so pleased that our lambs are on it still! They are much much bigger now! We would love to see a picture of the jacket when it is finished. This was one of our heavier weight tweeds I believe. It is very encouraging for us to read all the favourable comments left by your readers. Thank you!
Posted by: Garynahine Harris Tweed | 26 September 2009 at 12:05 AM
I hope to have a picture before too long - and indeed to be back in Lewis next year!
Posted by: Cornflower | 26 September 2009 at 07:30 PM