The original Harris Tweed is only produced in the Outer Hebrides on the left-hand side of Scotland and is exclusively home-made.
The definition from 1993 reads as follows: ‘Harris Tweed is a fabric handwoven by the islanders of Lewis, Harris, Uist and Barra in their homes from pure new wool dyed and spun in the Outer Hebrides.’ (Wikipedia)
The trademark is a label of authenticity bearing the Orb (an orb), which is sewn onto each garment. Tweed has always been woven in Scotland. As hand weaving became uneconomical in the age of the industrial revolution, weaving machines replaced the old loom in many places. Only the Outer Hebrides retained this old production method - they have always been known for their good quality.
Tweed production began at the end of the 19th century. Lady Dunmore owned the islands of Harris and Lewis at this time. However, as there was not much going on there economically and everything had to be shipped back and forth at great expense, the Lady came up with the idea of introducing tweed from Harris and Lewis to high society in London. This led to an increased demand for Harris Tweed and thus to a more economical utilisation of the Outer Hebrides.
Harris Tweed has been recognised as a protected trademark since 1910 and can only be produced on these two islands using old looms - just like 100 years ago. A special feature is the weaving width of only 75 cm. This is because only the narrow looms could be used in the home. This is still the case today.
Another special feature of Harris tweed is the colouring. It is not the yarn that is dyed, but the woollen fleece. The approximately 30 basic colours are dyed in so-called ‘mills’, then divided, mixed and spun, which means that the subsequent carded yarns consist of a mixture of up to nine different colours. These yarns are then woven into lengths of fabric with specific weaving patterns.
Tweed has always been used to withstand the harsh conditions of the Scottish countryside in everyday life. It is robust, wind and water repellent and durable. Due to its wide variety of colours, tweed has also always been popular with hunters and animal owners, as additional animal hair is barely visible. We were on the islands of Harris and Lewis and took a look at the production process and made a short film out of it.
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