Cowal Tweed research visit to Harris

Just back from a research trip to Harris to find a weaver to help design and weave a bespoke tweed cloth for the Dunoon Burgh Hall Cowal Tweed project. I travelled around Lewis and Harris, visiting weavers in their small weaving sheds situated amidst some of Scotland's most stunning scenery. I spoke to weavers in Lewis who were very talented, helpful and informative, but supplied only the mills on their double cloth Bonas Griffiths looms. On Harris I met independant weavers in Tarbert, Scalpay, Drinishader, Luskentyre and Northton, who used single cloth Hattersley looms that could weave small amounts of bespoke cloth needed for the Dunoon Burgh Hall Cowal Tweed project. The weavers were all very busy, having sold out of most their tweeds over the summer months, and were eager to complete orders for a range of local and international companies so they could get on with weaving and restocking their own tweed designs.

Rebecca Hutton of Taobh Tuath Tweed, Northton is going to to be the weaver on the Cowal Tweed project. We are thrilled that she is keen be part of this community textile project. I visited her at her Taobh Tuath weaving shed. It was fascinating to learn about her cloth, hear about the realities of life as a weaver on Harris and listen to her ideas for new tweed designs. You can see more of her work on her website.

www.taobhtuathtweeds.com

Rebecca at her Hattersley loom. She had just cut off her last cloth and tied in a new warp. All the weavers had been really busy over the summer and were keen to get back working at their looms, which they sit at and treadle to power the warp shafts and weft bobbins.

Inside Rebecca's weaving shed that she built herself. It has a rippled perspex roof that makes it bright and airy. An Act of Parliament ensures that all Harris Tweed cloth is made on the island at the weaver's home.

On the road to Donald John's weaving shed. looking over to the Luskentyre peninsula. The weather constantly changes the stunning landscape.

Donald John Mackay's tin weaving shed at Luskentyre. Donald John is great to talk to about Harris Tweed weaving, and it's traditions and his hopes for it's future. He was the first weaver to get the big Nike order that helped promote the interest in Harris Tweed weaving. He was happy to share his knowledge and demonstrate Harris Tweed weaving on his Hattersley loom. He was kept busy speaking to groups of tourists whilst everyone squeezed into his small weaving shed, watching him weave whilst clicking away on their cameras. He was also very busy fullfilling Harris Tweed orders, and was keen to complete an order for Chanel so he could get on weaving his own cloth designs and restock his own fabrics.

A herringbone tweed on Donald John's loom. His colours are inspired by the stunning Luskentyre landscape. His weaving shed looks out onto a beautiful beach overlooking the small island of Taransay.

Scalpay Linen

It was great to meet and spent time talking to Sheila Roderick of Scalapy Linen about the weaving on Harris, textiles and life on the Outer Hebrides. She recently trained a new group of weavers how to use the Hattersley loom, and specialises in spinning, tweed and linen weaving. She is known in the film world for her linen cloth which has been used in films such as the Hobbit. Her cloth is equisite and her new studio in Scalpay Craft Village in the old school well worth a visit. She also runs textile workshops.

http://www.scalpaylinen.com

Harris Tweed Shop Tarbert Harris

www.harristweedisleofharris.co.uk

The folks at Harris Tweed Tarbert were another mine of information about the Tweed. They gave me a range of tweed samples demonstrating the different types of patterns that can be woven on a single cloth Hattersley loom. Here are some more colourful modern tweeds. The fleeces are dyed with chemical dyes nowadays, blending the wool before carding and spinning the yarn, which is then woven into the distinctive Harris Tweed cloth.

Here are some bolts of traditional suiting tweeds based on the colours of the Hebridean landscape. The yarn would originally have been dyed with natural plants in a large pot on a fire outdoors and fixed with lichen scraped from the rocks.

Archive photograph of women dyeing the fleece outdoors prior to carding, spinning and weaving the yarn.

Stornoway Harris Tweed Shop. Sample tweed book recording dyes and finished cloth

Project background

The Dunoon Burgh Hall is currently being refurbished to a design by Glasgow architects Paige and Park and will reopen next year. The idea of the project is for the artistic community of Cowal come together to design a bespoke Harris Tweed fabric based on their drawings of the colours of the Cowal landscape. Working with a Harris Tweed weaver, the ideas and drawings will then be translated into a design for a new cloth, the Cowal Tweed. Once the cloth has been woven on Harris by the tweed weaver, the bespoke cloth will then be used by local community quilting and textile groups to make soft furnishings for the cafe and large hall area.