Harris Tweed is a widely recognised fabric which is hand made in the Outer Hebrides by skilled weavers. The beautiful colours and the rich texture of Harris Tweed are adored by people worldwide, and the quality of this striking woollen textile is unrivalled. But how is the famous cloth produced? The process consists of several steps and each of them contributes to the splendour of the fabric. Let us be the first to tell you that the whole process of creating Harris Tweed is nothing short of fascinating.

The Creation Of Harris Tweed

Unlike many other types of fabric, each step of making the famous Harris Tweed cloth is carried out by the weavers and crafters themselves. Almost all of the stages of the process are completed in a single mill. Harris Tweed is protected by an Act of Parliament which states that the weaving for the fabric must be carried out locally. The wool that is used to produce the fabric comes from British herds and arrives at the mill in a raw state, where it is prepared for the first step of becoming the tweed that we know and love. The islanders begin by dyeing the wool. The threads are first dyed in base colours, which later allows for almost unlimited shades of colour to be created. After the dyeing process the wool is dried in a large spin dryer. This process is followed by tumble drying, since the wool has to dry before it is mixed into the yarns that make the Harris tweed cloth. The next step is all about colour; a specific shade recipe is developed to achieve incredible colour depth and diversity. The colours which are used for Harris Tweed are inspired by nature and the Scottish landscape. The dyed wool is put through the first stage of carding and teasing. Essentially, this is a process of detangling and straightening the wool fibres into more a manageable state.

Producing The Harris Tweed Yarn, The Weaving And Quality Inspection

At this stage, the individual ribbons of thread are formed. The thread is then spun; the strength of the yarn is achieved by twisting the thread from six to eight times. However, due to the fragility of the thread at this stage, the machine cannot operate with full force, as broken threads would need to be hand-tied. Once this step is complete, a group of threads is created and organised in the necessary way to achieve the desired pattern through weaving. According to the statutory Act of parliament, the weaving of the famous cloth must be carried out in the homes of the local weavers. This means that every inch of the fabric is produced by human hands. It is checked for imperfections after the weaving and washing and later given the stamp of authenticity with the orb and the cross, certifying that the requirements of the law have been met. The famous Harris Tweed jacket requires a great deal of effort to be produced, which makes it a unique and valuable clothing item in any man’s wardrobe. If you are looking for the fully certified Harris tweed jackets, check out the variety at The Scotland Kilt Company today! For more information on the Harris Tweed jackets please email sales@theschotlandkiltcompany.co.uk or call 0131 553 3472.