Harris Tweed
All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Harris Tweed garments claim to be warm in winter and cool in summer, water-resistant and hard-wearing.
Household urine used to be used both in ‘fixing’ the various dyes and in removing any residual oiliness in the material. It was also used to shrink the cloth to a width of exactly 29 inches. A big pee tub, which was a large barrel with a lid, was a standard fixture in island homes and visitors were encouraged to add to the supply. More details can be found in Sally Magnusson’s book, ‘Life of Pee’.
This book is a cornucopia of information,. a book to be dipped into at will, or read from cover to cover. Treadle loom in an islander's homeThis method was used until the end of the 20th century. Be aware if you stand next to someone wearing ‘old’ Harris Tweed on a warm day, though the smell is said to be not unpleasant. Harris Tweed produced in the 21st century will not carry any such aroma, as modern products are now used to counteract any oiliness that may remain in the material.
Harris Tweed is manufactured in different weights – superfine, featherweight and mediumweight – and can be used in a variety of ways. In its many colourways and patterns, from herringbone to plaid, it can be used in a variety of ways, from clothing to footwear, accessories to soft furnishings.
Harris Tweed is considered a luxury fabric – a metre of cloth can cost about £132 – but the price is not exorbitant when it is taken into consideration how many individuals are involved in its unique production.
Gorgeous to look at and the price is not exorbitant if the items of clothing last for years. But how can the one material be warm in winter and cool in summer?
ReplyDeleteHels, wool is an insulating material.
DeleteHarris Tweed will last forever and is worth the investment.
DeleteOops, from Hels. Sorry
ReplyDeleteFirst we could not call our bubbles champagne anymore and now I discover we can't make Harris Tweed. I am guessing the new garment I saw in a market for $20 was not really Harris Tweed. Bah!
ReplyDeleteSadly not, Andrew:-)
DeleteThis takes me back. When I was still a teen and at College of Education, my parents brought back some lengths of Harris Tweed and Mum used one of them to make me a gorgeous long (maxi) coat. She went to tailoring classes and because really good with coats and suits. This coat lasted me for years until it became old fashioned and I donated it elsewhere. I wonder if it would still be usable, had I kept it. Probably yes.
ReplyDeletexx
Hindsight is a wonderful thing . . . x x x
DeleteInteresting history and I'm reminded of reading in a book (fiction) of ancient peoples steeping animal skins in pee to create "white" leather. Pee certainly seems to have more than a few uses.
ReplyDeleteIt does, but not medicinally, despite some people's claims.
DeletePee has had so many uses over time . i remember watching a series called "The Worst Jobs in History " which explored these uses . I don't remember the details though . Very interesting post and Harris Tweed seems like a truly amazing product .
ReplyDeletePee is is such abundant supply, too;-)
DeleteMy father had a fabulous Harris Tweed jacket in a weight of fabric you can't seem to get these days. It was a life long possession that i would love to still have, but unfortunately an aunt borrowed it for a play costume or something and we never saw it again. I have purchased a length of Harris Tweed and made my own but it simply isn't the same.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame that it vanished.
DeleteHousehold pee as fixing product ! First time I heard that and I worked for 10 years in a company which produced fibers so I am familiar with the word "loom", spinning etc. But fixing a close with pee ??? How many times it has to be washed to get rid of the odor or is it send to France to throw a bottle of perfume on it as they did under Louis IV because taking a bath was unhealthy ! That's why perfume was invented in France. And who copied Manneken pis ?
ReplyDeleteExtraordinary, isn't it?
DeleteAll rather posh..and very expensive...I went through
ReplyDeletea fashion phase...15~18...when l was into tweed,
not sure of the 'Harris' bit though...even suede shoes!
Goodness! HeHe! :).
And Yes! Every aspect of the production process is done
by hand, from the shearing of the sheep to the weaving
of the cloth...
And...the reputation of it being 'scratchy' or 'itchy' isn't one
that comes with today's Harris Tweed fabric...!
Still...Tweeds from the Isle of Harris give you a wide range
of the finest tweeds available in the world....
´*•.¸(*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´ ´*•.¸(*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´ ´*•.¸(*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´
The range is huge.
DeleteIt seems incredible now, but in the late 1960s and early 70s the winter uniform of my girls school in Nottingham (then a direct grant establishment) was a Harris tweed coat. Imagine the smell of a basement cloakroom full of these garments on a wet morning....At some point around 1973 the uniform changed to standard duffle coats as parents had started to complain about the cost of the Harris tweed, but the second hand tweed coats were still much prized by the 'cool girls'.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
I wonder how many other schools had such a prestigious uniform? I can imagine the cloakroom . . .
ReplyDeleteHi Janice - all informative ... I can't wear wool - so I blanch on even seeing it! Yet the urine scenario - has been used for centuries, if not millennia ... while diabetes was found 'through tasting urine' ... such is life ... good stories for the little ones, as well as educative for us - the book Perfume, I think, reminds us about curing hides. Not nice - I'll stop there - especially as there's wool around! Cheers! Hilary
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't do to look - or sniff - too closely at some practices, even today ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat was a fascinating read, Janice, particularly about the use of household urine ... Life of Pee made me laugh, what a great title!
ReplyDeleteWe found Jos a Harris Tweed blazer in a charity shop a couple of years ago. I had no idea it was made in the Outer Hebrides, although the Harris part should have given it away! xxx
Jos's jacket sounds like a bargain! x x x
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