Back to Basics series – Day 3
27th March
Having looked at the creation of the Harris Tweed® industry, for the rest of the series we will focus on the creation of the Harris Tweed® cloth itself.
Dyeing
Bales of 100% pure new wool arrive at our island mills ready to begin the journey to becoming genuine Harris Tweed®. The first stage is dyeing and Harris Tweed® is truly “dyed in the wool”. Instead of dyeing spun yarn, the raw wool is dyed into a rainbow of shades, which are then blended to create a myriad of intricate shades and hues.
As the vegetation is now protected, natural dyes can no longer be used. However, Harris Tweed® is a truly ecologically sound textile, with a low-impact VOC (volatile organic compound) absorbent production process, and is non-allergenic and biodegradable.