Hands That Make Harris Tweed®: Part 2
1st June
The Hands that Make Harris Tweed®
Part 2. A’ MEASGACHADH & A’ CÀRDADH
Blending & Carding
The dyed wools are weighed in exact proportions and thoroughly blended to obtain the perfect hue. Once our industry’s skilled mill workers are satisfied that the colours are thoroughly blended, the wool is carded – an action similar to combing. This is carried out between mechanical, toothed rollers that tease and mix the fibres before being separated into a fragile stretched wool that looks like slivers of yarn. These ‘slivers’, however, are much too fragile and soft to be used for weaving yet!
Can you guess what the next stage is?
Photograph by Janet Miles
