Harris Tweed® Weaving Terms | Day 4

When someone is “spinning a yarn” it means they are telling a long, elaborate, and often imaginative story.

In Harris Tweed® production, spinning is the process of twisting wool fibres together to form yarn, a practice which was historically done by hand using a spinning wheel or spindle. Spinning was traditionally a communal activity, especially among women, who would gather to spin and, in the process, engage in conversation.

While they worked, they often shared stories and tales to pass the time and make the repetitive task more enjoyable. Just as spinning our yarn involves creating something continuous and lengthy from raw wool fibres, spinning a yarn involves creating a continuous and detailed narrative.