Battle of the Tweed, BBC Radio 4

06Feb09

I love Harris Tweed. Part of what I like is the beautifully designed
label showing an orb. I have only ever owned second
hand Harris but my wife has an exquisite jacket from Old Town which is
made up of a subtle blend of blues and greens. This programme on BBC
Radio 4 can be listened to for the next seven days on the iplayer.
It’s really interesting. I particularly liked the idea that my coat
was woven by an individual maker in their cottage, possibly on Harris,
but probably on Lewis, before being taken to the mill for finishing.
It is one of those extraordinarily special products that links us to
the handmade, to the landscape and to a specific region of the British
Isles. I’m not sure that there should be any changes made to
legislation to allow fibres from elsewhere to be included in Harris
Tweed.  It is 100% wool from sheep reared in the Outer Hebrides.
Everyone should own something made from Harris Tweed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00h8ym2

Brora are another really interesting Scottish textile company.

Filed under: Art and Life: so often one and the same   |  2 Comments
Tags: Battle of the Tweed, BBC Radio 4, Brora, handmade, Harris Tweed, Lewis, Old Town, weaver