My First bale of Harris Tweed

A couple of weeks ago I got my first batch of Harris Tweed back from the mill.  I had woven it in sections with different weft colours so actually got 4 different tweeds on the one roll - three of which I have now used to make up into a variety of products.

On the roll here you can see the bright red version.  It is not actually quite as bright as it shows in this photograph but red is a very difficult colour to photograph.

This section has been made up into some scarves but I have not yet had a chance to photograph the finished products, and as they have to go out in an order over the next couple of days, I probably won't actually take any more pictures.

Two of my shop customers were waiting for a supply of Hebridean hoods, so they each got one made with some of this special tweed.    Canongate Jerseys & Crafts in Edinburgh got one that had been woven with an almost black weft and so I used black stitching and black sheepskin to trim the hood.  This particular length was on the long side, but I decided to leave it with the extra length.  I had to photograph it just on the display bust as my models were not available and I wanted to send the parcel off quickly.

The other batch of hoods was made for Scotch Corner in Oban.  They got 5 hoods in a variety of colours, including one made with the red tweed.  This particular one used the section woven with a brick red weft.  The finished hood has rather a "Little Red Riding Hood" look, but I am sure there will be someone who likes it.  Here you can see the embroidery in progress.  This bit gets stitched before the garment is assembled.

As I was delivering this order personally, I had a little bit more time to get everything finished and I made sure I had Mary around so that I could photograph the red hood properly.  She came round for Sunday dinner along with her husband and children and we did a quick photoshoot in my back garden before I headed off to Oban on Monday.   I don't normally make these deliveries in person but we were in Oban for an ordination service and it was convenient to take the order with me - also nice to visit the shop as I hadn't seen it before.  A lovely shop - well worth a visit if you find yourself in the area.