After a trip to the mill we have two more Harris Tweeds available.

The first is a six shuttle, six colour one which I did just to make sure I still could!!  Now I don't usually make traditional sorts of tweeds but this one is quite nice, even to my jaundiced eye!  It has an autumnal aura about it and would make very natty ladies jackets, perhaps worn with a dark blue skirt.

 

 

The other tweed is the girly pink one which seems to have taken me forever to get woven, finished and then collected.  Anyway it's here now so if you are a pink tweed fiend then let me know.

 

 

Incidentally, this is a 13cut tweed and the pink is the old Mackenzies mill  pink which is softer and less "coral" shaded than Shawbost. 

Both are single width twill and £20 per metre as usual plus postage if we need to send it to you.

As always these tweeds are non-repeatable.

 

In other news. Lambs growing up, cuckoos are here.  We are enjoying the new BBC1 series "Hebrides - islands on the edge" though it was rather full of geese last week!  For those in the UK who want to watch, it's on I-player.

 

The sheep go onto summer grazings this weekend so the dogs are limbering up in the sun!

 

Weather just glorious today, but probably not tomorrow. 



 

Just tying in a warp which is destined to be floor runners.  It is a lovely worsted yarn with a fine nylon binder, twisted very firmly so it makes a great warp.

I've sleyed one end per dent, so it's a quick one to warp, draft and tie-in, which makes a change from the linen.

 

The weft is a very unusual beige boucle wool from Andrew at Northbank Mills..

 

 

This is fun on the pirn winder and also in the shuttles, but finishes beautifully.

 

Good News in the offing - we are hoping to re-launch the Hattersley Loom Club with a virtual spares shed for all bits of Hattersley Mark 1 and 2.  The web-site will be moving to a new platform very soon.  So keep your eyes peeled for more details.

 

Having trouble keeping my mind on work today - it's such lovely weather.  It's been so dry here that muirburning has been a bit of a nightmare business this year.  The fire service have put a stop to in for now as they have had so many calls out.

 

So here's a picture of the view from my loomshed taken about half an hour ago.

If your weather is not quite so good, my sympathies are with you. 

 

 





    Some folk have been complaining that they haven't seen any new lambs on the croft yet.  Well, here are a bunch.  It's not been a bad year so far - the weather has been glorious.  Dry, sunny but cold days have been with us for several weeks now.  When it does rain the lambs won't know what it is!

 

 

This little lamb was just born today.  Already healthy and happy.

 

 

Here she is again with her mum.

 

 

And, same as last year, to the same mother, a set of twins - one black and one white.  This time both are females.

 

 

And finally the gentleman who is responsible for many of this year's lambs.  Our cheviot ram.  We have had him on the croft for a couple of years and are now looking for a new home for him for next tupping season.  He's about five years old and is a happy chappy and a good worker.  Any interest, give me a shout!

 

A gentle reminder to everyone who may be considering walking on land that is used for grazing during the year.  Please do remember to close gates behind you.  Most people are very careful but just occasionally they forget and my gorgeous pedigree Zwartbles ram who we thought was safe in the apportionment behind the croft has gone missing because people walked through the apportionment and left the gate to the apportionment and the gate to the grazings open.  It's really sad, not just the financial value of him, but that he was going to be the start of my Hebridean/Zwartbles cross flock.  We have our fingers crossed that he may turn up but there are so many dangers on the common grazings that we fear he may have come to harm.

 

 

 

 

Hope all our Blog Friends had a happy Christmas!

Here is Tuppy our ram celebrating in the only way he knows how - a mouthful of hay.



 

And, here is the first picture of my "new" loom from Uist.  Well, bits of it laid out on the floor.  Spent a jolly few hours the other day scraping layers of wool bits off some of the parts.  Sorry the pic is a bit blurry, my hand must have been shaking with the excitement!

 

 

Also, I see that Bramble got in on the act.

 

 

This is my latest warp - a girly pink Harris Tweed one.  Not my favourite colour, but it will be going for doggy coats so no doubt it will look very cute. 

 

We're all looking forward to a good 2013 here at Scalpay Linen.  With the new loom starting to take shape, lambing in April, some more teaching on the horizon, a new season to look forward to and of course the endless speculation as to whether Gandalf is really wearing our linen (it certainly looks like it to us), it could be that 12 months just won't be enough to cram in what we have planned!

 

If anyone is hoping to visit our workshop during the season, we will be open April to September but I will post dates when we know we will not be around. 

 

I am also hoping to be able to organise spinning classes for anyone who might be thinking of handspinning as a way of supplementing their income.  It will probably be in the Stornoway area and probably in the springtime.  So if you're interested, please let me know.

 

 

 

 



     Ever wondered what a cloud in a basket would look like?  Well, here's one!  I managed to catch it as it was going over Scalpay....

 

 

Actually, it's carded mohair from Driftwater Weaves gorgeous Angora goat, Ludi.  Almost too nice to spin, but needs must.  Mohair is so nice, but goodness it does get everywhere. If CSI ever had to come to our house to carry out an investigation, the finger of suspicion would undoubtedly point to a goat!

 

 

Great News for Crofters, Weavers and Knitters

     Well, part of the reason I have been so mouse-quiet over the past few weeks is that I have been holding my breath because the powers that be (Leader) have been deciding the future funding for the very exciting Uist Woollen Mill project.  I am here today, rather puffed out, to joyfully announce that the funding has been granted and that it's FULL STEAM AHEAD!  As far as I know all the funding is in place, we began with a taster training course for wool-work a couple of weeks ago which was over-subscribed and great fun for us all; the machinery has been sourced and is waiting to be moved, and now the funding for the building is confirmed. 

     So it's celebration time just now and a chance to thank our funding sourcer Dana for all her hard work, tenacity and determination over the past few years, also to Mary for her great input to the project and all the committee past and present who kept the faith and kept pushing forward regardless.  We love you all!
     Haven't got a picture of what the mill will look like yet, but for now here is a picture of a token sheep and lamb -

...because, when all is considered, this is what it's all about.

Now I'm going to lie down in a darkened room for a while with a wet flannel over my eyes because the excitement is getting to me and there is a risk that I might go over the top.  And we don't want that!

Quack Olympic Hopes!

Q.  What could be more exciting than the arrival of the Olympic flame on the Isle of Lewis next month? 
A.  The arrival of the GB Junior Synchronised Swimming Team on Croft 37 this morning!
Aren't they cute?  They are all wearing the same uniform, so that's a good start.
Their trainer, Mrs Duck is keeping a close eye on their freestyle!