Price increase. Those dreaded words. Unfortunately, they come to us all.
I’ve been putting this off for quite some time now. I was able to absorb the second last price increase in manufacturing costs and since January, I’ve been trying to absorb the most recent increase in manufacturing costs but along with the latest rise in delivery costs, I’m going to have to admit defeat and put my own prices up.
For all new orders, my tweeds will now be £25 per metre and £13 per half metre. For non-exclusive commissions, the price will now be £28 per metre and exclusive commissions will be £30 per metre with a minimum order of 20 metres.
I hope you will agree that this is still great value for a handwoven fabric with the quality of Harris Tweed and I thank you for your continued support!
It can be hard to explain the work that goes into weaving Harris Tweed as an independent weaver but the I think the brilliant wee poem below by Heather Campbell, a fellow independent weaver, goes some way to doing just that!
HATTERSLEY ‘YARNS’
‘She’s just a weaver isn’t she?’
But within this cloth lies a real story.
It captures a scene, from the land to the sea.
Or maybe just something that was meant to be?
Something dreamt up from a walk through the hills,
A day on the beach or a trip to the mill.
A drive through these Islands shows colours galore,
Or perhaps inspiration came from the yarn store?
You decide what to do, count the ends in your head.
Buy the colours you need and to warp it you head.
The pattern you keep on the strokes of some paper.
Fill the creel with the bobbins and warp it with care.
Take the beam to the loom, try to tie in with speed,
672 ends make up this Harris Tweed.
Now the pattern you know, but the loom still does not,
For the box to turn right, a pattern chain needs to be got.
Each card in the chain tells the box what to do.
Forwards or backwards to keep the pattern true.
With pliers and links the chain is now ready.
Attach to the loom and you’re getting there steady.
Next come the pirns, from the bobbins I wind,
To fit in the shuttle which is thrown side to side.
Once weaving begins, it looks easy you say,
But things can go wrong, you can’t look away.
For the slightest mistake will ruin this cloth.
It needs to be perfect, it’s protected by Law.
Once weaving is over, off the loom it will come.
Bind it with string and to the mill I will run.
It needs to be washed, tightened, shrunk and inspected,
And once it has passed, the Orb Stamp will be granted.
Back home I go, with my Harris Tweed bolt.
Advertising done and my roll is now sold.
I’ll send out the bills, cut, wrap up and tape.
To the post office I go and send on its way.
I’m classed as Independent.
No difference you might see.
But it’s all my own doing.
Just I, myself and me.
I could keep going on, I love what I do.
I really hope now, you see the difference too.
It brings me such joy, to see that bolt in all its glory.
When you buy a metre from me, you’re buying part of my story. ❤
Heather
An Independent Harris Tweed Weaver
from the Isle of Harris
Still amazing value at new price. For such high quality unique product produced with such skill the price is quite modest imho.
Thank you!
Well worth every penny!
I’m glad you agree!
This is such a brilliant poem!!! I love it, and it says so much about your work as an independant weaver.
And as said before, still an amazing value for the price, thank you for working so hard to make such a brilliant material accessible.
I am in love with the meter of blue herringbone I bought from you, and I cannot wait to buy more to you and maybe do something together in the future? 😉
That’d be great!