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Last year we ran a photo competition looking for inspiration for a new tweed – the Glendale Check. Glendale is a small village in the north west of Skye. It is where we are pedalling away on our bicycle pedal-powered loom to create tweed, scarves, throws and more.

After designing the tweed, trying out various options on the sample loom, sourcing the yarn, winding cones, warping and finally weaving, the new tweed is available in our online shop now!

We are using the tweed to make a new range of Glendale Check Cushions. Discover the story behind the cushion:

We recently wove our first tweed using wool from the Glendale Estate’s Cheviot sheep. Last year we bought the hogg wool (the first clip), which we sent off for scouring, carding and spinning. We were really pleased with the yarn and have just finished weaving our first roll of natural white herringbone tweed.

Andrea warping first Glendale tweed

We also sent some of the yarn to Shilasdair Yarns in Waternish, who dyed it naturally with various dye plants. We are currently in the process of finalising the design for a range of throws, and more tweed using these colours. Everything will be available this autumn.

The Glendale Estate was bought by the community at the beginning of the 20th century. Today the estate farm stocks sheep and cattle. We would like to take the opportunity to thank the estate committee and D.A. and Norman, who are looking after the sheep, for helping to get the first Glendale wool processed. We are already looking forward to working with them again this year!

Many people are surprised about the fact that the wool of the many sheep on Skye is normally not used on the island. In the past wool was washed, carded, spun and woven for home use and small scale trade at many crofts. With the industrialisation and economic change this is no longer a viable business opportunity. Wool is now processed by large scouring plants and spinning mills on the mainland or overseas. The mills buy wool in big batches from the Wool Marketing Board. Most of the wool in the UK (and on Skye) is bought by the Wool Marketing Board, who is selling it on behalf of the farmers at international auctions. Skye wool gets mixed up with wool from elsewhere. This is why we are so happy to be working with 100% Skye wool now.

Roger mending Glendale tweed

Before we moved to Skye, we lived and worked at Ardalanish, a remarkable farm and weaving mill on the Isle of Mull. The Ardalanish Mill was one of the pioneers in getting wool from their own sheep spun and we were truly inspired by the process of turning a home grown sheeps’ fleeces into a finished products. After we set up our own business on Skye, we wanted to continue in that ethos and have now managed to use our first batch of local wool.

Skye Weavers team:  excited to be working with locally sourced wool.

It is great to see other businesses popping up everywhere, who are using local resources. A very inspiring business on Skye, who is using home grown brown wool for their beautiful knitting, is Island at the Edge in Edinbane. And there are quite a few more textile places on Skye, so come and weave your way around the island to discover it all!

Do you know who made your clothes? Since the Rana Plaza tragedy in Bangladesh this question has entered public discussion. How can it be that our clothes are so cheap? An increasing number of retailers are trying to source garments sewn by workers who are paid properly and work under safe conditions, but in the end it is us, the consumers, who make it happen. If there is a demand for ethical fashion, there will be somebody to fulfil it.

Ethical fashion starts with transparency of the supply chain. So check your label before buying, and ask “Who made my clothes?” For more information on ethical fashion, manufacturing and sustainable production visit Fashion Revolution. You can help create a more sustainable future for the clothing industry!

Our ties are of course far from essential in terms of clothing, but we are still proud to have them made in this country! The yarn was spun in the North of England, the tweed woven by us on the Isle of Skye, and the sewing done by a social enterprise in Edinburgh. Have a look at production from yarn to tie here!

Kalopsia is a social enterprise specialising in micro-manufacturing of textile products in Leith, Edinburgh. We met them at the opening night of their Assemble Range, where they introduced a range of tried and tested products they make up to order in any fabric. Their vision with Assemble is to create a more efficient textiles production service, help reduce waste, get accurate fabric estimations as well a quick turn around time and reduced carbon emission.

Our ties are part of that range. The pattern has been adjusted to work perfectly with our tweeds and they are sewn to last a long time. We’re proud to introduce our new collection! Made in Scotland.

Many thanks to Susan Castillo for her excellent photography!

When it comes to buying a gift for a newborn baby, nothing could be more perfect than a soft and warm lambswool blanket, which can be passed on from generation to generation, yet still look as beautiful as the day it was brought home. We want babies to feel safe, treasured, warm and protected while they are snugly wrapped up in their natural woollen blanket.

Our brand new range of baby blankets are woven from 100% lambswool and brushed carefully with teasel heads, ensuring the softest possible finish against your baby’s delicate skin. Perfect for keeping your baby warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Research reported in the medical journal The Lancet has also found that it has a soothing effect that can result in better sleep and improved weight gain.

But not only are these blankets a fabulous practical choice for your baby, they will also look beautiful in your home. Coming in three lovely designs, each one inspired by a different feature of Skye’s stunning coastline, there is the perfect blanket for every family.

For those looking for a neutral option for a surprise arrival, our Coral Beach design is a fantastic choice. Inspired by the sands, corals, coloured shells and fragments of dried bladderwrack seaweed, the colours of this blanket range from pure to creamy white and oatmeal, but also include specks of mussel blue, stone grey and the dark brown. This natural coloured blanket is perfect for baby boys and girls alike, and would look stunning in any pram or nursery whatever the current colour scheme.

If you want your little one to be assured of sweet dreams, why not rock them to sleep wrapped in our Sea Ripples Baby Blanket. It was inspired by the rippled surface of the sea on a blue sky day on the Isle of Skye. The design is made up from three soft shades of blue in a wavy, undulating weave. It’s a blanket so beautiful that it will undoubtedly transcend babyhood, and be a treasured item for many years to come, perfect for snuggling under on cold winter’s nights and for lying on top of to play games on even the hottest summer days.

Perhaps you are looking for purple and pink tones, in which case our Purple Topshell Baby Blanket is your best choice. Inspired by the spiral ridges of pink and purple sea shells (Purple Topshell, Gibbula umbilicalis) commonly found on Skye’s rocky shores, this gorgeous blanket with its mix of pink, purple and creamy white colours would look stunning in any little girl’s nursery. Perfect for those first photographs or for swaddling your baby on the way home from hospital, this is a blanket which will make your baby feel secure during those precious early days.

Whichever blanket you choose, you are buying a totally natural and soft product with all the great attributes of wool. And with the help of Eucalan, washing your lovely blanket and keeping it in pristine condition could not be easier. Why not give it a try today and watch how beautifully your baby sleeps within it.

Show us the colours of Glendale!

Take a picture to make a tweed

The Glenurquhart Check is one of the world’s most famous tweeds. Designed in the mid-19th century it now comes in a huge variety of related patterns, known as Glen Checks.

This October – to mark Wool Week, a celebration of all things woollen – we will design our special variation of this pattern, the Glendale Check.

But before we can start designing, we need your help.

We’re looking for your view of Glendale and its colours. Where are your favourite places in the glen? What are the distinctive colours of Glendale? Get your camera ready and show us.

Send us your pictures by the end of September 2016. We’ll compile a shortlist of our favourites. Voting for the winning picture starts at the beginning of Wool Week (10th October).

Win four Glendale Check cushions!

We’ll use the winning picture as inspiration for our Glendale Check tweed design. If your picture was chosen, you’ll receive a gift of four exclusive Glendale Check cushions.

Send your pictures to info@skyeweavers.co.uk

We look forward to seeing your views of Glendale!

Follow progress on Facebook and Twitter using #GlendaleCheck

… a few months later

Here’s our winner! We’re really looking forward to designing this tweed!