Quote:
Originally Posted by G-CPTN
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I belive it was also used in the making of Harris Tweed, on Harris. If the book I read is to be belived, that is were the phrase "Spending a penny was coined" (Pardon the pun). Vistors were paid, a penny, to keep the tub topped up.
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The Colours
Harris Tweed was made from 100 per cent natural and sustainable products. The wool, from the sheep (obviously). The colours themselves were sourced directly from nature – lichen and heathers. The tweed was then stretched by a process known as waulking the cloth. This involved soaking it in animal or human urine and then pounding it across a table in order to shrink it and ensure its pliability. We are assured that the cloth was thoroughly cleaned after the process."
From, and more at,
http://caledonianmercury.com/2010/04...t-tweed/006557