TWT Harris Tweed Tote

Made especially for us by Studio Tolsta is our TWT Harris Tweed Tote. Available in three colors, each tote is a perfect pairing of authentic Harris Tweed with cotton canvas and eco vegetable tanned leather. The results are stylish and classic in addition to being durable and sturdy. Perfect as your knitting project bag or for work!

Designed to safely carry everything you need for the day, it has a durable leather base, a secure YKK zip closure, two large exterior pockets with magnetic closures, and two interior pockets.  Along with The Woolly Thistle logo, the bag also features the coveted Harris Tweed label. We are so honored to work with Studio Tolsta on these superb totes. 

About Harris Tweed:  Harris Tweed has a long and storied tradition. It has been created for hundreds of years in the of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Its beautiful rich tweed fabric must be handwoven with a warp of either 700 or 1,400 individual threads. Harris Tweed fabric is still homemade in remote weaving sheds from pure virgin wool dyed and spun on the Outer Hebridean islands. 

From the Harris Tweed Site: "We work alongside over 140 self-employed handweavers, each one a true artisan and registered with the Harris Tweed Authority. They take hours to meticulously hand-tie new warp threads to the tail ends of the previous warp. This is one of the many processes that must be done before they can start their next weaving project on the treadle loom. Once they begin weaving, each individual warp and weft thread is skilfully woven together under the watchful eye of the weaver."

Studio Tolsta was founded by Scottish designer Catriona Maciver, who set up the studio in a converted loom shed in her ancestral village of Tolsta, on the Isle of Lewis. After experimenting with ceramics and screen-printed textiles, she was drawn to Harris Tweed, a hand-woven, woolen fabric named after the Island’s southern region. Only produced in the Outer Hebrides, it is one of the last surviving testimonies to Scotland’s handloom weaving heritage. Inspired, she began to experiment with the fabric, enjoying the process of combining the traditional with the contemporary.  In 2014 she travelled to India to work on a graphic design residency where she then met and married her partner and established a more permanent base in India.

Tote Features:

• Dimensions: 15" x 15.5" x 5"
• 14oz cotton canvas body
• Veg tanned leather base, straps and detailing
• Zipper closure
• Two large external pockets with magnetic closures
• Internal zipped compartment for small accessories
• Internal slash pocket
• YKK zips and leather pulls
• Striped cotton lining
• Harris Tweed label

If you love these, you'll also want to check out the smaller Harris Tweed Project Bags, perfect for holding your smaller projects! 

"Studio Tolsta brings together craft traditions – from the North of Scotland to the South of India – in contemporary products that are made with integrity and are designed to get better with time."