Waulk this Way: The Pungent Charm of Harris Tweeds

I grew up with a grandfather who wore Harris Tweed jackets every day. He had deep Scottish roots: his family moved from the Highlands to Cardigan, PEI, where they settled.

Harris Tweeds were a part of our home; I didn't think they were anything remarkable until I stepped out as a twentysomething and learned that they were made by hand, in the Outer Hebrides. 

And as recently as last month I learned that Harris Tweeds undergo a process called "waulking" or "fulling." The setup reminds me of a quilting bee: a group of women sit around a table (or a quilting frame), working together on the same textile. But instead of adding quilting stitches to layers, "waulkers" rhythmically beat the tweed cloth against the table to cleanse it and, I've read, to slightly felt/strengthen it. 

And part of the process is to soak the tweed in urine, which would help set the dye of the yarn (and soften it). A video is here:

The blog Glamourdaze.com (from which this video comes) is one useful source; "waulking" has also been included in the show Highlander, a video of which is here:

My grandfather used to take daily walks in his Harris Tweed jackets. I wonder whether he knew that the fabric had been on a "waulk" of its own.