Differences in Mills?

[MacSimoin]

I have no experience with Lochcarron but I hope this post helps others see how much difference there can be in dye ranges as used by woolen mills...

When I had the Fitzsimmons tartan first woven by DC Dalgliesh in 2005, I was unhappy with the sett and the brightness of the dyes used in the wool. The sett was elongated (rectangular) and the colors weren't quite what I had in mind when designing the tartan. So, what to do---find another mill? Well, that's exactly what I did but bear in mind that Dalgliesh produces very good quality material (my dad has even joked of refinishing his billiards table with it!) and no one should assume that I'd not recommend them. In fact, I do.

About 6 months later I contacted the House of Edgar and requested yarn samples so I could get an idea of what their material would look like, whereas I was looking to have more material woven. In hindsight, I should have asked for samples beforehand when ordering from Dalgliesh; but remember, it wasn't that I was unhappy with the material, just the sett and brightness of the dyes they used. Regardless, I was very pleased with the small yarn samples (and the CAD image) that I received from Edgar, so I ordered 22m of material from them and had a kilt made while I was at it.

You can see the differences in the image below; both mills used the same thread count/colors. However, there's a distinct difference in appearance between these two kilts. The Edgar material and kilt (8 yd) is on the left, and the Dalgliesh material and Matt Newsome kilt (4 yd) is on the right. FYI, they're both beautiful kilts!



Long story short, I'm satisfied with the quality of material from both mills; however, the tartan you see on the left (above) is what I'd originally intended the Fitzsimmons tartan to look like. So, speaking from experience, if anyone reading this is looking to have material woven, I suggest you request yarn samples before you commit to placing your order. You live and learn, right?