Weaving Tools

In My Weaving Bag || Essential Weaving Supplies

WeavingSuppliesCover2I would love to know where you keep your weaving supplies. Does anyone have a devoted room or studio? I hope to one day have one. I do have a dresser full of weaving stuff, which is pretty neat. (actually the dresser isn’t neat at all. I try to organize it, but it doesn’t last long). Even with this dresser, I still keep my essential weaving tools in a bag that I’ll move around with me as I weave. Isn’t the freedom of a lap loom the best? I can weave on the couch or in my bed, it’s pretty sweet.

Because some of you are new to weaving, I decided to share my weaving tool essentials that I carry around in my bag and also give you some honest feedback on each.  And just so you know, this post contains affiliate links, which means if you click the link and make a purchase you’ll get cool stuff and you’ll be supporting The Weaving Loom at no additional cost to you, win-win!

Essential Weaving Supplies | The Weaving Loom1| Warp thread

I always have warp thread with me, even if my loom is all warped up I like to have warp thread with me because I sometimes will add it to a weave as a strong hidden support row or even as a fringe to some weaves. Did you see my post on how to add faux warp fringe to a weave? It can also add some texture if you weave it along with another thread that has a higher weight. My favorite warp thread can be found here.

2| Bent tip needle

This is my go to tool for weaving shapes and small areas of a weave. The bent tip allows me to easily pick up the warp threads and work the weft between. I’m never without this tool…unless it falls somewhere when I’m not paying attention, like a couch cushion. I do have more then one because of this, but so far I’ve been able to find them quickly enough if I lose them. Find the bent tip needle I use here.

Essential Weaving Supplies | The Weaving Loom3| Straight long needle

Those who have been around for a while know how excited I was when I found this needle. I really do love my bent tip needle, but when you’re weaving a large area it doesn’t cut it. This long, straight needle is THE BEST! It easily works the weft across numerous warp threads and saves me a lot of time when weaving. I will forever use this straight needle with my bent tip, they are the perfect pair. The straight needle I use can be found here.

4| Tapestry beater

I like this tool, it comes in handy from time to time. But if I were to be honest I use it maybe 50% of the time. I mostly use my hands to pull the weft threads down the warp, but when I have a large area woven, the tapestry beater does help. It is especially useful if I have a really tight weft too, like thick yarn that isn’t easily pushed down the warp threads. If you want a tool like this, here is the one I use. But you can also use a large fork or comb to do the same thing!

Essential Weaving Supplies | The Weaving Loom5| Yarn

Haha, of course I have yarn in my weaving bag! I like to keep all the yarn of my current weave in my weaving bag so that I can use it easily without searching. This also helps me with the design process. As you may know, I’ve talked about how I weave with a general idea of a finished weave in mind and make changes as I go. There have been many times when I will be in the middle of a weave and will pull out some yarn I had thought I would use, hold it up to my current work and then change my mind about using it, because it no longer fits with where the weave is going.

I know everyone weaves differently, so I would love to hear what tools you use and could not weave without. Is anyone else get about 50% use out of a tapestry beater? Or do you absolutely use yours all the time? Also what is your weaving setup? And you a weaving nomad inside your home, like me? Or do you have a dedicated weaving space?

Happy Weaving!

Kate

 

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  • Julie
    May 3, 2016 at 5:09 pm

    All my looms are in storage along with my warping board and my yarns. I have a small tapestry loom which I put on a table top artist easel. Works really good. I don’t have a beater, I have a kitchen fork and my fingers. Bent needles, long needles and yarn needles. I recently started the embroidery frame weaving technique I saw on your blog. Fun stuff!

    • Kate
      May 3, 2016 at 6:20 pm

      Hi Julie, the table top easel is smart! I have some frame looms that can stand upright, but for some reason I don’t like them like that as much as I like them laying flat, isn’t that weird? I guess I want to destroy my back quicker? Ha! Anyway, what are your other looms? I can only guess you have a floor loom if you have a warping board. Do you find there is a difference between how you weave on a floor loom and a frame loom? I’m curious because I’ve never woven on anything besides the frame looms. Thanks for sharing!

  • Kelly
    May 3, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    Oooooh I need to get a bent needle!
    In addition to what you named, I love my weaving sword. It can cut down on the time.

    • Kate
      May 4, 2016 at 1:09 pm

      Hi Kelly, good point about the weaving sword! I like to use a metal ruler when I need to weave quick plain rows 🙂

  • Cheryl Yoder
    May 4, 2016 at 9:51 am

    Being new at weaving, I only have what came with my 20″ x 12″ lap loom. 2 wooden shuttles, a wire shuttle and a shed or Puck-up-stick. After reading a few of your blogs, I added my kitchen salad serving fork and a sharp pair of scissors. I have a ball of cotton thread for the warp and using a thin cotton yarn for the weft. I so far have only sat on my love seat with my dog while weaving with the t.v. on in the back ground. Looking forward to learning how to do more with my loom than just solid cloths..

    • Kate
      May 4, 2016 at 1:11 pm

      Hi Cheryl, thanks for sharing! I forgot about sharp scissors, that is really important too. I also like weaving next to my dog 🙂

  • Jessica
    May 4, 2016 at 11:48 am

    I have a lap loom so its pretty mobile. I usually end up sitting on the couch watching TV while I weave though so I guess that’s my weaving spot lol. I have a tapestry beater, a tapestry needle, scissors, a shuttle and a shed stick with me at all times. I didn’t use shuttles at first but now that I’ve started omg I love it. I tend to be a bit of a violent, errr passionate, weaver, so as I’m yanking the yarn through the warp sometimes it can come unraveled or get fuzzy (I still use craft store yarn instead of higher quality stuff which I’m sure also contributes to this). Using a shuttle helps eliminate that and it’s nice to to have a giant string of yarn to pull through all at once. Especially since my husband’s cat thinks its so fun to play with.

    Would you please consider doing a post on how to keep your warp thread from bowing inwards while weaving? I’m working on being more gentle with the yarn but I would appreciate any advice you have. Its so frustrating to have a weaving design that I love and then ruining it by bowing the whole tapestry inwards. Thank you!

    • Kate
      May 4, 2016 at 1:21 pm

      Hi Jessica, thanks for sharing! I love that you’re a violent/passionate weaver, it probably makes your weaves look so great! I understand what you’re saying about the craft store yarn, but sometimes the nicer quality stuff will get fuzzy and unravel too, I think it depends on the material and how it’s spun. I wove with a really beautiful cotton yarn that had a lighter spin and was sooo soft, but it left cotton fuzz all over my lap! Still worth it 😉 What shuttle do you use? I’ve looked into them, but I wasn’t sure if they would work for me.

      The bowing inwards warp thread is the worst. I’m not even 100% free of it, but I do think I’ve gotten better (hopefully). I wrote about it a little in this post here https://www.theweavingloom.com/weaving-tip-back-to-the-plain-weave-basics/ but I will think about it more and write something up with more tips. Although, I must say I don’t mind a bit of imperfection, it shows that the weave was woven by hand and gives it character 🙂

  • Linda
    May 6, 2016 at 12:51 am

    Hi Kate, I’m just starting to weave on a very small lap loom. So far, with the help of a weaving book, I’ve done 3 basic stitches. It’s so small, I’m going to just do a sampler weave. I’m going to make another loom from an artist canvas that will be a bit larger. I’m excited to meet you and learn from you in your blog. Thank you,
    Linda

    • Kate
      May 6, 2016 at 3:42 pm

      Hi Linda, that is exciting! My canvas frame loom has very well for me, I can’t wait to see what you make 🙂

  • Heather Greynolds
    December 16, 2016 at 10:48 am

    I would love to know where you found the mint yarn, but your link no longer works. 🙁 It’s so pretty!!

    • Kate
      December 19, 2016 at 2:34 pm

      Sorry about the link not working, it’s Knit Picks Tuff Puff 🙂