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Besides the loom and weaving needle there are several other tools that I have found helpful in my weaving explorations.
Some of them I picked up because
they might be helpful in the future others I saw an immediate use. Each time I go into a craft/thrift/hardware/dollar store
I like to wander the aisles just to see
what is there and many times I have come up with a solution to one of my many problems or made my life easier.
I don′t see boundaries as to what I can use for my weaving explorations.
There are many different needles and each has their place. There is the standard 6″ needle that comes with most 4″ pin looms. My collection also includes:
My set includes 6, 8, 10 and 12″ needles. These work well with the larger looms in my collection.
Be wary they do have a needle sharp point. To dull the point carefully run the point back and forth on cement.
Mine are 5″ and make good replacements but are not as strong and more easily bent than the ones that I get with the looms. These also have a needle point
and can easily split the plies in a yarn.
These come in handy for the looms measured in feet and with the larger eye are much easier to thread with the heavier yarns than the metal needles.
Somewhere, in a safe place, I have a 2 ft weaving hook that I use with the 6 ft triloom.
For the smaller looms crochet hooks and afghan/Tunisian hooks are useful for weaving. I like the Tunisian ones with the eye on one end and a hook on
the
other as the hook works well to weave with and the eye then can pull the yarn through. Tunisian hooks have a deeper hook than crochet hooks which can be
helpful.
The variety that is available is amazing – bent tips, metal vs plastic, loops for eyes and large eye finishing.
These work well to weave in ends especially the large eye ones when playing yarn chicken to weave those short tails in.
The bent tips really help when joining squares as they bring the tip back up through the weavie when joining side by side.
I also use a spare needle when the weaving space is really tight and/or the yarn is more woolen and trying to find the exact spot for the needle to go through is difficult.
The plastic loop eye variety will slide between the pins on a pin loom where a standard yarn needle will not due to the width at the eye.
Just a needle does work but something with multiple prongs will push more of the weft down and seems to keep the weft in place better than what a needle can do.
The 7-prong packing tool works great as it is wide enough to really pack the weft into place. I believe I got it with my 2 ft triloom, but it tends to live with the 4#8243 looms.
Many weavers use eating forks as they are readily available.
My latest packing tool I picked up in a set of them at a local thrift store, I think they are crab/lobster forks. This is why I like to wander thrift stores.
For the looms where a weaving needle is too short to use as an edge for the yarn to go around to make a smaller weavie than what the loom was designed for I use ΒΌ″ diameter metal rods.
Anything smaller I felt was not strong enough to prevent the rod from distorting as the warp/weft tightened and larger didn′t fit between the pins/nails on my larger looms.
Weavies popping off as you manipulate the weaving needle? Or need a way to hold a weaving needle or metal rod as temporary edge on the loom. Rubber bands have uses in just about any craft.
Use what is available, most of mine I got with produce or for holding braids in my horses mane. Plan to replace them as they do wear out.
These work great to hold the yarn ends on a ball of yarn or the other strands of yarn in a multi-yarn project out of the way.
The claw clips will hold even more yarn out of the way for working on the larger looms.
The tail of the yarn getting in your way when weaving? A small piece of painters tape will hold it in place out of the way.
Have also used painters tape to keep the working ends of other yarns out of the way in a pinch.
This is one of my favorite tools when weaving a continuous strand weavie as the little latch covers the hook and
pulling the yarn through the warp lines is a
breeze and its long enough to stretch across any loom up to 8#8243 wide.
These help to keep a needle in place when using it for an edge bar or taking a break from your weaving.
Also great for easier picking up a needle when in storage or preventing the needle from slipping out of your project bag.
Missed a warp yarn on the edge of a 3 layer warp, grab a stitch marker to hold the weft in place and as a reminder to make sure to grab the appropriate
loops
when joining or finishing an edge and no one will ever know there was a mistake.
Other uses include holding weavies together for joining or in sets to join or organize. Used multi-colored ones on joining weavies for my Noh Coat to differentiate r>where to leave unjoined for the front and around the neck, pocket placement or straight joining.
Great for storing to not loose the needles or letting them poke through your craft bag when going out to weave in public.
I don′t know how many pairs of scissors I own. I keep them with each project I am currently working on so I can grab and go/work on a project without hunting for a pair.
I really like the ones where the points are protected with a cover or they fold so that the points don#8242t go through something or the scissors accidentallyopen and cut something.
This is another tool that goes with just about every project as I have more than I can count. Many I inherited from my mother and I saw no reason to donater
them as they are always useful. Even carry one with me when I go shopping.
Really like the retractable ones, especially when out and about as the others would become a real mess in seconds.
Come in handy when removing a part of a weavie from the loom and want to know where the pins were at to put back on the loom for doing a closed continuous weave helix.
Some of the weaving methods call for an immediate edging/joining or the weavie will fall apart. The stitch holders allow for removal so I can then work the
next weavie
or provide more room to manipulate a crochet hook or knitting needle for joining or edging.
These are awesome for figuring out how much yardage is left. I will also weave directly off of the skein winder especially if I am working on a large continuous weave project.
There are many different styles, purchased mine many years ago and love that I don′t have to have it clamped to a table.
Embellish a weavie, joining weavies? Just make sure to use the appropriate type for what you want to do. A permanent pink stripe on your husbands vest may not be to his liking.
Working a cotton weavie and at the half way point realize its going to get really tight to get that last row in?
Grab some dental floss and put a doubled strand in where the last row is going to be with the loose ends on the ending side. Then weave the rest of the square packing each layer as you go and when you reach the last row thread the yarn through the dental floss loop and pull the yarn through with the dental floss.This hack has saved me enough that I keep more dental floss in my crafting supplies than in the bathroom.
There are many great bags and containers out there to contain our creations in progress. Here are a few of mine.
What to do with your supplies when not in use? These are a few of my filled storage bins.
I started doing this to keep my notes somewhat together. I recommend leaving a page or 2 at the beginning or end as a table of contents to make it easier to find your various thoughts and ideas.
Also a bullet journal or graph paper is great to have on hand for diagramming out a project. Recently used some for my Noh Coat as I planned out the flares on the sides of the coat.
These little slips of paper come in handy to put little notes on as you are working on a project or labeling weavies. Have also cut them down to be able to
slide them in between
weaving layers to prevent weaving multiple layers together.
Many weavers use these to store their looms on so they are readily accessible.