My top 5 MUST HAVE weaving tools (plus one new toy...)

[@MokkiLife]

New weaver here....”Maintain the Cross”!!!! I managed to do that in my class project but 2 other students did not and the instructor had us all help them fix the messes (rather than pitch them and start again) she said that she felt it would make us all VERY AWARE of how important it was to “Maintain the Cross”.... she is absolutely correct! I will forever be diligent with that weaving task 🙌🏼

[@sweetgeorgia]

It’s sooooo true!! Good on you for helping to fix the situation too. That would have been a big challenge! ☺️☺️☺️

[@jonlilley2832]

Hi, Felicia! Me again! One thing I personally find indispensable is my large floor model warping mill. They're a pain in the shorts when they're not in use, but when you have to wind a nice long warp, the weaving gods smile down on me and it actually becomes a joy to do. And, not too long after I got my first loom, I found I couldn't see so I bought myself an LED light bar and hung it in my loom. I can move it around when I need to, but it usually stays in one place. It makes such a huge difference when you are threading heddles or sleying your reed! And they're not all that expensive either!

[@jacalynbledsoe3717]

I use drinking straws in place of the paper quills. I also use them when I need extra bobbins. BTW I love my LeClerc shuttles. My latest shuttle was a slim double shuttle. I love my temples. I have 5 different sizes now...lol. great video!!

[@CraftyKarin]

Great video! I’ve come to know the rings as book rings and I already had those from my scrapbooking days, I don’t know where I saw them used for the lease sticks but I’ve been using them myself a lot. I also found these little strings with plastic crossbar ends (I don’t know if I’m describing this well) at a local weaving store that are supposed to be really easy to drop into the holes in the lease sticks as you’re holding them after you’ve slid them through the cross, so you could secure them one handed. As for the helping hands, I learned most of my early weaving stuff from Ashford videos but I couldn’t find the helping hands or the kit they are in locally, but I found a small ball of Hoooked Yarn (if you don’t know, Hoooked yarn is really thick, made from fabric strips, often used for baskets and poofs), I think it was Ribbon XL, and it’s a bit stretchy, it seemed to me just like the helping hands. I also use bits of that for keeping my cross. I was also thinking of getting a temple recently, but then I learned about a ‘paperclip temple’ which is basically taking a couple of paperclips and bending them so they act as hooks (I happened to have some curtain hooks that worked well instead), sticking those into the edges of your fabric near the fell line and tying a string to them which you hang over the sides of your loom, and hang weights on the strings such that it pulls your fabric to the width it is supposed to be at. Works well for the blanket project I’m working on!

[@conniepeterson122]

I enjoyed your tools comments. I have tried a temple and didn't like it. I find that if I'm careful I don't have too much trouble with my selvedges. I had planned on cleaning my studio and getting rid of stuff. But I have just added another (!) loom. I now have six 4-harness; 9.5, 15, 18, 27 (2) and 36 inches. Each loom "needs" her own glasses, scissors, thread basket for scraps, light. And, of course the smaller ones need smaller shuttles! So much for getting rid of things! I have been weaving for 50 years and am still learning.

[@sweetgeorgia]

It’s true what you say about each loom needing it’s own set of supplies! I totally agree with this, for efficiency ☺️ your studio sounds like a lovely place to be.

[@nlturcott5168]

I added a couple more of those wonderful rings and then an eye hook on each side of my loom. One of the rings clips into these on both sides. This takes the place of having to tie the leash sticks to the loom and they keep my sticks at the perfect height to pick up the treads. Straws work well for bobbin winding. Thread clippers hang on my loom in easy reach. Thanks again for your Friday videos

[@carlhall3015]

Just as an addition for your temple, we put large binder clips on the ends over the sharp points. It helps keep the spikes from biting when it isn't in use.

[@sweetgeorgia]

That’s a great idea! Thank you!!

[@kneedeepinweeds9263]

I too have a homemade bobbin winder which wants to fly through my fingers and set them on fire - ouch! The fix, a small piece of leather to insulate my skin from yarn. The leather has a polished shinny side and reversed has a rough suede finish. The shinny side is great for letting yarns fly and the suede side provides more tension when needed. Thanks for sharing your fab fives.

[@sharonimler857]

This one was a great review on my helping hands when dressing the loom. I liked the briefness with which the information was presented.

[@SylviaAdamsEP]

Thank you so much Felicia I love your Friday videos. I have 2 temples Swedish ones and I LOVE them. I’m a new weaver and it really helped my confidence while I learn how to handle draw-in (I use 45 degree angles and mounds) and give myself more time to build more “memory “ in my hands.

[@melissagoetz8923]

One tool I love is sewing nippers to cut threads as I change colors.

[@beverlyness7954]

I've been decluttering everything in my very small house. However when it comes to my fiber crafts, I seem to keep everything. I love good quality tools for any job so I tend to gravitate to the tools I like best for weaving and knitting. I've had to reconsider all that I have and will fit in this small space. Your video has helped me to see the value of pairing down to just what I need in this area of my house as well. Thanks for giving me permission to keep only what I need and to let go of things that no longer serve a purpose for me. Also, as in the case of the bobbin winder, when you invest in what you need, the cost becomes far less important because the need outweighed that cost. I purchased a yarn swift and ball winder last Fall. It was life changing, I had no idea how much easier it would be and I'm so thrilled to have made that decision to purchase it. A bobbin winder is next to purchase and I'm glad you shared your experience with us. That will help with deciding what to purchase instead of worrying about the price and hoping the item works well.

[@johnstosh]

You can make thin and long quills by putting a metal rod into the chuck of your variable speed hand drill. I tape them to keep them small.

[@kathleenmcconnell95]

Excellent discussion of the necessaries.

[@dominiquemichaud7945]

Great discussion about shuttles! I need to check on these.

[@heatherellam4137]

So informative, as always! I use the locking rings as well for many uses on the loom and to hold my warp chain together from end to end and extra security of the cross (I often prepare a number of warps at once in advance and find this works well for storage). I’ve also bought a mini Saori shuttle .. it’s very slim and uses small plastic quills - works great at the end of a project when the shed gets narrow.

[@theredtower1334]

My beating comb. It's just a small handheld comb like the plastic ones ppl use to tease or hold hair. Sometimes threads just don't quite cooperate with a smooth lay and it's useful for evening out trouble spots. Also, I use it when compacting weft threads for a thicker material.

[@tineditmarunnerup9513]

Home made paper quills used to be the norm when weaving in Scandinavia. I believe you can find instructions on how to make and use them in Scandinavian weaving books. F.i. you don't form the quill before you wind it. It's woulnd tightly around the spindle of the quill winder before you add the yarn. Easy peasy.

[@skappoet5206]

Thank you for the video. I’m new to weaving but my favorite is my Glimåkra open boat shuttle.

[@joolzmurray5751]

A very nice lady actually gave me one of those. I've bought a table loom just so I can use it. !

[@dianeb95]

The super slim shuttle would be perfect for weaving with fancy decorative threads like Sulky embroidery type threads. I’ve used 2 different thread spools at a time to add sparkle & shimmer in my cloth.

[@jonlilley2832]

Hi, Felicia! Did you know you could use plastic straws as quills? You just cut them to fit your shuttles and you're off. Only thing is, you have to put a small piece of dowel rod in the straw if you wind on an electric bobbin winder, because they can't take the force, pressure, speed and end up folding and popping off. I use Glimåkra Classic shuttles and they're long, but I can get a lot on them. Recycle, reuse, repurpose, right!

[@tracytroutman7188]

I too have a beautiful handmade warping paddle that I have struggled to figure out how to use gracefully with my mill. Maybe it will just be a pretty tool that I never use.

[@rainbowgal8047]

I would add a warping board (or mill though the mill still confounds me) to the essentials. And a double bobbin shuttle as well. Also, i think it's harrisville that makes a double ended brass reed and heddle hook. It's my favorite. Thanks for sharing yours. And just remembered one other. I use a leclerc weight system for a temple. Can't remember what they actually call it, but it clips to each side of your weaving (doesn't dig into the fabric like regular temples), and it doesn't impede your view, and you can use it for any width, so you only need one set for each loom. I use it on my 36" leclerc.

[@sweetgeorgia]

Absolutely. I recently switched to the Harrisville double ended brass threading/sley hook too and it’s awesome!

[@whitedwarf29]

for a bobbin winder you could use a threaded rod and two wing nuts from home depot / lowes .. and then insert one end of the threaded rod into the drill and run at low speed and just wind the thread on. btw the wing nuts go on the threaded rod to secure the bobbin in place while it winds, one on each side .

[@Ella-iw4gk]

Thanks for this! I have been trying to streamline my weaving process, which is tricky with an old loom and the many pieces of equipment that came with it. Experimenting with different threading hooks, shuttles, bobbins etc is fun though.

[@chrisr8178]

My favorite shuttle too

[@heikehoyer1284]

Thanks for that video about weaving! I like it use a temple. But I don't like the small holes they make at the sides, use them for fabric, not scarf. Greetings.

[@sweetgeorgia]

Thanks for letting me know about the holes Heike! I’ll watch out for that!

[@jstallings2070]

I have never used a temple because of having to move it each time and not so easy to see your weaving. I will be curious to see what you think, hopefully you will do a video and ket us know. Thanks!

[@theredtower1334]

I use straws a lot

[@ceritat625]

Thanks for this video Felicia! LOL, I have the same tools! On my wish list is an AVL automatic bobbin/pirn winder, not necessary but would love to have one :). I LOVE gadgets.

[@stephenrobb8759]

I enjoy gadgets and the esoteric tools, even if I don't use them. So, yeah. not so much getting rid of extra stuff... I would like to build a special trunk for storage of my odd unused tools...

[@penarri2977]

I’m new. My dear hubby made my loom. Yes it’s simple. Then I took a class at a local library. Turned out to be on a cardboard loom. My 85 yo mom and I had a fun time with it. The bug has bitten. Do I want a Ashford or Schacht or? I think I want a 32in just don’t know?? I have the room for it. But want to be able to take it camping or outside on my porch. I truly wish I could go see them in person and talk to someone. I haven’t found anyone local. So I have just been putting it off.

[@teresaharp]

Enjoyed the video Felicia Happy Friday :)

[@marinamartinez6886]

Nice explanations 👍👍👍

[@audreydeneui192]

You mentioned warping paddles. I bought one years ago when I was dealing with a warp weighted loom. It is actually a small rigid heddle (10 slots, 10 holes) stapled into a paddle handle. I used it to weave a header for the warp on the project for the warp weighted loom. I never used it for anything else, so I would be very interested to see what more can be done with them.

[@sweetgeorgia]

Yes! Once I figure out how the paddle works, I’ll make a tutorial. Haha. Wish these things came with instructions 🤷🏻‍♀️😆

[@upstairshobbyroom]

what size or diameter are the locking rings?(edit: good grief just rewatched...how did i miss the size right there on the screen) Looks like a great way to maintain the cross...as this is where I am in my weaving learning, perfect timing for me to watch this video.

[@cmaur811]

What length are helping hands-I was going to ask you about a temple and sizes.

[@lizkimber]

I bought a bobbin winder. Its never been out the box? I use a drill. I like heavy boat shuttles so i have the full height one and the double bobbin schact one. The glimkra ones felt too cheap and nasty and the double bobbin just seemed bad design. I ordered a sectional beam. But i still dont have it yet some 7+ months on. I kinda want an avl to warping whirly thing but at that price it seems a tough call I found if you are tensioning right you dont need a temple.

[@sweetgeorgia]

Fantastic. Yes I have a double bobbin Schacht one too but it’s such a specific use case, I hardly ever need to use it. And I have a sectional beam for the Baby Wolf and have been tempted to put it back on the loom. But YES that warping square sounds like magic but I have no idea how it works so I can’t justify the $$$ 🤣

[@Natalieleu]

I have a table loom I'm going to sell actually. I have a floor loom and no space for more. It's an antique made in 1954. Guess that means I am an antique too. LOL

[@kathleenmcconnell95]

Can the Ashford Helping Hands stretchy straps be used on a Harrisville 36 in floor loom as well as a table loom? What is the length of each strap? I do not see that spec in the product description.

[@rebecahsstuff5390]

Would it work to use a paper straw or a plastic straw in place of a paper quill? You can get very skinny straws and cut them to length. I just wonder if that would work?

[@margareteast9273]

Use a plastic straw for a quill cut it down to the length required.

[@sweetgeorgia]

That’s genius!!! We have a stash of plastic straws that we haven’t been using... now they can become bobbins!! Thanks Margaret! 👌

[@ullafuru2456]

I've never even thought of (although I have seen that in a few videos recently) anyone weaving without a temple. It's like you need a reed to weave, you need a temple to keep the reed from rubbing against the edge warp yarns, which will happen when the draw-in is happening on the loom. I have some old metal temples, from 60's and 70's, and a few newer ones for different widths. This was possibly the second most important thing after maintaining the cross - on both ends of the warp - that was drilled to us at the weaving course. A lot of it probably is of cultural differences - the most common loom here by far, the one everyone thinks of when a loom is mentioned, is a countermarch loom. To be honest, beside getting a glimpse of a table loom once, the countermarch loom is the only type I have ever seen live. And to read or interpret a tie chart became complicated only after I learned there are looms that work completely different. My current goal is to save up and buy a rigid heddle loom to help using up the accumulated wool yarn I have all over, and use the hand-spun that may not all be so fit for knitting.. ;). As for a bobbin winder I have the idea of using my spinning wheel's flyer shaft, which is fixed with the whorls rather than the flyer arms (Woolmakers Bliss), so it's free to spin and do just what a bobbin winder does. The tools I keep near no matter what fibre craft, are scissors, crochet hook, stitch markers, safety pins, or scrap yarn, a darning needle, and a tape measure, not to forget a water bottle. Then there are of course a bunch of craft related necessities. You may be able to imagine what my house looks like - no spring cleaning happening here.. :D

[@PoohBah]

What tapestry loom do you recommend that is not so expensive?

[@bonniemonahan3924]

You will love the temple! Thanks for the review of the shuttles. And like you, I have a warping paddle that I've tried using but I think it would be work better with a warping mill which I don't use. The other indispensable tools are measuring tape and knitting stitch markers that I put on my selvedge to mark every 6 inches.

[@sweetgeorgia]

That’s genius!! I never thought of using knitting stitch markers. Brilliant!! Thanks so much Bonnie!

[@Irene1580]

Keep a heavy scrap of leather or an old glove near your bobbin winder to enclose the yarn so you don’t burn your fingers.

[@jannavallee8687]

So many good things for me to add to my list :)

[@KnittingsAndSewings]

What is the big loom you have there? Is it a Louet?

[@sweetgeorgia]

Thanks so much! I have a Louet Spring 110 countermarche and also a Leclerc Mira II 45" counterbalance. The Mira is the one in the studio with me and the Spring is at home in my attic. Currently there's a double weave sampler on that :)

[@cmaur811]

Have you used iweave app?

[@sweetgeorgia]

Yes! I do!

[@pmutraining7787]

What size are the rings?

[@sweetgeorgia]

They are about 1.5" in diameter, approximately

[@ashokjiyoga]

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