So if you can afford a brand new loom, stand, bag and all the extras - maybe it's a special gift, maybe you've had a bonus at work then good for you. Want to weave? Get that order in and off you go!
If that's not an option at the moment, what do you actually need to begin? We'll talk you through what we've found out in our years of weaving (and also losing things, breaking things and having to do things on the hoof)
1. You'll need a loom Now you know that we are Kromski dealers and you can see why we think these are great looms in our previous post. But you don't need a new one if it's out of your budget. Keep an eye out for looms on ebay or in facebook groups, they come up more often than you think
2 .A heddle. A new loom comes with an 8dpi heddle which is great for Double Knitting yarn. But what if you have a huge stash of sock yarn (who doesn't - we have a shed full). Well, you can warp up using double the yarn in each slot and eye saving you from having to buy a 10dpi or 12dpi heddle. Of course, if you wanted one, that would be a completely different matter. I may be the owner of all the options in existence...
3. Accessories. The necessary ones include
Shuttles You really need these and we use stick shuttles on our workshops. It's handy to have a few as you might use them as Pick Up Sticks (see below)
A hook
Clamps to clamp both your loom and a peg to the table so that you can do direct warping
Yarn - not included in your new loom but you can't weave without it. Use a nice strong yarn for your warp - remember it's going to have to withstand some friction and tension, but for your rigid heddle looms, knitting yarn is usually fine. Give it a good tug. If it doesn't snap, you're usually good to go
Warping pegs If you have a Kromski loom you will have the option to create a warp using indirect warping so you can create a warp if you don't have a table. You don't need these if you're happy to direct warp
A helper This little wooden implement helps you hold the dowel when tying on your warp on a Kromski loom. Technically you don't need it but in reality it is going to make your life sooo much easier and we would definitely recommend having one. If you have an Ashford rigid heddle you won't need this and Schacht looms, while they also have a removable dowel won't include a helper.
Weaving fork If you want your weft beaten down further than the heddle will beat it, a weaving fork can be a great little tool. There are some beautiful ones out there if you'd like to be fancy but if you dont have one of these you could always use.... a fork.
Pick Up Sticks These little flat sticks are just what you need if you want to create patterns in your weaving and you will definitely want at least one at some point. But you can do the job just as well with an extra shuttle
Boat Shuttles If you're weaving using a larger loom, a boat shuttle is a great little tool and we use ours all the time. Takes a little practice but once you've done a few rows you'll be away. This shuttle will fly across your shed speeding up your weaving.
*just a little point, it's probably good to try these out. Not everyone loves them as much as we do. If you'd like to try though, we bring them to our Two Day Weaving Workshops for people to experiment with.
You can begin weaving with a few necessary items and you will love it!
If you have had that promotion/special celebration/saved up for ages situation then take a look at our Weaver's Starter Kit where you get the whole shebang - loom in a size of your choice, bag and stand. And if you do we will throw in our online warping workshop for free. Just so we can join in the fun!!
To see weaving inspiration, check out our instagram!
For a helping hand starting your weaving journey, check out our weaving workshops
