Cloth. It drapes in our windows, wraps around our furniture, and covers our bodies. Fabric surrounds our lives. It is only natural that you may want to not only work with it, but also create it. Welcome to weaving. From simple plain weave towels to twill scarves and overshot coverlets, anything is possible with a loom and some yarn.
There are numerous tools and accessories you will need on your weaving journey. If you got your loom new, you have a handful of weaving tools that came in the box. If the loom was second-hand, you may be missing those extras. Regardless, there are still things you will need, and we want to help you gather as many of these tools as possible, so you have the best success on your weaving adventure.
Also, we will link to helpful resources throughout this post, and at the bottom, you’ll find a Quick-Reference Checklist PDF you can use to keep track of what you have, need, and want!
The Essentials
Of course, you will need a loom and yarn. This post will be covering weaving tools for multi-shaft looms, but many of these tools also apply to rigid heddle looms. If you have decided to go with a rigid heddle loom, we have a post on Essential Rigid Heddle Tools & Accessories to help you along!
Looms
You can find many kinds of looms of all different sizes. Table looms and floor looms, 4-shafts to 16-shafts, levers or treadles, and some that are computerized. We have a wonderful article, How to Buy a Loom, that you can read if you haven’t decided on a loom yet.
Heddles
Heddles sit in the middle of the loom and can be metal or Texsol. Each yarn is placed into its own heddle. Heddles are what make the pattern in your cloth (plain weave or twill, as an example).
Reeds
Reeds generally are metal-like grates that sit in front of your loom. You thread the yarn through, and it determines how close the yarns are in the final cloth.
Yarn
Covering yarns is a topic all on its own. Cones, balls, or skeins, and cotton, linen, or wool, and so much more. Where do you start? We have many posts you can find on our Weaving page, which cover a variety of topics on weight, size, and fibre content.
Weaving Tools & Accessories You Will Need
Tools to Make a Warp
To get yarn onto the loom, you will need to make a warp. Let’s go through some of the tools that you will need.
Yarn Swift
If your yarn came on a cone, you are ready to go. But if it came in a skein, you will need to get it into a ball or cone state. A yarn swift (umbrella) allows you to keep the skein open and under light tension. You can also place the skein around two chairs or ask a friend to lend their hands if you are in a pinch.
Ball or Cone Winder
From the swift, you can either turn it into a ball or put it onto a cone, which you will need a ball winder or a cone winder.
Warping Board or Mill
Warping boards or mills will allow you to make the warp. Again, please visit our Weaving page to find articles on how to choose which one of these tools will best suit your weaving needs.
Scrap Yarn
It is always great to have this on hand. Use waste yarn to make ties to secure your warp before transferring it to the loom, or to weave a header before you weave, which we will explain later on.
Yarn Management Tools
Before we move on to tools to complete the warping process, let’s finish the conversation about yarn management tools.
Shuttles
To move the yarn back and forth on the loom is done with a shuttle. You can use either a stick shuttle or a boat shuttle. Boat shuttles are the most common tool for multi-shaft looms.
Bobbins, Pirns & Quills
The yarn is wound around either bobbins, pirns, or quills, and is placed into the shuttle that carries it across the warp while on the loom. They are made of plastic, wood, or paper. There are different sizes depending on the shuttle you purchased. Make sure to check the manufacturer’s notes for what you will need.
Bobbin Winder
To get the yarn onto the bobbins, pirns, or quills, you will need a winder. Some people have made makeshift solutions with a hand drill or by using their spinning wheel. But if you plan to weave a lot, making the investment for a dedicated bobbin winder is well worth it. These can come as manual winders or electric.
Warping Tools
Now we are onto the tools you need to transfer the warp yarn to the loom.
Lease sticks
Lease sticks (also known as warp or cross sticks) are placed in the warp to secure the cross you made while making the warp on the board or mill.
Painter’s Tapes, Helping Hands, Angel Wings, Waste Yarn
It is good to have something to hold the lease sticks in place, not just for winding the warp onto the loom, but when you are threading the yarn through the heddles. Having the lease sticks securely in one spot makes a world of difference.
Raddle
Placed on the loom, it is used to roughly place the warp threads evenly across the loom, in the desired width for the cloth we want to create. Once the warp is wound onto the loom, the raddle is removed. If your loom does not have a dedicated spot to attach the raddle, you will also need clamps. Some people may rough sley through a reed instead of a raddle.
Kraft Paper or Sticks
When winding the warp onto the back beam, you will want to separate the rotations with paper to make an evenly tensioned warp. If you have chosen a loom with a sectional beam, you can skip this. We have included sectional warping tools further down in this post.
Heddle or Threading Hook
Heddle hooks are used for bringing the yarn through the heddles. If the yarn is thick enough, you may prefer to use your fingers to push it through.
Sleying or Reed Hook
Reed hooks are used to bring the yarn through the reed. Sometimes, the threading and reed hooks are the same tool, with each end of the tool being one of the hooks.
Additional Supplies
And there are all the little extras that you need to have on hand! Let’s go through them.
Scissors
It is nice to have two sizes: a small embroidery-sized pair for snipping weft yarns when changing colours, and a larger fabric-sized pair to cut off the warp from the loom when the project is done.
Darning Needle
One of the best parts about weaving is that you can weave in your ends as you go. But sometimes we make a mistake and need to correct it. A darning or tapestry needle is perfect for this.
More Waste Yarn
When you first start to weave, you will weave a waste yarn header, which spreads out and places your warp ends. Using a yarn that is a different colour is ideal.
Measuring Tape & Ruler
As you weave, you will want to check the ends per inch to ensure you are creating a balanced cloth (if that is your goal) or the desired density of fabric you want by measuring it with a hard ruler. You can also use a soft measuring tape or ribbon to check your woven length as you weave.
Angle Tool
Depending on the weave structure, you may want to see if you are weaving to the angle of the pattern. Think of perfect 45° angles when weaving twills. This tool can help!
Sectional Warp Beam
Some looms have sectional beams that require a few specific tools.
Bobbin Racks
A rack that holds anywhere from 25 to 100 bobbins.
Spare Bobbins
You may have large cones you need to split yarn from one cone to four bobbins, or you may need to move a skein of yarn into a bobbin form; you can get spare bobbins to use with your bobbin rack.
Tension Box
When winding the yarn onto a sectional beam, you need constant tension, and a tension box will do that.
Wet Finishing
After you have woven your cloth, you will need to finish it.
Basin Sink or Tub & Soap
You need a place to soak your final fabric. You could also use your washing machine. Make sure to wash it as you would for the rest of that item’s life. If it is wool, you may want to hand-wash it with a wool wash like Soak. If it is cotton towels, the washing machine with regular detergent is fine.
Towels or Dryer
Just like washing, you need to treat your items as you would for the rest of this item’s lifespan. The better it is treated, the longer it will last. Lay it over towels, hang it, or put it in the dryer, depending on the item and materials used to weave it.
Iron or Press
Many items need to be ironed (or pressed) to set the yarns into place. This is done for most items, but only the first time. No one expects you to iron your tea towels after each wash. This is just to finish the item and set it. It is usually done when the items are still somewhat damp; again, it depends on the item and the yarn used. Make sure the materials can be used with heat.
Final Touches
Brushes
Do you want a nap? That is, do you want to raise a halo over the finished fabric? You may need a gentle brush to help do this. Different brushes yield different results; you will need to experiment to see what works best for you.
Fringe Twister
You can also do this by hand, but depending on the size of the item, you may want a fringe twister.
Sewing Tools
We will not list all the sewing tools you may need, but if you are making towels or cloth to be sewn with later, you will need at the very least a sewing needle and thread. You may need more depending on what you want to use the final fabric for.
Final Thoughts
While we tried to cover as many things as possible, there are always new techniques and items popping up in the market. We hope this was a starting point for you to know what you will need to have an easy breezy weaving experience!
Courses to Help On Your Journey
At the School of SweetGeorgia, we have over 100 courses to help you on your fibre arts adventures. From knitting, spinning, crocheting, weaving, dyeing, and more, we are here to help. Here is a list of some of our basic weaving courses:
- Essential Weaving
- Multi-Shaft Weaving Basics
- Weaving Twills on 4-Shafts
- The Intentional Weaver
- Magic in the Water
- Fundamentals of Weaving Series
Join Our Community!
- At the School of SweetGeorgia, we’ve built a vibrant and welcoming community of fibre-loving makers, passionate instructors, and dedicated staff. Whether you’re looking for guidance on a new technique or just need a little creative encouragement, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
- Not yet a member of the School? We invite you to come and see what it is all about! Use the code: EXPLORETHESCHOOL to save 15% on an All-Access monthly membership!
- We welcome you to join us in our SweetGeorgia Community. This is where we share projects that inspire, have fibre-filled conversations, host make-alongs, and participate in a variety of virtual meetings! We discuss all things knitting, crocheting, spinning, weaving, machine knitting, and more!
- Want to stay in the loop? Subscribe to our newsletter! It’s a simple way to stay updated on what’s new at SweetGeorgia and the School of SweetGeorgia, catch up on the latest articles, watch new SweetGeorgia YouTube videos, and be a part of our community without any pressure to post. We value your presence, no matter how you choose to connect with us!
Let us know what your favourite weaving tools are. We are always excited to chat about making cloth!
Checklist
Here is a quick checklist you can use to see what you have, need, and want!
