Building Your Weaving Toolbox
Last week we opened our online shop for the very first time! And for the last few days, we’ve been busy in the studio packing boxes printing labels. We are so grateful for your support!
Our next shop update will be in August. But because we firmly believe that you can NEVER have enough weaving tools, here are our top tips for stocking up on weaving supplies.
Work Out What You Need
Weaving is still a fairly niche craft, and it can be hard to know what tools you need in the first place! Part of the reason we sell our products as kits is so that you can get everything you need in one go, and start weaving straight away.
The main tools we recommend that every weaver have (aside from your loom, of course!) are shuttles, tapestry bobbins, weaving needles, and a good sturdy comb. We share how to use all of these tools in our Geometric Weaving course and in our illustrated tapestry booklet, which you can order as an eBook here.
Once you know what tools you need, you can start the search!
The Handweaver’s Studio, Finsbury Park
Visit a Specialist Store
Weaving has slowly grown in popularity in recent years, and this interest is partly down to the hard work of specialist weaving shops. Here in London we’re fortunate to have The Handweaver’s Studio in Finsbury Park, which has been in business since 1973.
George Weil, Surrey
Elsewhere in the UK you can find craft shops like George Weil, which stocks weaving supplies along with other crafts.
We really recommend visiting a specialist store if you ever happen to be near one! It’s a great way to find out exactly what you need for the type of weaving that you want to do.
Weaving is such a physical craft, that seeing tools and looms in person is an important starting point. You can chat to salespeople about what your requirements are, get a feel for the sort of tools you prefer, and most importantly- support a small independent business!
(Just remember to observe social distancing guidelines in your area, and if you’re in the UK, wear a mask from July 24th!)
Shop Online
Some of you might live quite far away from the nearest specialist- but you can still order your weaving tools online!
Both The Handweaver’s Studio & George Weil have online shops. Here are a few of our other favourites from around the world.
Weft Blown - UK
Weft Blown are based in West Kilbride on the Scottish coast. Their online shop has an impressive collection of weaving supplies and materials, as well as everything you need for spinning, dyeing and knitting.
Based in Kentucky, The Woolery offer one of the largest selections of textile art equipment in the world! Whatever you’re looking for, no matter how niche, it will probably be stocked here. Their showroom is closed for the time being, but they are still shipping orders online!
A long-time favourite of ours, Weaver House Co is a gorgeously curated selection of yarn, fibre and weaving supplies by textile artist Rachel Snack.
Alongside the shop, Rachel also runs workshops on rigid heddle and floor looms in her Philadelphia studio.
Although they are in Canada, Camilla Valley is our go-to supplier for loom parts and other specialist equipment. Their website is endearingly old-fashioned but incredibly detailed. If you’re looking to get into weaving on a more advanced loom, they are a great place to start.
Founded by textile artist Rainie Owen, The Unusual Pear sells everything you need to get started with weaving, including their own range of looms and weaving tools, and a gorgeous selection of yarns.
Scout Secondhand
Once you are a bit more familiar with the types of weaving tools available, you can start hunting further afield. There’s a lot of pre-loved weaving equipment out there! I set up my own weaving studio with all second-hand looms.
Weaving on my second-hand 1976 Harris Loom, purchased from The Loom Exchange in 2015
If you’re in the UK, make sure you check out The Loom Exchange- it’s our go-to space for second-hand weaving supplies!
eBay and Gumtree are also great sources of weaving equipment. It’s worth setting up an alert for “looms” or “weaving tools” so you get an email notification when new listings are added, so you can have first pick!
Finally, once you start seeing weaving tools somewhere, suddenly they’re everywhere! I’ve personally rescued many weaving shuttles from vintage shops where they were destined to be a curio on someone’s shelf instead of a tool to be used.
You might come across weaving tools in charity shops, thrift stores, car boot sales- keep your eyes open and you never know what you might find.
We hope this helps inspire and excite you about building your weaving toolkit! If you have any recommendations for us- weaving stockists you’d like to mention, or a specific brand of tool you love- let us know in the comments!