Making Loom weights

Making the weights is the first step in setting up a warp weighted loom, for me. They have to dry for a couple of weeks, so I make them first.



I made loom weights yesterday, 10/15/2011. I knew I would need some more than the ones I already had that are in storage in the wool box (which, I guess, is still in storage.).


I bought two tubs of this air dry activ-clay. It comes in other colors, but my other loom weights are terra cotta colored, so, fortunately, I was able to find it.






I used the wax paper to line a cardboard box so the weights would dry. It is good to put the weights on either parchment paper or newspaper or something while the clay is drying.





The pool shark toy is keeping the paper from blowing away while I make the weights. You don't have to use a pool shark to keep the paper from blowing away. It just happened to be handy, so I used it.



First, your hands need to be damp while you work the clay, so you need to have some water on hand.

Pull off a handful of clay.

Roll it into a ball.

Flatten the ball.

Pinch a hole into the center of the flattened ball and smooth it out.




This is the box of loom weights. Yes, they look like doughnuts.


The two tubs of clay (3 lbs. per tub) made 37 weights. They were made by feel, so the weight of each one is not exact.

The two that are lighter in color wouldn't fit in the box, so I put them on one of the box flaps to dry. They got more direct sun, so those are drier.


Traditionally, loom weights were not fired. It's not that they couldn't be, it's more of a "why bother" type of thing. They were probably made from a similar recipe to that of the mud bricks, which were also not fired.

Looms would be set up when the weaver had enough wool or linen to make a warp. The weft spinning can be done as you weave, if necessary.