Yes, I know this isn’t really fiber, but these weights are a relatively easy to make weaving tool. The main skill required is sanding and sawing. If you aren’t comfortable with sawing, you may find that lumber store will do the sawing for a small fee.

Here’s how its done:

Materials

• 3/4 Walnut dowel. I found this nice dowel at a lumber store that provides high end woods. The dowel was better finished than most inexpensive dowels, making for easier finishing and its perfectly straight. You can choose any 3/4” dowel, but make sure it is straight.
• 5/8” brass cup hooks
• Sandpaper appropriate to your dowel. I used 220 to sand the sawn ends and 800 to give a final smoothout to the sides of the dowel.
• Danish Oil
• Miscellaneous weights. Make sure the weights you choose are smooth. I’m using picnic tablecloth weights. You can also use fishing weights, but you should dip them in a plastic coating before using them.
• Intarsia bobbins from Knitpicks, size medium

Directions

1. Cut dowel into 4” lengths
2. Sand the ends of the dowel and round out the corners. Make sure the dowel is smooth and doesn’t have any rough spots.
3. determine the center of the dowel end and twist in one cup hook at each end.
4. Finish the wood with danish oil. You probably don’t have to do this, but I like the results. I am giving mine 2 coats.
5. You may use the weight as is, to tighten up a loose warp thread. Hang the weight on the thread. If you need additional weights, hang from the bottom hook.
6. For floating selvage weights, push a bobbin on the weight. Wind the selvage yarn on the bobbin.

Results

My dowel is long enough for 10 weights, so I’m going to make 8 basic weights and 2 floating selvage weights right now. I may change the balance once I actually employ them in a weaving project. I can always add a bobbin to the weights as necessary.