When I first started weaving I used: 

• an old frame left over from an art school project

•  cotton string from the DIY store

• acrylic knitting wool from Poundland 

• and wooden shuttles that I carved myself

All the equipment, tools and materials that I have now are things I picked up when I needed them, with a couple of big impulse purchases...

(like this loom)

… along the way. 

That being said, here are all the tools that I'm using in this course. 

The Stockists and Suppliers page on my website has links to different stockists from around the world. I try to keep this updated with new suppliers where I can, but if you have any recommendations I'd love to hear them! And if you need any help sourcing tools or materials, get in touch with me at students@christabelbalfour.com or reach out in the community group.

The Full Kit List

1. Loom- this loom is a 16”x20” tapestry frame, but you can weave on other kinds of looms too! We’ll discuss this more in Module 1.

2. 30cm / 1 foot ruler - We will be using both metric and imperial measurements in the course, so it's best to have a ruler that has both. 

3. Sharpie or permanent marker

4. Pencil

5. Scissors

6. Rubber

7. Comb - technically, this is an Afro comb... we'll be discussing the different kinds of tapestry combs and beaters later in this module. 

8. Needle - this is a No. 14 Prym Tapestry needle, but any large tapestry or knitting needle will do. 

9. Bobbin - this is a Glimakra tapestry bobbin. We'll be discussing bobbins in more depth later.

10. Short threading needle

11. Stick shuttle

12. Another stick shuttle - always helps to have more than one!

13. Long threading needle 

14. Shed stick

As well as tools, you'll also need materials for weaving with. In the image above I've included several warp options and different colours of weft. 

1. 12/9 8epi cotton warp - the main warp we will be using in the course

2. 12/24 4epi cotton warp - a thicker warp, suitable for sturdier tapestries or rugs. If you have some of this to hand, you can experiment with this in the course!

3. Type 6 3ply recycled cotton cord - an extra-thick, experimental warp, most often used for macrame. If you have some of this to hand, you can experiment with this in the course!

4. Weft - these weft yarns are Axminster Rug Wools. They are 80% pure wool and 20% nylon. They are all roughly DK and Aran weight. 

5. Cardboard - for making our weaving patterns.

A Note On Warp & Weft Yarns

Yarns are labelled differently by manufacturers in different countries, so it can be hard to work out what thickness of warp yarn you need.

The warp yarn I'm using is labelled 12/9 cotton warp in the UK. It is approximately 1300 metres per kilo, or 650 yards per pound. When choosing a warp for this course, I recommend ordering a warp that is between 1200-1500 metres per kilo, or 600-850 yards per lb. A 12/18 cotton warp or an 8/4 cotton warp will be suitable here.

The weft yarn I'm using is roughly DK or Aran weight, ranging between 10-15 WPI. You can use a thinner yarn for this course- just make sure to weave with multiple strands of it to get the correct thickness. This will be covered further in Module 1.

Making Your Own Loom

If you want to follow the instructions for making your own loom, you’ll need a few more bits…

… and you can find out more in Module 1.

I want this course to be as accessible as possible, and I don’t want you to feel like you can’t get started because you don’t have the right kit! So if you get stuck on sourcing things, let me know! I'm here to help.