Loom Weights

Loom weight  for a warp weighted loom

Loom weight have been used with warp weighted loom pre roman tile about the 12th century when the floor loom which is easier to warp but takes up more space became more popular.

Loom weight have been found made out of many material based on what was ready to use in the area.  The things they have in common is all loom weights have a way to be attached to the warp and that they can swing past other weights.  The shape of weight is dependent on the material.  In the Baltic region there are 2 materials that have been found for loom weights , stone with holes or clay with holes.

I purchased cone 06 brown ceramics caly with a high sand content for my loom weights. Cone 06 because it fired at 2000 degrees which is a very hot wood fire and high sand since if  you do not have good rock a high sand clay would be use.

I originally made a few round weights with holes in the center since that was the first thing I found about loom weights while these where drying I was referred to the document by Marie- Louise Nosch and Eva strand about the shape and understanding of loom weights.  Reading their documentation I figured that I would be better of using a oblong shape with a hole at the top and a thinner disk.  They hypothesized that the clay weights wear down with use and become more circular. They also found that it is easier to weave a thing thread with thin weights.

Loom weight from jorvik  http://jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk/about-jorvik/gallery/

Original weight shape and size try one.

Shape 2 flatter , smaller and more oblong.

I was trying to be closer to this shape which is a reconstruction of a loom weight. Since this shape gave a smaller weave than a trapezoidal shape.

Once the weights were air dried I fired them in a wood fire.

The fireing is so that the clay does not rub off on the fibers and to make the weight s more durable.  To fire them I started with e fire and then put the weights out side of the fire to warm them and finish drying them.  

Then I brushed the fire away and placed the weights in the fire base where it was already warmed.  With this process we did not scarp enough of the ash away and lost a few weights to repid heating.

We built the fire and slowly moved it in on the weights throughout the day.

It started to rain and a few weights were exposed to the rain and craked when it rained we cover those with a metal lid and left hem over night.

The next morning I brushed the weight as I removed them from the ash and sifted the ash for broken bits.

Add picture of finished weights and scraps here.

Add picture of weights being used here.