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Spinning and Weaving: books and resources to inspire your journey
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items I learned to weave on and inkle loom a few years ago, and I started spinning my own yarn on a simple drop spindle in January 2024. Somehow things escalated. I now use a spinning wheel, use the yarn I make to weave on a rigid heddle loom, and my home is full of fibre to be spun. Wonderful. These are the books and suppliers I have found helpful on my journey into spinning and weaving.
This is a comprehensive guide to everything you could ever want to know about inkle weaving.
Weaver's Inkle Pattern Directory: 400 Weaves
I bought this book when I was resisting buying a loom. It has a lot of good advice about weaving with a backstrap loom, and about the types of fibre to work with. A very nice book to dip into.
Simple Weave: Weave without a Loom
So I did eventually give in and buy a rigid heddle loom. This is the book that showed me what I could do with it. So many excellent techniques explained clearly, with detailed photographs. I really invaluable guide to working on a rigid heddle loom.
The Weaver's Idea Book: Creative Cloth
I acquired a second-hand spinning wheel, having used one once before. This is the book I turned to to find out more about the technique of spinning, what all of the terminology referred to and how to problem solve. Very useful.
Spinning 101: Fleece to Yarn Guide
An excellent book on how to use a rigid heddle loom. The advice on packing the back beam was worth the cost of the book, without all of the other wonderful examples. Friendly, accessible and lots of lovely pictures.
Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom
I was given a drop spindle and some fleece as a Christmas present, and struggled to make anything useable. So I bought this book - a really good exploration of how to use a drop spindle, what you are aiming for, how to ply a single into a usable yarn, how to set the twist, how to make and use a niddy-noddy and all sorts of other essential information. Wonderful.
Yarn Spinning with a Modern Twist Guide
A one-stop shop for everything you might need for spinning and weaving. Good customer service. I bought my rigid heddle loom here, and a blending board. Great for a range of British wool fibres for spinning that you won't easily find elsewhere.
Wingham Wool Work
This is where I go to for some weaving tools and accessories, although they stock much more than that.
Handweavers Studio & Gallery
Beautiful drop spindles here. I started with the basic model in a starter kit, but I drool over these on my instagram feed.
Hand Turned Drop Spindles made in Yorkshire, UK | Northern …
A good place to find natural, undyed fibres in skeins ready to weave with, or combed tops ready to spin. I also like to use their dyed merino tops for spinning.
World of Wool
I regularly buy bags of squishiness from here - you can filter online by the type of fibre you want, and I've had much joy of experimenting on my rigid heddle loom.
Wool Warehouse
Another online supplier of commercial yarn in all its beauty.
Black Sheep Wools