A better tablet weaving setup - with improved weights

Tablet weaving was one of my big 2017 goals, and all of the textile research I was looking at for SCA garb just made me need to start a.s.a.p.   Pi was generally horrified that I was willing to sacrifice perfectly good playing cards to learn a new weaving method, but I was determined to give it a shot without sinking a bunch of money into it first.  We were able to put together a simple tablet loom for $14, and had enough in supplies to make 2 little looms.  Hardware store door pulls, 2 boards from the $1 stack at ace, a dowel, and a little scrap wood from the garage.  J clamps, but I ended up not even using them. (Linden liked them though because they made the loom into his personal hoverboard)

My first run was fine, but with no border, the edges were really messy.  Fine for the boy to hold up his hip quiver though, so he quickly snatched it up.  It helped that he adores red.

I quickly learned the value of independent weights though.  I'd seen suggestions for ceramic inserts as weights and figured that might work well, so I ordered some.  It came in a 10 pack so I tied 2 cards per weight.  I picked (rather Carl picked, and I didn't know any better) the "dragon's head" popular pattern for my second attempt and was in over my head pretty fast.

Once I figured out that the pattern threaded backwards from what I'd seen elsewhere, I started plodding along, but the twist became a problem FAST.  Even with only 2 cards per weight, it was messy.  I spent 3 evenings cursing and browsing Amazon while I wove, untangled, wove, cursed, and untangled.

I finally came up with a system, and I like it.  For twist neutral patterns, I probably won't bother with it, I'll backstrap it or tie on a dumbbell and call it good!  For chaotic ones like this one has been, this was a lifesaver.

This is what it looks like.  The weights are 3 oz fishing weights, I got a package of 26 from Amazon.  I love that they're so narrow I can put on quite a lot of them and they stay pretty stable and line up easily without trying to tangle.

The part that took me forever to figure out though, was how to wind up my warp and keep it attached to the weights.  I contemplated and shopped for what felt like ages trying to find something workable.  I stumbled across these keyfobs that swivel and realized that would be perfect for letting out twist!  I got these embroidery floss bobbins and attached them all together. 

The hardest part was getting the fob through the hole in the weight, but it did fit with a little wiggling.

It's not perfect, but for a second tablet weave, I'm really happy with it.  It's definitely improving with each pattern repeat too.