I had to run to the hardware store at lunchtime to get some more large, flat washers. I use them to weigh down the pattern pieces as I cut the fabric with a rotary cutter – they work better than quarters and are WAY cheaper than the “pattern weights” sold in fabric shops. (I’m honestly not sure why anyone would pay all that money for a weight, but I suppose alternatives might not occur to you until you were out of the shop.)
Anyway, I was at the hardware store, and remembered (as I was standing in line to buy the washers) that I had meant to find a better way of weighting loose threads. Currently I attach a film canister to the thread via a loop of yarn (caught under the lid of the film canister), but this is time-consuming and . I’ve tried S-hooks (which appear to work for some people) but they bounce off, get caught on other threads, etc. Very frustrating.
So I looked around and found these!
They should be just perfect – snap one around a thread, add washers if you need additional weight, and you’re good to go!
Only one catch: at the hardware store, they sell for $3.00 apiece. So I went home, looked around on eBay and found someone selling them for 38 cents apiece (!), postage included, if you bought a pack of 100.
I ordered a bunch. Will let you know how it goes once I receive them.
Inexpensive shower curtain hooks work well! They look similar to the spring hooks, but are much lighter in weight and don’t have a spring.
When I started weighting my warps for warping, I got these at the hardware store. Mine, however, don’t have a spring except the spring that allows you to open them up. Then I found something similar but much heavier. Now for weight warps I use either the heavier ones or these plus the heavier ones.