I learned beginning nålbindning when studying textile arts at Bäckedals' Folk School, and fell in love. Because it was the very end of the semester with other projects to be finished, it was put aside. I hadn't picked it up since and as time went by I started fearing the stitch technique had slipped from me.
In the past week I had been thinking about picking it up again, but tended to feel deflated already at the thought of having to go through the process of relearning (I struggled for quite some time before catching on). As fate would have it, while perusing the textile art section today at my library this book called out to me, and of course I knew what had to be done. Stop procrastinating and get to work. Winter is approaching, and I'm sure it will be as fast as last year. We've had the coldest two winters for decades since I arrived back to Sweden, and I want to stock up on cozy, all woolen accessories.
Back at home, while picking up the living room, I found my barely begun nalbinding wrist warmer laying on the floor.
Of course.
Though more important tasks needed to be dealt with, I grabbed it and headed for the couch armed with the book and another piece of yarn which I felted onto the end of the old piece. I managed to remember how to put the last stitch on my thumb, and knew the needle was to be inserted from the tip of the thumb and backwards with the yarn pulled through in a two way direction, but couldn't recall just which stitches were to be picked up and which were to act as 'bridges'. I also realized that there are several varieties of stitches and as I wanted to continue with the technique I had learned before, I hoped the book would cover this particular one.
I don't know if it does, as I wasn't able to understand it. So I turned to youtube, and had just a bit of trouble before finding this one. It has a clear and steady picture and the movements are shown several times. Nålbindning on youtube is not like knitting on youtube; there is much less to choose from, most of which have murky picture quality and limited instruction.
Socks and mittens made in the nalbinding technique are superior for keeping feet warm, and are very wear resitant. Märta Brodén, a consultant with the Home Craft Association in a province adjacent to ours, worked with loggers in the area during the 60s and 70s to develop the perfect yarn quality and technique to keep these men's extemities warm through long winter days in the woods. They must have been quite grateful for her efforts as colds and sinus infections became less frequent.
In the past week I had been thinking about picking it up again, but tended to feel deflated already at the thought of having to go through the process of relearning (I struggled for quite some time before catching on). As fate would have it, while perusing the textile art section today at my library this book called out to me, and of course I knew what had to be done. Stop procrastinating and get to work. Winter is approaching, and I'm sure it will be as fast as last year. We've had the coldest two winters for decades since I arrived back to Sweden, and I want to stock up on cozy, all woolen accessories.
Back at home, while picking up the living room, I found my barely begun nalbinding wrist warmer laying on the floor.
Of course.
Though more important tasks needed to be dealt with, I grabbed it and headed for the couch armed with the book and another piece of yarn which I felted onto the end of the old piece. I managed to remember how to put the last stitch on my thumb, and knew the needle was to be inserted from the tip of the thumb and backwards with the yarn pulled through in a two way direction, but couldn't recall just which stitches were to be picked up and which were to act as 'bridges'. I also realized that there are several varieties of stitches and as I wanted to continue with the technique I had learned before, I hoped the book would cover this particular one.
I don't know if it does, as I wasn't able to understand it. So I turned to youtube, and had just a bit of trouble before finding this one. It has a clear and steady picture and the movements are shown several times. Nålbindning on youtube is not like knitting on youtube; there is much less to choose from, most of which have murky picture quality and limited instruction.
Check it out if you want to learn this wonderful craft (it's at least 3000 years old). I believe the nalbinder in the clip calls this a Finnish stitch (I'm not sure about the aptness of that;)).
Remember you can use wool only since the yarn has to be pulled through entirely, like sewing, which means you have to felt the ends together. Though the stitch movements are easy to grasp, the trick lies in pulling the yarn just so through the old stitches, making sure to keep a light hand so you don't end up with a big knot. It helps to study the strands of yarn and how they lie next to each other, making sure to poke them back into position with the tip of the needle should they loose structure while the yarn is pulled through. They should look something like this:
Remember you can use wool only since the yarn has to be pulled through entirely, like sewing, which means you have to felt the ends together. Though the stitch movements are easy to grasp, the trick lies in pulling the yarn just so through the old stitches, making sure to keep a light hand so you don't end up with a big knot. It helps to study the strands of yarn and how they lie next to each other, making sure to poke them back into position with the tip of the needle should they loose structure while the yarn is pulled through. They should look something like this:
Socks and mittens made in the nalbinding technique are superior for keeping feet warm, and are very wear resitant. Märta Brodén, a consultant with the Home Craft Association in a province adjacent to ours, worked with loggers in the area during the 60s and 70s to develop the perfect yarn quality and technique to keep these men's extemities warm through long winter days in the woods. They must have been quite grateful for her efforts as colds and sinus infections became less frequent.
For best result, nalbinded items need to be felted (with pattern still visible) in order to shape well to the body and hold up.
I made the needle in the picture at Bäckedals, using beechwood. Wonderful wood to work with. I also made another one out of horn, I believe cow's horn. Also quite a pleasure to work with. My favorite of the two is the wood; it's smoother.
I'm happily 'sewing' on with my wrist warmer beginner's project, relieved that my refreshment course was a short and void of any major frustrations:).
I don't know how to bind off yet, so in the meantime I wear it with an improvised finish:).
I made the needle in the picture at Bäckedals, using beechwood. Wonderful wood to work with. I also made another one out of horn, I believe cow's horn. Also quite a pleasure to work with. My favorite of the two is the wood; it's smoother.
I'm happily 'sewing' on with my wrist warmer beginner's project, relieved that my refreshment course was a short and void of any major frustrations:).
I don't know how to bind off yet, so in the meantime I wear it with an improvised finish:).
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