There were questions on my last post about how I got the stitches so small, so here's a step-by-step as best I can. Needle-tensioning messes with the order of operations just a bit, but not enough to actually change the stitch or the movements your hands are making. It just requires you to pull the thumb loops tight around the needle as it passes through.

Dog tax at the end. It can be hard to work on a project when there's a freshly-bathed snout snoring on one arm.

Hello! I’m super curious about getting into nalbinding. But I’m waffling between knitting and nalbinding. My end goal is getting into making tapestries. I can crochet proficiently, but I honestly don’t like the look of tapestries with crochet.

I cross stitch, quilt by hand, etc along with crochet. I understand that whichever I go with will take time to get the basics, I’m not looking to make a medieval tapestry day one lol it does seem like nalbinding being less stretchy would do well as a tapestry. But wanted to get some input before starting!

Just in time for the November meetup, I finished my first nalbound project. I started teaching myself in May, wanting a challenge after years of crocheting, and after 6 months, it’s finished! I still have to block it, and I definitely learned the hard way about counting my stitches each row. The inspiration was a sunrise photo I took, and it is made in the flat with Mammen stitch, with a single crochet at the top and bottom, and 2 lines of half double crochet on the sides to keep the edge a bit better 170cm long and 88 wide. I really struggled with the orange and yellow, but I feel ok with how it turned out. Now I know better for the next project.

It comes in pints needle-tensioned?!

Y'all, wool is so much easier. It's grabby, it felts together at the ends, it's just the right amount of stretchy, and it is warm as heck. And needle-tensioning isn't difficult at all. I am so surprised by how easily this came together, and how solid the weave is.

Now to try my best to duplicate it for the other arm 😂

Then I'll make some socks.

My latest attempt at doing a left handed Oslo stitch is going…better? I think? Any thoughts?

I don’t recall how I stumbled into nalbinding, but I’m having a blast. Taught myself through YouTube vids. I haven’t figured out any other stitches beyond Oslo or the symbols that describe the stitches. So far I’ve been successful in making hats. I’d like to make a flat scarf or blanket, but I’m not sure how to end a row & start the next row.

Can you recommend a good resource that clearly shows how to end a row & start the next row above?

Several weeks ago, I stumbled across this post https://www.reddit.com/r/Nalbinding/s/kT32PPpr4g and simply had to give it a try. Today I have a nålbinding needle wrap holder with a wood dragon clasp!

I have learned that pulling the thumb loops tight after every stitch is important but not critical. Keeping my yarn controlled and organized is critical. Increasing and decreasing are fairly intuitive if you've done other fiber arts before. Counting stitches is only kinda necessary if you're following a strict pattern, otherwise it is fine to increase where you increased before and guesstimate distances. Longer needles are easier to learn, but shorter needles really do flow easier and work better once you get the hang of it, if your hands can manage the smaller movements.

And don't be afraid to make your own! Worst case, you have used up some scrap wood, best case you have a nice needle for free.

Apparently I am rough on needles, specifically on the upper edge where my fingernail bites down to facilitate the turn of the outer thumb loop. Hardwood will be my favorite until I can source some bone or antler to work with.

I feel like I can’t even get started, just getting the first loop on my thumb is a struggle. Not to mention my yarn keeps falling out of my needle. Any advice?

Hi everyone! I'm new to the craft. I started with Oslo stitch and am now moving on to learn York stitch. However, in my searches online, I've come across two different methods, both called "York stitch":

1. Two loops on the thumb, one loop off the thumb, needle goes through two loops on the thumb, ignoring the one at the back.

2. One loop on the thumb, one loop off the thumb, needle goes through loop at the back (without twisting it) and under the loop on the thumb.

Are these really the same stitch? Are they just different methods?

Thanks!

When I get to the end for the yarn I just make a double knot to attach my new strand. I don't like it though because it looks ugly. What are other knots I can try that'll work better and be more discreet?

finished my first pair of socks for socktober. I took inspiration for the top cuff from a post I saw here earlier this week. The pair was done toe up with a 2 colored spiral start in Finnish 2+2 F2. I did each heel in a different color.

It's here!!! If your ears hurt, I'm sorry. There was a loud squee earlier. I'm so excited to tell you about this book.

It's the culmination of several years of research with some amazing scholars dedicated to recontextualizing the collection of Late Antique (and Late Roman) Egyptian textiles now found in the National Museums of Denmark and Norway.

Which means that not only are there great technical descriptions of woven textiles, sprang headcoverings, and, most important for this reddit, a nearly complete nalbound sock with fringe, but it also has fascinating insights into museologyy and the networks of how many of these artifacts ended up in a box in Denmark.

Late Antique Egyptian Fabrics in a Scandinavian Collection - BAR Publishing

https://www.barpublishing.com/book/late-antique-egyptian-fabrics-in-a-scandinavian-collection/

If you sign up for BAR Publishing 's email list, you can get a 20% discount on all their books, not just this beautifully illustrated volume.

If you'd like a sneak peak, an earlier stage of our research was presented in the Nationalmuseet • The National Museum of Denmark's online exhibition: Archaeological Puzzles in a Museum https://en.natmus.dk/museums-and-palaces/the-national-museum-of-denmark/exhibitions/classical-and-near-eastern-antiquities/archaeological-puzzles-in-a-museum/

The book includes our continued and expanded research.

Note: this is an academic publication. I receive no royalties for my contribution. I still think this is a really worthwhile book for people interested in this period. If you want to support my research directly you can become one of my Patrons at https://www.patreon.com/nalbound?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator or drop a one time donation on my blog at https://nalbound.com

I’m only at the toes with my first pair, but there is a bit of space between stitches with my thumb tensioning on Korgan (I think it’s Korgan…) and I wonder which stitches are your favorites for socks? Especially if I make booties for my 1 year old niece and nephew?

I've been at this hobby for a few months and really love it, but I'm battling with yarn selection as a vegan

I'm trying to find something that joins well with knots or plaits or russian joins and isn't splitty or twisty. I've been having a lot of problems with acrylic either falling apart while I work or turning into a massive fuzzball after a week of wear.

Does anyone know of any non animal yarns that are easy to work with, join well and hold up over time?

I’m new to nalbinding still, but I made two hand/wrist warmers. I’m not sure how I should go about adding a thumb part.
Can anyone tell be the best way to go about it so I don’t mess up all my progress? Thank you.

very new to nalbinding, this is my third piece i believe. using acrylic yarn to practice, doing the oslo stitch. how can i improve?

i had gotten a kit from a local ren fair and am having a lot of fun! its only my second time connecting/adding stitches (the manual with the kit is a bit confusing), so some of the connections are a bit wonky. im also not clear on how to end a project? the booklet says to ‘make the loops smaller’ but i dont get how if the loops are already tight around my thumb

what are some tips/tricks that helped you learn?

I've started and failed about 5 mittens due to poor fit and lack of motivation. These ones I did from the top down and it was significantly easier. I may try gloves in the future because these feel like oven mitts

Walnut wood

My husband and I are doing socktober together and as my kickoff to socktober I started a pair of toe up socks. I usually do cuff down socks when I'm nalbinding socks but this month I wanted to focus on learning new things so I'm getting comfortable with the spiral start and a multicolored spiral start. The stitch is Finnish 2+2 F2 and I'm thumb tensioning.

I've been looking for something plant fiber that won't turn into a splitty, twisty mess and it seems very promising. I just want to check in if anyone has used it for nalbinding and what the results were before I spend money

Honestly don’t know how I keep messing up my thumbs 😭😭 maybe I should start from a round next time and join/finish where my thumb meets the rest of the hand? Is it possible to cut the thumb off and start that segment again 🤔