# HG changeset patch # User Steve Losh # Date 1788296975 14400 # Node ID abb0a177b453e1fca6117cd1cb41590e97b55e53 # Parent e23e9a6444674180c36bd5fb363b2acdaecefd3e More diff -r e23e9a644467 -r abb0a177b453 content/blog/2026/08/learning-nalbinding.markdown --- a/content/blog/2026/08/learning-nalbinding.markdown Sun Aug 30 21:12:04 2026 -0400 +++ /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 @@ -1,738 +0,0 @@ -(:title "Learning Nalbinding" - :snip "What I wish I knew when I started learning my first fiber art." - :date "2026-08-30T20:15:00Z" - :draft t) - -Off and on over the past year or so I've been learning [nalbinding][nalbinding] -(also called "needlebinding" and a lot of other things), a fiber art which -predates knitting by thousands of years. It's been a very rewarding, relaxing, -and cozy hobby (especially in the winter months), but it's not nearly as popular -as knitting or crochet so it can be difficult to find good resources to learn -from. Here are a couple of videos that show what it looks like, to give you an -idea: - -* -* -* - -In this post I'm going to describe how I learned, some of the things I've made, -and generally just write down all the things I wish I could have told myself -a year ago when I was starting out. There are a lot of other great resources -out there, so you should search around for those too if you're interested. This -is all just what happened to work well for me. - -[nalbinding]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A5lebinding - -
- -## Why Learn Nalbinding? - -I first heard of nalbinding when my partner and I visited the [Eiríksstaðir -museum](https://www.eiriksstadir.is/) in Iceland. I never had any exposure to -knitting or crochet at all when I was growing up as a boy in rural Pennsylvania -in the 80's and 90's, so I had certainly never heard of nalbinding either. - -A few months later I found myself wanting to make her a gift that would keep her -warm, and remembered our visit. She's experienced at knitting and crochet, so -I didn't want to just make her a worse version of something she could have made -herself. But she had never learned nalbinding, so I decided to give it at try -and see if I could make something. - -Much like knitting, nalbinding is quite a cozy activity, especially during the -winter months in a cold climate, and once you get a little experience it's very -relaxing to be able to make something while you're spending time with people or -watching a movie or anything else. There are also a few other reasons you might -decide to pick it up over knitting/crochet even if you don't have a partner that -already knows how to do those. - -Nalbound items are generally very warm, because they're usually made with -relatively thick wool. I've always lived in cold places (the northeastern US -and Reykjavík) so I can appreciate this. - -Nalbinding is very durable. Unlike knitting, it won't unravel if a piece of the -yarn breaks. You can even *cut a piece of nalbinding work in half with -scissors* and the halves *still* won't unravel, which some people exploit to -make a large sheet of fabric easily by making a cylinder and cutting it along -the long edge. - -Unlike knitting, nalbinding (usually) uses your thumb as a gauge to determine -the width of the stitches. Everyone's thumb is a different size, which means my -stitches will be a different size than yours. Because of this, nalbinders don't -usually work from a fixed pattern like you often see in knitting, but you just -sort of learn the basics, come up with a general plan for the thing you want to -make and then… wing it, figuring out the specifics as you go. This might sound -intimidating, but I personally found it very freeing to not have to follow -a fixed pattern and worry about messing it up and having to undo a ton of work -to make it "correct". - -The barrier to entry for nalbinding is, equipment-wise, almost *comically* low. -You can try it out with a popsicle stick, a ball of yarn, your thumbs, and -nothing else. There are a few other things that are nice to have that you might -want to get if you decide you like it and want to continue, but you really don't -need much to get started. Maybe this is why it appeared so early in humanity's -history. - -On the topic of history, nalbinding has been around for thousands of years (from -the Wikipedia page above: an early fragment was found from 6500 BCE) and has -been done by humans all over the world. I personally found it really very -satisfying to learn an art that our species has been doing for millennia. Unlike -the rest of this blog (which is mostly about programming), nalbinding gives me -a sense of being connected to a much longer history. If I were somehow -transported back in time eight thousand years, I could pick up a needle and -nalbind alongside someone without too much fuss, which I personally find pretty -cool. - -Since then I've made a bunch more things for her and myself, and I'm looking -forward to making a lot more this winter. I think it's a really fun and -interesting art that anyone can learn, even if you weren't already taught how to -knit or crochet as a kid and you don't have access to someone to teach you -in-person. - -## Getting Started - -You really don't need a lot of things to get started with nalbinding, just: - -* A needle -* Yarn -* Videos to learn from -* An idea to make - -There's a pretty good chance that all of these are available near you right now -if you know what to look for (and your shops are currently open), so if you read -this and it sounds exciting you can probably gather what you need and be trying -your first nalbinding in just a few hours! - -### Getting or Making a Needle - -A typical nalbinding needle is a long (3-4 inches, 8-10 cm), wide (0.25-0.5 -inches, 0.5-1 cm), blunt needle, usually made of wood, bone, horn, or plastic, -with a large hole at the end for yarn to go through. Here's a picture of all -the needles I've collected over the past year: - -[![My collection of nalbinding needles](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -Collecting needles is fun, but you really only need one. 90% of everything I've -made has been with one of the two needles on top, which are my favorite ones. -I'll talk about where to get this kind of needle later (and how to customize it -to make it even better) but you can actually get started with something even -simpler: either a tapestry needle or making your own. - -#### Starting with a Tapestry Needle - -I personally got started with this metal needle which was under $1 at a local -shop: - -[![The first needle I used: a tapestry needle](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -You'll be able to find something like it at any craft store, just look for -a "tapestry needle" that's relatively blunt and with as large a hole as -possible. You might also be able to find some that are plastic — I found this -package of two in the (very tiny) crafts section of a Meijer grocery store for -$2: - -[![A 2-pack of plastic tapestry needles](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -A tapestry needle is a really easy to get and cheap way to get started. And -honestly… it's *surprisingly* effective for nalbinding even though it looks very -different from a real nalbinding needle. - -Do **not**, however, attempt to use a *sewing* needle for nalbinding! Sewing -needles are much too thin, too short, too pointy, and the eyes are far too -small for the yarn you'll use. Then only thing a sewing needle will help with -is stabbing yourself. - -#### Making Your Own Needle - -Another option is to make your own needle. This is a little more work, but will -probably work a little bit better than a tapestry needle because it'll be closer -in shape to a real nalbinding needle. For this you'll need a popsicle stick, -some sandpaper, and either a drill or a knife to make the eye. - -You can get sandpaper from any hardware store if you don't already have some. -If you want to get a single grit then 600 grit is best for this, but I'd -recommend buying a variety pack so you'll have a bunch of different grits (grit -is how rough the sandpaper is, lower grit means rougher). - -You can either buy some popsicle sticks from a craft store (cheap and easy, but -you'll probably have to buy way more than you need) or buy some actual popsicles -from a grocery store and eat one to get the stick (tasty, but you'll have to try -your best to wash the sugar off it after). If you can't get a popsicle stick -you can even start with an actual stick from a tree instead and carve it down to -size with a knife. - -Either way, once you've got a popsicle stick, you'll want to make a hole (which -will be the eye of the needle) in one end with a drill or (very carefully) using -a knife tip to drill a hole. Use some sandpaper to enlarge and smooth the eye, -then trim down and shape the rest of the needle with the knife/sandpaper until -it's approximately the right size and shape: - -* Aim for about 3.5 inches (9 cm) long. Different people like different sized - needles (I prefer longer needles myself), but you won't know what you prefer - until you've learned a bit and made a few things. 3.5 inches is a good middle - ground, just start there for now. -* Don't make the tip *too* thin and/or pointy, because that'll make it more - likely to accidentally split the yarn later. -* Once you've got it shaped, use sandpaper to make sure it's smooth all over - (including inside the eye!) so it won't snag the yarn. - -[![Popsicle sticks being turned into nalbinding needles](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -### Buying Yarn - -Once you've got a needle, the only other physical item you need is some yarn to -make something out of. Nalbinding is a little more particular about the kind of -yarn you need than other crafts, so you'll probably want to try to find a local -yarn store to buy from because it's likely that the small selection at e.g. -Target won't have what you need. - -You can order online, of course, but that can take longer to ship and it's -harder to judge the look (and impossible to judge the feel) through a screen. -I'd recommend trying to find a yarn store somewhere near you that you can -physically go to so you can see and touch the yarn in person. Just search for -"yarn store" on your preferred maps website, you'll probably be able to find one -that's not too far away. - -Unfortunately, walking into a yarn store as someone who's never had any exposure -to knitting or crochet is… intimidating. I'll try to give you enough basics -here to get in, find what you need to get started nalbinding, and get out -without too much stress. - -A unit of yarn is called a "skein" (rhymes with "stain"). Usually they'll be -around 100 grams of yarn, but this can vary. Just try to get one or two skeins -for now. If you end up sticking with the hobby you'll find yourself with more -yarn than you know what to do with before long. - -#### Yarn Sizing - -Nalbinding generally works better with larger yarn, especially when you're first -starting out. You might think that yarn sizes in the shop would be organized by -something like "the diameter of the yarn in mm", but unfortunately they're -probably not. Some typical yarn sizes are, in order (roughly) from thinnest to -thickest: - -* Lace -* Fingering -* Sock -* Sport -* DK -* Worsted -* Arran -* Chunky or Bulky -* Super Chunky or Super Bulky -* Jumbo - -The classification of any particular yarn isn't based on a single number like -diameter, but rather some combination of diameter, density, and overall feel. -These are rough categories, and a yarn that one company might label worsted -might actually be smaller than another company's arran (especially if it's -denser), which is why it's very helpful to go to the store and *look* at the yarn -in person. - -When you're getting started nalbinding you'll want a relatively large yarn, -preferably about the diameter of a pencil, so you can more easily see what -you're doing and it'll hold itself together more cleanly. Start at the bulky -section of the yarn store and look around from there to find one that's roughly -that size. - -#### Yarn Material - -Yarn can be made of different kinds of fibers, like wool, cotton, linen, silk, -polyester, etc. When you first start nalbinding you'll want to get 100% wool -yarn because that's the kind that will most easily join together by felting -(you'll see what "felting" is in the videos below). There are ways to nalbind -with other yarns by joining in different ways, but don't try to start learning -on hard mode — just trust me and get 100% wool for your first attempts. - -One more thing to look out for: **do not** get "superwash" wool. Superwash is -a process that modifies wool in several ways to make it more machine washable. -One of the results is that superwash wool is harder to felt, which is why we're -buying wool in the first place. If you're looking at a yarn and the fiber -content on the labels says something like "superwash merino", put it back. -Don't try to learn on hard mode. - -#### Yarn Colors - -Yarn comes in a lot of different colors. It will be easiest to start with -a lighter-colored yarn because it'll be easier to see the individual stitches, -but get a color you at least think looks halfway decent. Neon orange is easy to -see but if you hate how it looks you're not going to enjoy the process of -learning and be motivated to continue. - -You'll also probably notice that some yarns in the store are a single color and -some other yarns have many different colors mixed together, like this: - -[![Colored Yarns](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -Those mixed ones are called variegated and are great to start with as a beginner -because they'll make it even easier to see the boundaries between stitches: if -two threads next to each other have different colors it's easier to tell them -apart. I personally think a lot of variegated yarn tends to look a bit tacky, -but there *are* some tasteful ones out there too. So if you see a variegated -yarn that you think looks good, and it checks all the other necessary boxes, -definitely go for it! - -#### Yarn Ply - -Yarns can be made of a single spun strand (called a ply), or have two or more -strands (plies) twisted together to form the main body of the yarn. When you're -first starting out nalbinding you'll ideally want a single-ply yarn. Multiple -plies will make it more confusing when you're trying to see where your stitches -are. It's not the end of the world if you have to use a 2- or 3-ply yarn, but -try for 1-ply if possible. - -#### Winding - -When you finally have the yarn you're looking for and walk up to the cash -register to buy it, they might ask you if you want them to wind it for you. If -you're like me, you'll look down at the ball of yarn that already looks -perfectly wound and say "uh, sure?". - -Here's what you need to know about the whole "winding" thing. Skeins of yarn in -the shop are generally going to be sitting on the shelf loosely wound, often in -either a ball shape or twisted into a more horizontal hank shape: - -[![Examples of unwound yarn skeins](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -Both of these are loosely-wrapped, which is great for shipping and storage -because it puts less tension on the yarn. But when you're actually going to -*use* the yarn, you'll want to be able to grab one end and pull to cleanly drag -some yarn off the skein, and this is hard to do without tangling when it's in -the original loosely-packed form. When the shop winds the yarn for you, they -wind it up so that it'll pull cleanly and easily off as you're working. You can -(and should) learn to wind your yarn by hand yourself eventually, but they'll be -able to do it for you much cleaner and faster with the machine in the store. So -the general rules are: - -1. If you're buying yarn that you're going to just keep on hand but not going to *use* for a while, leave it unwound. -2. If you're going to use it immediately, you may as well have them wind it for you. -3. Once the yarn is wound you can't return it, so if you might not need it then definitely *don't* wind it. - -Another useful thing to know: when pulling from a wound ball of yarn, you pull -the end of the yarn coming from the *inside* of the ball, not the end on the -outside. I don't know if this is supposed to be obvious, but it certainly -wasn't obvious to me for my first few months until someone finally told me. - -#### Please Just Tell Me What Yarn To Buy Already - -Summing up the above, you want a yarn that satisfies (in rough order of importance): - -* Fiber content: 100% non-superwash wool. -* Size: large, roughly the diameter of a pencil or a bit smaller (probably "bulky" or "super bulky"). -* Ply: ideally single-ply. -* Color: A bright color you don't hate, ideally variegated if you can find one you like. -* Let them wind if for you if they ask. - -Here are some actual examples that I've used and would say would be good for -a beginner: - -* [Woolstok North](https://blueskyfibers.com/product/woolstok-north/) -* [Malabrigo Rasta](https://malabrigoyarn.com/yarns/rasta) - -### Other Useful Tidbits - -A small cup of water will come in handy if you don't want to spit in your hands -to join lengths of yarn together later. - -If you have some safety pins, those will also come in handy when you want to -mark places in your work. Be careful: yarn shops will sell "stitch markers" -which sound like a thing that would be perfect for this, but there are two kinds -of stitch markers and only one of them will actually work for nalbinding: - -* The kind that open and close, which are basically just smaller safety pins. - These are great, feel free to buy a pack if you want. The ones I have are - pictured below. -* The kind that are just a fixed circle and do *not* open and close. These only - work for knitting, **they do not work for nalbinding**. Do not buy these. - -[![Stitch markers that work for nalbinding](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -### Where to learn - -At this point you should have: - -* A needle -* A skein of yarn or two -* (Optional) safety pins for marking stitches -* (Optional if you don't mind being gross) a cup of water to avoid needing to spit on your hands - -One of the first nalbinding videos I found useful is [this tutorial from -Valkyrja](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMbCEQ9xQg4) because it shows all the -steps from start to finish. Watch that video, and if you want to dive right in -an give it a try immediately, go ahead. - -I liked that tutorial to get an overview of how the process was supposed to -work, but I had a few difficulties following it: - -* The dark-colored yarn and wide angle view make it a little hard to see what's - going on. -* The beginning figure-eight loop is fast if you know how to do it, but is - really tricky to get the hang of (at least for me). I still don't use this - method of starting. -* The initial chain she creates is very clean, because she's experienced. Your - first attempt is probably going to look like a slinky that went through - a washing machine. There are some things you can do to make it cleaner, which - will make the whole process easier. - -I spent a lot of time watching nalbinding videos by various people, and none of -them really clicked with my brain until I found [Happy -Needlebinding](https://www.youtube.com/@happyneedlebinding) on YouTube. His -videos are a joy because they break things down clearly, simply, slowly, and -(importantly for me) he doesn't assume you already know how to knit or crochet. -Scroll through his catalog of videos (the basic tutorials are some of the oldest -videos) and watch a few and I think you'll find them very helpful. There were -a few things in particular from his videos that really helped take me from "this -hobby is a struggle" to "this hobby is actually kind of fun". - -First was how he starts his work by using a single overhand knot as a loop and -then builds the extra loops he needs to start one at a time, instead of using -the figure-eight trick to do everything in one fast (but inscrutable) step. -This is a little slower, but you only have to start each piece once, so compared -to the total time you spend making something it really doesn't matter, and -I find it much easier to keep track of each loop when I make them one by one. - -As he's starting out the first few loops, you'll see him tidy up the back of the -chain after he does every stitch. You technically don't really *have* to do -this because it'll eventually work itself out once you start joining onto it -(and with enough practice). But when you're first starting out, even getting to -the point of having enough clean stitches that you want to continue with is -a struggle, so tidying up as you make each stitch really helps keep things clean -and legible. If you're finding your initial chains are looking rough, maybe -give this a try. - -Also note how he uses his thumb, index, *and middle* finger of his left hand to -manage the needle. He explains this in one of his videos and [on his -website](https://needlebinding.com/arboga-stich/) where he shows how he uses -those three fingers to guide the needle like a drill holding onto a drill bit, -and that one analogy was what suddenly made the whole process feel comfortable -to me instead of a struggle. After watching so many tutorials where someone -guided the needle with two fingers (never explaining why) and feeling like I was -having to squeeze the needle tightly to keep control, trying the three-finger -drill-bit approach was incredibly helpful and relaxing. Now I can nalbind for -an hour or more at a time and my hands don't ache at the end. - -### Stitches - -If you start searching around online for nalbinding resources you'll quickly -discover that there are many, many, *many* different stitches you can use. It's -easy to get choice paralysis and not know what to try, or to think you always -need to be trying a new stitch. - -The simplest stitch that most nalbinding tutorials use is Oslo stitch, or "1+1 -F1" (you'll learn the notation later). If you start looking into the history of -nalbinding and the artifacts that have been found you'll probably notice that -a suspiciously high number of them happen to use Oslo stitch too. So for your -first few projects, just use Oslo stitch. It's simple and effective and works -great. You can try other stitches later, but just start with Oslo and don't -worry about it for now. - -### What to Make - -You'll want to start by making a few chains of 20-30 stitches just to get the -general motion into your hands. These are going to look like hell, but that's -okay, just try to perform all the steps slowly and cleanly until they start to -feel a little less weird. Put them in a box and look at them in a year to see -how far you've come. - -After that, my main piece of advice is: **make one thing that you actually -want**. T here are two important points here: - -* Make something you actually want, so you have motivation to do it. -* Make **one single thing**. - -Many nalbinding tutorials violate this advice by using something like a pair of -handwarmers as a first nalbinding project. Handwarmers lend themselves well to -nalbinding because they have a simple, cylindrical structure, but they were -never great for me because they violate both points of my advice: - -1. I never wear handwarmers, and if I made a pair I would never wear them, so - I had no motivation to make them. -2. Handwarmers come in pairs, which means that once you make the first one you - now need to make a second one, identical to the first if you want it to look - decent. Making two identical items is a skill of its own that you can learn, - but don't start learning on hard mode. - -So for your first project, pick something that works as a single object and that -you actually *want* (or, if it's a gift, that the recipient actually wants). -I'll show some examples of things I've made next, but something like a simple -hat or a small scarf might be good places to start. - -## Examples of Things I've Made - -Here are a few of the things I've made so far. If you have questions or want -more details about any of them feel free to let me know! - -### Hats - -The first two full projects I made were two hats for my partner. I used Oslo -stitch 1+1 F1 for the first one, with (in hindsight) some relatively small -thread in a single color: - -[![My first nalbound hat](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -For the second hat I used 1+1 F2 with some chunkier thread, splicing in -a different color every time I had to join to make a more colorful hat: - -[![My second nalbound hat](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -Some time later I made another hat (this one for myself) to match the scarf -you'll see shortly: - -[![My third nalbound hat](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -### Scarves - -So far I've made two scarves. The first scarf was inspired by (well, honestly, -more like "copied from") [this scarf](https://www.ravelry.com/projects/SouthSoundFiber/dalarna-scarf) -on Ravelry. I used the same wool (Woolstok Worsted), layout, and stitch -(Dalarna) as they did. The result has a few mistakes, but it turned out well -enough to wear and I'm pretty happy with it! - -[![My first nalbound scarf](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -The other scarf I've made was inspired by my trip home for the holidays last -year, when I drove through central Pennsylvania. The fir trees along the side -of the road were covered in snow and it was quite beautiful, so I wanted to make -a scarf whose colors remind me of snow-covered fir trees. I used Dalarna stitch -again, this time with Woolstok Tweed wool. - -[![My second nalbound scarf](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -I love the wool, but the result is a little chunky for my taste (especially when -folded in half to wear as a typical men's scarf). I'll have to experiment a bit -more here. - -### Kobo Case - -I recently replaced my aging Kindle with a Kobo eReader (which I like, and would -recommend). I wanted a case to protect it when I slip it into my -backpack/carry on bag, so I used some chunky yarn to nalbind one that fits it -perfectly: - -[![My nalbound Kobo case](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -### Snake - -The most complicated thing I've made is probably this stuffed snake for my -partner. She has an albino corn snake (appropriately named "Popcorn") as a pet, -so I wanted to make her a stuffed version as a gift: - -[![A nalbound snake](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -I used Lopi Alafosslopi wool for this, but in hindsight a thicker yarn would -have worked even better. I used Dalarna stitch to make the outside smooth, with -the ridges on the inside where you can't see them. - -I used the two-needle method to make the yellow spots. This worked great when -the yellow yarn was in front, but unfortunately the thinness of the yarn meant -that when the *white* yarn was in front you could see bits of the yellow through -the fabric. So what I ended up doing was just cutting the yellow off after each -section was done and leaving the ends of the yellow yarn dangling inside, which -isn't a problem since it's a closed shape. - -The snake is stuffed with a combination of aquarium beads for weight, linen -scraps, and stuffing from the craft store. - -## Going Further - -### Working with Yarn - -Yarn, specifically wool yarn, is a really interesting material. I found a video -on YouTube called [The Insane Geometry of Your -Clothes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncoMYGFXmEs) that was really helpful to -me in understanding it a little better. - -This video helped me understand why yarn gets stronger when it's spun or -twisted. Before I saw this video I had seen many nalbinding videos where the -person would say "break the new piece of yarn off of the skein", but sometimes -I would find it very hard to tear a piece of yarn off of the ball and I didn't -know why. Watching that video (specifically the part around TODO) makes the -solution to my problem clear: if you untwist the yarn first it turns the helix -of strands (stronger) into parallel strands (weaker), making it easier to break. - -### A Nicer Needle - -If you decide you like nalbinding and want to do it more, you'll probably want -to get a more suitable needle for yourself. You can find people selling -nalbinding needles on Etsy. I've bought a few needles from [LykosLeather on -Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/shop/LykosLeather?search_query=nalbinding) and have -been happy with them for the price. For the price of one skein of yarn you can -easily get one or two bone, horn, or wood needles of different lengths and -experiment to see what you prefer. - -It's worth noting that when you buy a nalbinding needle from a shop on Etsy for -a pretty cheap price (in the $10 range) it will come in a state that's maybe -a little rougher than you expect. It might not be perfectly symmetrical, there -may be some rough edges (especially inside the eye), and so on. I think this is -pretty reasonable for a $10 purchase, and it gives you an opportunity to -customize your needle a bit yourself. Creating and modifying my own tools is -one the joys of crafting for me (which explains why I love programming so much), -so I had a fun couple of evenings turning some basic needles into needles that -are *mine* and are just how I like them. Just remember to wear a mask when -you're sanding, especially if your needle is bone or horn — you probably don't -want to be breathing in bone dust. - -One helpful resource for this was [this video from Valhalla -Ironworks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvmsRZC5bLc) about making -a nalbinding needle from scratch, specifically the parts where he explains why -there's a notch in the back of the needle (to provide extra relief for the -folded yarn). Both of my favorite needles have this relief notch in the back, -which I added using sandpaper wrapper around a small metal rod. It's a small -thing, but it really does help the yarn glide more smoothly through the loops -(especially thicker yarn) and it makes them feel like *mine*. - -[![Customized nalbinding needles vs a normal one](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -### Other Helpful Things - -While a needle and yarn is all you really *need* for nalbinding, there are a few -other little inexpensive things you can pick up that will provide some -easy quality-of-life improvements. Here are a few that I've found useful. - -I picked up a small spray bottle for the water I use for felting. This is quick -and easy to use (2-3 quick sprays on the ends is enough to felt them nicely) and -it's easy to carry around without worrying that it'll leak. - -[![Spray bottle](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -When felting the ends together to join them, all the tutorials will say to "play -with the ends a bit" or "tease the ends apart" to fray them, so the fibers of -both strands can intermingle better. I find this difficult for some yarns, -probably because I keep my fingernails very short. My partner got me a little -metal comb that's designed to be a hair brush cleaner, but works great for -combing apart the ends of yarn. It does pull out some of the strands in the -process, but that's actually a *good* thing: you want the ends to be a little -thinner than the actual yarn because you overlap them to felt them, so if -they're full thickness the felt point will be a thicker bump in the finished -work. The comb works great, and it's tiny and really easy to carry around. - -[![Hairbrush cleaner, repurposed as felting comb](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -When shaping things with nalbinding you'll need to increase or decrease after -a certain number of stitches (e.g. "do 6 normal stitches and then decrease"). -Eventually you'll be able to do stitches fast enough that you can just count -them out without getting lost, but when I was first learning I often struggled -with individual stitches enough that I would lose count of how many I had done -since the last increase. I solved this by adding a 12-sided die (called a "d12" -by D&D players) to my nalbinding kit, so I could put it on the table and rotate -the number every stitch, moving it back to 1 after the increase. You can get -a d12 at any local tabletop game store (though if you're reading this blog I bet -the odds are pretty high that there's already one in your house somewhere). -A d20 would work just as well, I've just never needed to count that high when -nalbinding yet. - -[![d12](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -As I mentioned earlier you can use standard safety pins for stitch markers, but -you can also buy slightly more compact ones in a yarn shop. I keep a little -pill case that has a few of them and my d12 in my kit. - -[![d12 and stitch markers](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -Most nalbinding tutorials will tell you to tear or break lengths of yarn off the -ball instead of cutting it cleanly, to help it felt better, but if you have the -little comb I mentioned earlier you don't really need to do that, and some yarn -is kind of hard to tear. I got this little yarn cutter thing from the yarn -store which works great and is very small and safe to carry (the blades are very -well shielded by the metal fob). Alternatively you could get a pair of -embroidery shears, which are often in the shape of a pretty bird, but are -a little bulkier (and more likely to raise questions if you try to carry them on -a plane). - -[![Yarn cutter and embroidery shears](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -When you finish a project you'll want to weave the final end of the yarn back -into the nalbinding so it doesn't hang off. I picked up a cheap little crochet -hook for a couple of bucks which I've found helpful for pulling the yarn back -through the loops. - -[![Crochet hook for weaving in the end yarn](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -And finally, once you've gotten a bunch of these little things you'll want some -kind of bag to hold them all in. I use a pencil bag, but anything that makes you -happy will work! - -[![Pencil bag repurposed as my nalbinding kit](/static/images/blog/2026/08/TODO.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/08/full/TODO.jpg) - -### Stitches - -Once you've done a few projects you'll probably be itching to try one of these -other stitches you've heard about. Give it a shot and experiment! I personally -love the Dalarna stitch because of how asymmetrical the sides are: all the -excess bulk of the yarn is shunted off to one side, leaving the other side very -flat. I really like it for scarves, because when you fold the scarf in half to -wear it with the ridges on the inside they interlock and hold the scarf together -really well. - -If you haven't already, when you start searching for nalbinding resources on the -internet you'll almost certainly run into -[Neulakintaat](https://www.en.neulakintaat.fi/), which is probably the most -extensive nalbinding resource around. Once you're comfortable with the basics -of nalbinding and doing Oslo stitch fluently, check our her videos to see how to -do many, *many* more kinds of stitch. I found those videos difficult to -understand as a complete beginner, but now that I've learned more I find myself -referencing them if I need to remember how to do a particular stitch. - -### Multiple Colors - -Working with a single color of yarn is fine, but before long you'll probably be -wanting to incorporate multiple colors into the things you make. There are -a couple of ways you can do this, some of which are more complex than others. - -If you're making an object with multiple rows (like the scarves I showed above) -you can simply use a different color of yarn for different rows. I find it -helpful to plan out the rows in advance using a spreadsheet, but you can also -just wing it if you want. I generally try to either make something perfectly -symmetrical or avoid repetition altogether, but experiment and see what works -for you. - -You can also add multiple colors to a piece by swapping yarns when you splice in -a new length. Happy Needlebinding's videos show many great examples of this -style. It can take a little bit of planning when you tear off a new length of -yarn to try to avoid creating large rivers of color in the work, but with some -practice you'll get the hang of it. - -You might be wondering if you can do something like the fancy colorwork you see -in knitted things like sweaters, to create more complicated designs than the -basic "a new color starts where the old length ran out". The short answer is -yes, but the results will probably not be as detailed as you could have achieved -with knitting. You can use multiple needles at once to keep separate colored -threads running and swap between them to bring a particular color to the -foreground as you go. I used this technique to make the yellow rings in the -snake I showed earlier, and found [this -video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN-vqJTTEY8) and [this -video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5p1dzGcblM) useful when I was figuring -out how to do it. It's not quite as detailed as you can get with the fine yarn -and needles you would use for knitting, but you can still make pretty things -with it (and it's really fun once you get the hang of it), so give it a try! - -## Communities - -Before I go, I wanted to point you at some of the communities I've found online -for Nalbinding. These days nalbinding is a small, weird hobby, but one of the -dreams of the early internet was to allow people with small, weird hobbies to -find each other. Despite the direction the internet has taken in the past -decade or two, that dream still hasn't been completely stamped out, and there -are a couple of places to find other nalbinders online. - -The most popular place to talk about nalbinding online these days is probably -a Facebook group. I'm sure you can find the nalbinding group on there if you -search, but I'm not going to link it here because of how I feel about Facebook. - -As an alternative, Reddit's [r/nalbinding](https://www.reddit.com/r/Nalbinding/) -is relatively active (and Reddit isn't as awful as Facebook (yet)). If you have -a specific question, there's a decent chance you'll get an answer from a human -if you post it in r/nalbinding. - -[Ravelry](https://www.ravelry.com/) is a website for fiber art. Unfortunately -they've never added support for a `nalbinding` tag, so nalbinders have to mistag -their work as knitting or crochet, but there *is* a [Nalbinders on -Ravelry](https://www.ravelry.com/groups/nalbinders-on-ravelry) group on the site -that still has occasional activity. I like scrolling through the projects in -that group for inspiration. - -I've mentioned a few YouTube channels already, but searching for "nalbinding" or -"needlebinding" on YouTube will give you many more. - -And finally, not everything has to be contained on a social media platform. -Search the web for nalbinding and you'll still find personal websites sharing -their niche interests, keeping the dream of the early internet alive. diff -r e23e9a644467 -r abb0a177b453 content/blog/2026/09/learning-nalbinding.markdown --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/content/blog/2026/09/learning-nalbinding.markdown Tue Sep 01 17:09:35 2026 -0400 @@ -0,0 +1,787 @@ +(:title "Learning Nalbinding" + :snip "What I wish I knew when I started learning my first fiber art." + :date "2026-09-01T21:05:00Z" + :draft nil) + +Off and on over the past year or so I've been learning [nalbinding][nalbinding] +(also called "needlebinding" and a lot of other things), a fiber art which +predates knitting by thousands of years. It's been a very rewarding, relaxing, +and cozy hobby (especially in the winter months), but it's not nearly as popular +as knitting or crochet so it can be difficult to find good resources to learn +from. Here are a couple of videos that show what it looks like, to give you an +idea: + +* +* +* + +In this post I'm going to describe how I learned, some of the things I've made, +and generally just write down all the things I wish I could have told myself +a year ago when I was starting out. There are a lot of other great resources +out there, so you should search around for those too if you're interested. This +is all just what happened to work well for me. + +[nalbinding]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A5lebinding + +
+ +## Why Learn Nalbinding? + +I first heard of nalbinding when my partner and I visited the [Eiríksstaðir +museum][museum] in Iceland. I never had any exposure to knitting or crochet at +all when I was growing up as a boy in rural Pennsylvania in the 80's and 90's, +so I had certainly never heard of nalbinding either. + +[museum]: https://www.eiriksstadir.is/ + +A few months later I found myself wanting to make her a gift that would keep her +warm, and remembered our visit. She's experienced at knitting and crochet, so +I didn't want to just make her a worse version of something she could have made +herself. But she had never learned nalbinding, so I decided to give it at try +and see if I could make something. + +In hindsight, I think I may have been primed to become interested in nalbinding +by reading Bob Nystrom's [Consider Knitting][] article a few months before our +trip. A lot of what he wrote resonated with me, especially around the tactile +experience of making something. I've done some bookbinding in the past and +really enjoy the process of making something physical with slow, steady forward +progress, watching a tidy collection of materials on my workbench take shape +into something over the course of a few weeks or months. But knitting itself +seemed very overwhelming to dive into from scratch, with so many different sizes +and shapes of needles, so many different patterns, yarns, styles of knitting, +and such. So while I very much appreciated what he was describing, it all +seemed very unapproachable to me, especially as someone who looks and feels very +out of place in a yarn store and didn't feel comfortable joining an in-person +class. So when I heard about nalbinding and started looking into it, it seemed +like a great way to scratch the same itch that he was describing, but didn't +seem quite as overwhelming. + +[Consider Knitting]: https://journal.stuffwithstuff.com/2025/05/30/consider-knitting/ + +Much like I imagine knitting would be, nalbinding has been a very cozy activity +for me, especially during the winter months in a cold climate. Once you get +a little experience it's very relaxing to be able to make something while you're +spending time with people, watching a movie, listening to an audiobook or +podcast, or traveling as a passenger. There are also a few other reasons you +might decide to pick up nalbinding over knitting/crochet even if you don't have +a partner that already knows how to do those. + +Nalbound items are generally very warm, because they're usually made with +relatively thick wool. I've always lived in cold places (the northeastern US +and Reykjavík) so I can appreciate this. + +Nalbinding is also very durable. Unlike knitting, it won't unravel if a piece +of the yarn breaks. You can even *cut a piece of nalbinding work in half with +scissors* and the halves *still* won't unravel, which some people exploit to +make a large sheet of fabric easily by making a cylinder and cutting it along +the long edge. I wanted to make things I could wear without having to worry too +much about damaging them, so the extra durability was really great for my peace +of mind. + +Unlike knitting, nalbinding (usually) uses your thumb as a gauge to determine +the width of the stitches. Everyone's thumb is a different size, which means my +stitches will be a different size than yours. Because of this, nalbinders don't +usually work from a fixed pattern like you often see in knitting, but you just +sort of learn the basics, come up with a general plan for the thing you want to +make and then… wing it, figuring out the specifics as you go. This might sound +intimidating, but I've personally found it very freeing to not have to follow +a fixed pattern. I imagine that if I tried to follow I pattern I'd be +constantly worried about messing it up and having to undo a ton of work to make +it "correct", and that once I finished I'd inevitably compare my result to the +pattern-maker's original and be unsatisfied. + +The barrier to entry for nalbinding is, equipment-wise, almost *comically* low. +You can try it out with a popsicle stick, a ball of yarn, your thumbs, and +nothing else. There are a few other things that are nice to have that you might +want to get if you decide you like it and want to continue, but you really don't +need much to get started. Maybe this is why it appeared so early in humanity's +history. + +Speaking of history, nalbinding has been around for *thousands* of years (e.g. +the Wikipedia page above mentions that an early fragment was found from 6500 +BCE) and has been done by humans all over the world. I personally found it +really very satisfying to learn an art that our species has been doing for +millennia. Unlike the rest of this blog (which is mostly about computer +programming), nalbinding gives me a sense of being connected to a *much* longer +chain of humanity. If I were somehow transported back in time eight thousand +years, I could pick up a needle and nalbind alongside someone without too much +fuss, which I personally find pretty cool. + +Since then I've made a bunch more things for my partner and myself, and I'm +looking forward to making a lot more this winter. I think it's a really fun and +interesting art that anyone can learn, even if you weren't already taught how to +knit or crochet as a kid, you don't have access to someone to teach you +in-person, and you don't feel comfortable joining an in-person class. + +## Getting Started + +You really don't need a lot of things to get started with nalbinding, just: + +* A needle +* Yarn +* Videos to learn from +* An idea to make + +There's a pretty good chance that all of these are available near you right now +if you know what to look for, so if you read this and it sounds exciting you can +probably gather what you need and be trying your first nalbinding in just a few +hours! + +### Getting or Making a Needle + +A typical nalbinding needle is a long (3-4 inches / 8-10 cm), wide (0.25-0.5 +inches / 0.5-1 cm), blunt needle, usually made of wood, bone, horn, or plastic, +with a large hole at the end for yarn to go through. Here's a picture of (most +of) the needles I've collected over the past year: + +[![My collection of nalbinding needles](/static/images/blog/2026/09/thumbs/my-needles.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/my-needles.jpg) + +Collecting needles is fun, but you really only need one. 90% of everything I've +made has been with one of the two needles on top, which are my favorite ones. +I'll talk about where to get this kind of needle later (and how to customize it +to make it even better) but you can actually get started with something even +simpler: buying a tapestry needle or making your own. + +#### Starting with a Tapestry Needle + +I personally got started with this metal needle which was under $1 at a local +shop: + +[![The first needle I used: a tapestry needle](/static/images/blog/2026/09/thumbs/tapestry-needle.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/tapestry-needle.jpg) + +You'll be able to find something like it at any craft store, it'll probably be +called something like a "tapestry needle" or a "darning needle" or a "yarn +needle". You want something relatively long, blunt, straight, and with as large +a hole as possible. You might also be able to find some that are plastic +— I found this package of two in the (very tiny) crafts section of a Meijer +grocery store for $2: + +[![A 2-pack of plastic tapestry needles](/static/images/blog/2026/09/thumbs/plastic-needles.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/plastic-needles.jpg) + +A tapestry needle is a really easy to get and cheap way to get started. And +honestly… it's *surprisingly* effective for nalbinding even though it looks very +different from a real nalbinding needle. You could use one of these to nalbind +an entire piece and I don't think it would feel too bad at all. + +Do **not**, however, attempt to use a *sewing* needle for nalbinding! Sewing +needles are much too thin, too short, too pointy, and the eyes are far too +small for the yarn you'll use. Then only thing a sewing needle will help with +is stabbing yourself. + +#### Making Your Own Needle + +Another option is to make your own needle. This is a little more work, but will +probably work a little bit better than a tapestry needle because it'll be closer +in shape to a real nalbinding needle. For this you'll need a popsicle stick, +some sandpaper, and either a drill or a knife to make the eye. + +You can get sandpaper from any hardware store if you don't already have some. +If you want to get a single grit then 220 grit will work for this, but I'd +recommend buying a variety pack so you'll have a bunch of different grits (grit +is how rough the sandpaper is, lower grit means rougher). + +You can either buy some popsicle sticks from a craft store (cheap and easy, but +you'll probably have to buy way more than you need) or buy some actual popsicles +from a grocery store and eat one to get the stick (tasty, but you'll have to +wash off the sugar). If you can't get a popsicle stick you can even start with +an actual stick from a tree instead and carve it down to size with a knife. + +Either way, once you've got a popsicle stick you'll want to make a hole in one +end with a drill or (very carefully) using a knife tip to manually drill a hole. +Use some sandpaper to enlarge and smooth the hole into an eye, then trim down +and shape the rest of the needle with the knife/sandpaper until it's +approximately the right size and shape: + +* Aim for about 3.5 inches (9 cm) long. Different people like different sized + needles (I prefer longer needles myself), but you won't know what you prefer + until you've learned a bit and made a few things. 3.5 inches is a good middle + ground, just start there for now. +* Don't make the tip *too* thin and/or pointy, because that'll make it more + likely to accidentally split the yarn later. +* Once you've got it shaped, use sandpaper to make sure it's smooth all over + (including inside the eye!) so it won't snag the yarn. + +The process should look something like this. The third one is the finished +popsicle-stick nalbinding needle, which I used to make the swatch at the bottom. + +[![Popsicle sticks being turned into nalbinding needles](/static/images/blog/2026/09/thumbs/popsicles.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/popsicles.jpg) + +### Buying Yarn + +Once you've got a needle, the only other physical item you need is some yarn to +make something out of. Nalbinding needs pretty specific yarn, so you'll +probably want to try to find a local yarn store to buy from. It's likely +that the small selection at somewhere like Target won't have what you need. + +You can order online, of course, but that can take longer to ship and it's +harder to judge the look (and impossible to judge the feel) through a screen. +I'd recommend trying to find a yarn store somewhere near you that you can +physically go to so you can see and touch the yarn in person. Just search for +"yarn store" on your preferred maps website, you'll probably be able to find one +that's not too far away. + +Unfortunately, walking into a yarn store as someone who's never had any exposure +to knitting or crochet is… intimidating. I'll try to give you enough basics +here to get in, find what you need to get started nalbinding, and get out +without too much stress. + +A unit of yarn is called a "skein" (rhymes with "stain"). Usually they'll be +around 100 grams of yarn, but this can vary. Just try to get one or two skeins +for now. If you end up sticking with the hobby you'll find yourself with more +yarn than you know what to do with before long. + +#### Yarn Sizing + +Nalbinding generally works better with larger yarn, especially when you're first +starting out. You might think that yarn sizes in the shop would be organized by +something like "the diameter of the yarn in mm", but unfortunately they're +probably not. Some typical yarn sizes are, in order (roughly) from thinnest to +thickest: + +* Lace +* Fingering +* Sock +* Sport +* DK +* Worsted +* Arran +* Chunky or Bulky +* Super Chunky or Super Bulky +* Jumbo + +The classification of any particular yarn isn't based on a single number like +diameter, but rather some combination of diameter, density, and overall feel. +These are rough categories, and a yarn that one company calls worsted might +actually be smaller than another company's arran (especially if it's denser), +which is why it's very helpful to go to the store and *look* at the yarn in +person. + +When you're getting started nalbinding you'll want a relatively large yarn, +preferably about the diameter of a pencil, so you can more easily see what +you're doing and it'll hold itself together more securely. Start at the bulky +section of the yarn store and look around from there to find one that's roughly +that size. + +#### Yarn Material + +Yarn can be made of different kinds of fibers like wool, cotton, linen, silk, +polyester, etc. When you first start nalbinding you'll want to get 100% wool +yarn because that's the kind that will most easily join together by felting +(you'll see what "felting" is in the videos below). There are ways to nalbind +with other yarns by joining in different ways, but don't try to start learning +on hard mode. Just trust me and get 100% wool for your first attempts. + +One more thing to look out for: **do not** get "superwash" wool. Superwash is +a process that modifies wool in several ways to make it more machine washable. +One of the results is that superwash wool is harder to felt, which is why we're +buying wool in the first place. If you're looking at a yarn and the fiber +content on the labels says something like "superwash merino", put it back. +Don't try to learn on hard mode. + +#### Yarn Colors + +Yarn comes in a lot of different colors. It will be easiest to start with +a lighter-colored yarn because it'll be easier to see the individual stitches, +but get a color you at least think looks halfway decent. Neon orange is easy to +see but if you hate how it looks you're not going to enjoy the process of +learning and be motivated to continue. + +You'll also probably notice that some yarns in the store are a single color and +some other yarns have many different colors mixed together, like this: + +[![Variegated vs Single-Color Yarn](/static/images/blog/2026/09/thumbs/yarn-colors.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/yarn-colors.jpg) + +Those mixed ones like the one on the top are called variegated and are great to +start with as a beginner because they'll make it even easier to see the +boundaries between stitches: if two threads next to each other have different +colors it's easier to tell them apart. I personally think a lot of variegated +yarn tends to look a bit tacky, but there *are* some tasteful ones out there +too. So if you see a variegated yarn that you think looks good, and it checks +all the other necessary boxes, definitely go for it! + +#### Yarn Ply + +Yarns can be made of a single spun strand (called a ply), or have two or more +strands (plies) twisted together to form the main body of the yarn. When you're +first starting out nalbinding you'll ideally want a single-ply yarn. Multiple +plies will make it more confusing when you're trying to see where your stitches +are. It's not the end of the world if you have to use a 2- or 3-ply yarn (my +first project used 2-ply), but try for 1-ply if possible to make your life +easier. + +#### Winding + +When you finally have the yarn you're looking for and walk up to the cash +register to buy it, they might ask you if you want them to wind it for you. If +you're like me, you'll look down at the ball of yarn that already looks +perfectly wound and say "uh, sure?". + +Here's what you need to know about the whole "winding" thing. Skeins of yarn in +the shop are generally going to be sitting on the shelf loosely wound, often in +either a ball shape or twisted into a more horizontal hank shape: + +[![Examples of unwound yarn skeins](/static/images/blog/2026/09/thumbs/yarn-winding.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/yarn-winding.jpg) + +Both of these are loosely-wrapped, which is great for shipping and storage +because it puts less tension on the yarn. But when you're actually going to +*use* the yarn, you'll want to be able to grab one end and pull to cleanly drag +some yarn off the skein, and this is hard to do without tangling when it's in +the original loosely-packed form. When the shop winds the yarn for you, they +wind it up so that it'll pull cleanly and easily off as you're working. You can +(and should) learn to wind your yarn by hand yourself eventually, but they'll be +able to do it for you much cleaner and faster with the machine in the store. So +the general rules are: + +1. If you're buying yarn that you're going to just keep on hand but not going to *use* for a while, leave it unwound to avoid putting unnecessary stress on the fibers. +2. If you're going to use it immediately, you may as well let them wind it for you. +3. Once the yarn is wound you can't return it, so if you might not need it then definitely *don't* wind it. + +Another useful thing to know: when pulling from a wound ball of yarn, you pull +the end of the yarn coming from the *inside* of the ball, not the end on the +outside. I don't know if this is supposed to be obvious, but it certainly +wasn't obvious to me for my first few months until someone finally told me. + +#### Please Just Tell Me What Yarn To Buy Already + +Summing up the above, you want a yarn that satisfies (in rough order of importance): + +* Fiber content: 100% non-superwash wool. +* Size: large, roughly the diameter of a pencil or a bit smaller (probably "bulky" or "super bulky"). +* Ply: ideally single-ply. +* Color: A bright color you don't hate, ideally variegated if you can find one you like. +* Let them wind if for you if they ask. + +Here are some actual examples that I've used and would say would be good for +a beginner: + +* [Woolstok North](https://blueskyfibers.com/product/woolstok-north/) +* [Malabrigo Rasta](https://malabrigoyarn.com/yarns/rasta) + +### Other Useful Tidbits + +A small cup of water will come in handy if you don't want to spit in your hands +to join lengths of yarn together later. + +If you have some safety pins, those will also come in handy when you want to +mark places in your work. Be careful: yarn shops will sell "stitch markers" +which sound like a thing that would be perfect for this, but there are two kinds +of stitch markers and only one of them will actually work for nalbinding: + +* The kind that open and close, which are basically just smaller safety pins. + These are great, feel free to buy a pack if you want. +* The kind that are just a fixed circle and do not open or close. **These do + not work for nalbinding**, they're for knitting. Do not buy these. + +### How to Learn + +At this point you should have: + +* A needle +* A skein of yarn or two +* (Optional) safety pins for marking stitches +* (Optional if you don't mind being gross) a cup of water to avoid needing to spit on your hands + +One of the first nalbinding videos I found useful is [this tutorial from +Valkyrja](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMbCEQ9xQg4) because it shows all the +steps from start to finish. Watch that video, and if you want to dive right in +an give it a try immediately, go ahead. + +I liked that tutorial to get an overview of how the process was supposed to +work, but I had a few difficulties following it: + +* The dark-colored yarn and wide-angle view make it a little hard to see what's + going on. +* The beginning figure-eight loop is fast if you know how to do it, but is + really tricky to get the hang of (at least for me). I still don't use this + method of starting. +* The initial chain she creates is very clean, because she's experienced. Your + first attempt is probably going to look like a slinky that went through + a washing machine. There are some things you can do to make it cleaner, which + will make the whole process easier. + +I spent a lot of time watching nalbinding videos by various people, and none of +them really clicked with my brain until I found [Happy +Needlebinding](https://www.youtube.com/@happyneedlebinding) on YouTube. His +videos are a joy because they break things down clearly, simply, slowly, and +(importantly for me) he doesn't assume you already know how to knit or crochet. +Scroll through his catalog of videos (the basic tutorials are some of the oldest +videos) and watch a few and I think you'll find them very helpful. There were +a few things in particular from his videos that really helped take me from "this +is a struggle, I don't know if I'm going to be able to do this" to "wow, this +hobby is actually kind of fun and relaxing". + +First was how he starts his work by using a single overhand knot as a loop and +then builds the extra loops he needs to start one at a time, instead of using +the figure-eight trick to do everything in one fast (but inscrutable) step. +This is a little slower, but you only have to start each piece once, so compared +to the total time you spend making something it really doesn't matter, and +I find it much easier to keep track of each loop when I make them one by one. + +As he's starting out the first few loops, you'll see him tidy up the back of the +chain after he does every stitch. You technically don't really *have* to do +this because it'll eventually work itself out once you start joining onto it +(and with enough practice). But when you're first starting out, even getting to +a point of having enough clean stitches to continue with is a struggle, so +tidying up as you make each stitch really helps keep things clean and legible. +If you're finding your initial chains are looking rough, maybe give this a try. + +Also note how he uses his thumb, index, *and middle* finger of his left hand to +manage the needle. He explains this in one of his videos and [on his +website](https://needlebinding.com/arboga-stich/) where he shows how he uses +those three fingers to guide the needle like a drill holding onto a drill bit, +and that one analogy was what suddenly made the whole process feel comfortable +to me instead of a struggle. After watching so many tutorials where someone +guided the needle with two fingers (never explaining why) and feeling like I was +having to squeeze the needle tightly to keep control, trying the three-finger +drill-bit approach was incredibly helpful and relaxing. I can nalbind for an +hour or more at a time and my hands don't ache at the end when I hold the needle +like this. + +### Stitches + +If you start searching around online for nalbinding resources you'll quickly +discover that there are many, many, *many* different stitches you can use. It's +easy to get choice paralysis and not know what to try, or to think you always +need to be trying a new stitch. + +The simplest stitch that most nalbinding tutorials use is Oslo stitch, or "1+1 +F1" (you'll learn the notation later). If you start looking into the history of +nalbinding and the artifacts that have been found you'll probably notice that +a suspiciously high number of them happen to use Oslo stitch too. So for your +first few projects, just use Oslo stitch. It's simple and effective and works +great. You can try other stitches later, but just start with Oslo and don't +worry about it for now. + +### What to Make + +You'll want to start by making a few chains of 20-30 stitches just to get the +general motion into your hands. These are going to look like hell, but that's +okay, just try to perform all the steps slowly and cleanly until they start to +feel a little less weird. Put them in a box and look at them in a year to see +how far you've come. + +After that, my main piece of advice is this: + +**Make one thing that you actually want.** + +There are two important points here: + +* Make something you *actually want*, so you have motivation to do it. +* Make *one single thing*. + +Many nalbinding tutorials violate this advice by using something like a pair of +handwarmers as a first nalbinding project. Handwarmers lend themselves well to +nalbinding because they have a simple, cylindrical structure, but they were +never great for me because they violate both points of my advice: + +1. I never wear handwarmers, and if I made a pair I would never wear them, so + I had no motivation to make them. +2. Handwarmers come in pairs, which means that once you make the first one you + now need to make a second one, identical to the first if you want it to look + decent. Making two identical items is a skill of its own that you can and + should learn at some point, but don't start learning on hard mode. + +So for your first project, pick something that works as a single object and that +you actually *want* (or, if it's a gift, that the recipient actually wants). +I'll show some examples of things I've made next, but something like a simple +hat or a small scarf might be good places to start. + +## Examples of Things I've Made + +Here are a few of the things I've made so far. If you have questions or want +more details about any of them feel free to let me know! + +### Hats + +The first two full projects I made were two hats for my partner. I used Oslo +stitch 1+1 F1 for the first one, with (in hindsight) some relatively small +thread in a single color: + +[![My first nalbound hat](/static/images/blog/2026/09/hat-1.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/hat-1.jpg) + +For the second hat I used 1+1 F2 with some chunkier thread, splicing in +a different color every time I had to join to make a more colorful hat: + +[![My second nalbound hat](/static/images/blog/2026/09/hat-2.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/hat-2.jpg) + +Some time later I made another hat (this one for myself) to match the scarf +you'll see shortly: + +[![My third nalbound hat](/static/images/blog/2026/09/hat-3.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/hat-3.jpg) + +### Scarves + +So far I've made two scarves. The first scarf was inspired by (well, let's be +honest, copied from) [this scarf][scarf1] on Ravelry. I used the same wool +(Woolstok Worsted), layout, and stitch (Dalarna) as they did. The result has +a few mistakes, but it turned out well enough to wear and I'm pretty happy with +it. + +[scarf1]: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/SouthSoundFiber/dalarna-scarf + +[![My first nalbound scarf](/static/images/blog/2026/09/scarf-1.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/scarf-1.jpg) + +The other scarf I've made was inspired by my trip home for the holidays last +year, when I drove through central Pennsylvania. The fir trees along the side +of the road were covered in snow and it was quite beautiful, so I wanted to make +a scarf whose colors remind me of snow-covered fir trees. I used Dalarna stitch +again, this time with Woolstok Tweed wool. + +[![My second nalbound scarf](/static/images/blog/2026/09/scarf-2.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/scarf-2.jpg) + +I love the wool, but the result is a little chunky for my taste (especially when +folded in half to wear as a typical men's scarf). I'll have to experiment a bit +more here. + +### Kobo Case + +I recently replaced my aging Kindle with a Kobo eReader. I wanted a case to +protect it when I slip it into my backpack/carry on bag, so I used some chunky +yarn to nalbind one that fits it perfectly: + +[![My nalbound Kobo case](/static/images/blog/2026/09/kobo-case.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/kobo-case.jpg) + +(Side note: I've been very happy with the Kobo, give them a look if you're in +the market for a Kindle replacement.) + +### Snake + +The most complicated thing I've made is probably this stuffed snake for my +partner. She has an albino corn snake (appropriately named "Popcorn") as a pet, +so I wanted to make her a stuffed version as a gift: + +[![A nalbound snake](/static/images/blog/2026/09/snake.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/snake.jpg) + +I used Lopi Alafosslopi wool for this, but in hindsight a thicker yarn would +have worked even better. I used Dalarna stitch to make the outside smooth, with +the ridges on the inside where you can't see them. It's stuffed with +a combination of glass aquarium beads (for weight), linen scraps, and stuffing +from the craft store. + +I used the two-needle method to make the yellow spots. This worked great when +the yellow yarn was in front, but unfortunately the thinness of the yarn meant +that when the *white* yarn was in front you could see bits of the yellow through +the fabric. So what I ended up doing was just cutting the yellow off after each +section was done and leaving the ends of the yellow yarn dangling inside, which +isn't a problem since it's a closed shape. I think I'll need to get some more +practice with the two-needle color work method before I make something where +both sides are exposed. + +## Going Further + +Once you've made one or two small things and have the basic motion in your +hands, the nalbinding world is your oyster. There's lots of different +directions you can go and lots of things to learn. + +### Working with Yarn + +Yarn, especially wool yarn, is a really interesting material. I found a video +on YouTube called [The Insane Geometry of Your Clothes][insane geometry] that +was really helpful to me in understanding it a little better, especially the +animation starting at 2:12 where he explains why yarn gets stronger when it's +spun or twisted. + +[insane geometry]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncoMYGFXmEs + +Before I saw this video I had seen many nalbinding videos where the person would +say "break the new piece of yarn off of the skein", but sometimes I would find +it very hard to tear a piece of yarn off of the ball and I didn't know why. +Watching that video (specifically the part starting at 2:12) makes the solution +to my problem clear: if you untwist the yarn first it turns the helix of strands +(stronger) into parallel strands (weaker), making it easier to break. + +### A Nicer Needle + +If you decide you like nalbinding and want to do it more, you'll probably want +to get a more suitable needle for yourself. You can find people selling +nalbinding needles on Etsy. I've bought a few needles from [Lykos +Leather][lykos] and [Snyder Spindles][snyder] on Etsy and have been happy with +them for the price. For the price of one skein of yarn you can easily get one +or two bone, horn, or wood needles of different lengths and experiment to see +what you prefer. + +[lykos]: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LykosLeather?search_query=nalbinding +[snyder]: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SnyderSpindles?search_query=nalbinding + +It's worth noting that when you buy a nalbinding needle from a shop on Etsy for +a pretty cheap price (in the $10 range) it will come in a state that's maybe +a little rougher than you expect. It might not be perfectly symmetrical, there +may be some rough edges (especially inside the eye), and so on. I think this is +pretty reasonable for a $10 purchase, and it gives you an opportunity to +customize your needle a bit yourself. Creating and modifying my own tools is +one the joys of crafting for me (which explains why I love programming so much), +so I had a fun couple of evenings turning some basic needles into needles that +are *mine* and are just how I like them. Just remember to wear a mask when +you're sanding, especially if your needle is bone or horn — you probably don't +want to be breathing in bone dust. + +One helpful resource for this was [this video from Valhalla +Ironworks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvmsRZC5bLc) about making +a nalbinding needle from scratch, specifically the parts where he explains why +there's a notch in the back of the needle (to provide extra relief for the +folded yarn). Both of my favorite needles have this relief notch in the back, +which I added using sandpaper wrapped around a small metal rod. It's a small +thing, but it really does help the yarn glide more smoothly through the loops +(especially thicker yarn) and it makes them feel like *mine*. + +### Other Helpful Things + +While a needle and yarn is all you really *need* for nalbinding, there are a few +other little inexpensive things you can pick up that will provide some +easy quality-of-life improvements. Here are a few that I've found useful. + +I picked up a small spray bottle for the water I use for felting. This is quick +and easy to use (2-3 sprays on the ends is enough to felt them nicely) and it's +easy to carry around without worrying that it'll leak. + +[![Spray bottle](/static/images/blog/2026/09/spray-bottle.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/spray-bottle.jpg) + +When felting the ends together to join them, all the tutorials will say to "play +with the ends a bit" or "tease the ends apart" to fray them, so the fibers of +both strands can intermingle better. I find this difficult for some yarns, +probably because I keep my fingernails very short. My partner saw this and got +me a little metal comb that's designed to be a hair brush cleaner, but works +great for combing apart the ends of yarn. It does pull out some of the strands +in the process, but that's actually a *good* thing: you want the ends to be +a little thinner than the actual yarn because you overlap them to felt them, so +if they're full thickness the felt point will be a thicker bump in the finished +work. The comb works great, and it's tiny and really easy to carry around. + +[![Hairbrush cleaner, repurposed as felting comb](/static/images/blog/2026/09/yarn-comb.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/yarn-comb.jpg) + +When shaping things with nalbinding you'll need to increase or decrease after +a certain number of stitches (e.g. "do 6 normal stitches and then increase"). +Eventually you'll be able to do stitches fast enough that you can just count +them out without getting lost, but when I was first learning I often struggled +with individual stitches enough that I would lose count of how many I had done +since the last increase. I solved this by adding a 12-sided die (called a "d12" +by D&D players) to my nalbinding kit, so I could put it on the table and rotate +the number every stitch, moving it back to 1 after the increase. You can get +a d12 at any local tabletop game store (though if you're reading this blog I bet +the odds are pretty high that there's already one in your house somewhere). +A d20 would work just as well, I've just never needed to count that high when +nalbinding yet. + +As I mentioned earlier you can use standard safety pins for stitch markers, but +you can also buy slightly more compact ones in a yarn shop. I keep a little +pill case that has a few of them and my d12 in my kit. + +[![d12 and stitch markers](/static/images/blog/2026/09/die-and-markers.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/die-and-markers.jpg) + +Most nalbinding tutorials will tell you to tear or break lengths of yarn off the +ball instead of cutting it cleanly, which will help it felt better. But if you +have the little comb I mentioned earlier you don't really need to do that, and +some yarn is kind of hard to tear even when you know the secret of untwisting +it. I got this little yarn cutter thing from my local yarn store which works +great and is small and safe to carry (the blades are very well shielded by the +metal fob). Alternatively you could get a pair of embroidery shears, which are +often in the shape of a pretty bird, but are a little bulkier and are more +likely to raise questions if you try to carry them on a plane. + +[![Yarn cutter and embroidery shears](/static/images/blog/2026/09/yarn-cutters.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/yarn-cutters.jpg) + +When you finish a project you'll want to weave the final end of the yarn back +into the nalbinding so it doesn't hang loose. I picked up a cheap little +crochet hook for a couple of bucks which I've found helpful for pulling the yarn +back through the loops. + +[![Crochet hook for weaving in the end yarn](/static/images/blog/2026/09/crochet-hook.jpg)](/static/images/blog/2026/09/full/crochet-hook.jpg) + +And finally, once you've gotten a bunch of these little things you'll want some +kind of bag to hold them all in. I use a pencil bag, but anything that makes you +happy will work! + +### Stitches + +Once you've done a few projects you'll probably be itching to try one of these +other stitches you've heard about. Give it a shot and experiment! I personally +love the Dalarna stitch because of how asymmetrical the sides are: all the +excess bulk of the yarn is shunted off to one side, leaving the other side very +flat. I really like it for scarves, because when you fold the scarf in half to +wear it with the ridges on the inside they interlock and hold the scarf together +really well. + +If you haven't already, when you start searching for nalbinding resources on the +internet you'll almost certainly run into [Neulakintaat][], which is probably +the most extensive nalbinding resource around. Once you're comfortable with the +basics of nalbinding and doing Oslo stitch fluently, check out her videos to see +how to do many, *many* more kinds of stitch. I found those videos difficult to +understand as a complete beginner, but now that I've learned more I find myself +turning to them if I need to remember how to do a particular stitch or want to +quickly see how a new stitch is done. + +[Neulakintaat]: https://www.en.neulakintaat.fi/ + +### Multiple Colors + +Working with a single color of yarn is fine, but before long you'll probably be +wanting to incorporate multiple colors into the things you make. There are +a couple of ways you can do this, some of which are more complex than others. + +If you're making an object with multiple rows (like the scarves I showed above) +you can simply use a different color of yarn for different rows. I find it +helpful to plan out the rows in advance using a spreadsheet, but you can also +just wing it if you want. I generally try to either make something perfectly +symmetrical or avoid repetition altogether, but experiment and see what works +for you. + +You can also add multiple colors to a piece by swapping yarns when you splice in +a new length. Happy Needlebinding's videos show many great examples of this +style, and the second hat I showed uses this technique. It can take a little +bit of planning when you tear off a new length of yarn to try to avoid creating +large rivers of color in the work, but with some practice you'll get the hang of +it. + +You might be wondering if you can do something like the fancy colorwork you see +in knitted things like sweaters, to create more complicated designs than the +basic "a new color starts where the old length ran out". The short answer is +yes, but the results will probably not be as detailed as you could have achieved +with knitting. You can use multiple needles at once to keep separate colored +threads running and swap between them to bring a particular color to the +foreground as you go. I used this technique to make the yellow rings in the +snake I showed earlier, and found [this +video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN-vqJTTEY8) and [this +video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5p1dzGcblM) useful when I was figuring +out how to do it. It's not quite as detailed as you can get with the fine yarn +and needles you would use for knitting, but you can still make pretty things +with it, and it's really fun once you get the hang of it, so give it a try! + +## Communities + +Before I go, I wanted to point you at some of the communities I've found online +for Nalbinding. These days nalbinding is mostly a small, weird hobby, but one +of the dreams of the early internet was to allow people with small, weird +hobbies to find each other. Despite the direction the internet has taken in the +past decade or two that dream still hasn't been completely stamped out, and +there are a couple of places to find other nalbinders online. + +The most popular place to talk about nalbinding online these days is probably +a Facebook group. I'm sure you can find the nalbinding group on there if you +search, but I'm not going to link it here because of I don't want to support +anything related to Facebook. + +As an alternative, Reddit's [r/nalbinding](https://www.reddit.com/r/Nalbinding/) +is relatively active (and Reddit isn't as awful as Facebook (yet)). If you have +a specific question, there's a decent chance you'll get an answer from a human +if you post it in r/nalbinding. + +[Ravelry](https://www.ravelry.com/) is a website for fiber art. Unfortunately +they've never added support for a `nalbinding` tag, so nalbinders have to mistag +their work as knitting or crochet, but there *is* a [Nalbinders on +Ravelry](https://www.ravelry.com/groups/nalbinders-on-ravelry) group on the site +that still has occasional activity. I like scrolling through the projects in +that group for inspiration. + +I've mentioned a few YouTube channels already, but searching for "nalbinding" or +"needlebinding" on YouTube will give you many more. + +And finally, not everything has to be contained on a social media platform. +Search the web for nalbinding and you'll still find personal websites like +[Happy Needlebinding][], [Neulakintaat][], [Nalbound][], +[Väkerrystä][vakerrysta], and [Shy Red Fox][]. The dream of the early internet +is still alive and won't die unless we let it. + +[Happy Needlebinding]: https://needlebinding.com/ +[Shy Red Fox]: https://shyredfox.notion.site/shyredfox-crafts-blog +[Nalbound]: https://nalbound.com/ +[vakerrysta]: https://vakerrysta.blogspot.com/ diff -r e23e9a644467 -r abb0a177b453 generate.lisp --- a/generate.lisp Sun Aug 30 21:12:04 2026 -0400 +++ b/generate.lisp Tue Sep 01 17:09:35 2026 -0400 @@ -240,8 +240,7 @@ (:footer (:nav (:a :href "https://github.com/sjl/" "GitHub") - " ・ " (:a :href "https://mastodon.social/@sjl" "Mastodon") - " ・ " (:a :href "https://instagram.com/thirtytwobirds/" "Instagram"))))) + " ・ " (:a :href "https://mastodon.social/@sjl" "Mastodon"))))) (defun t/base (title page-id body) (who diff -r e23e9a644467 -r abb0a177b453 static/images/blog/2026/09/crochet-hook.jpg Binary file static/images/blog/2026/09/crochet-hook.jpg has changed diff -r e23e9a644467 -r abb0a177b453 static/images/blog/2026/09/die-and-markers.jpg Binary 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