# HG changeset patch # User Steve Losh # Date 1788051585 14400 # Node ID afd5ed4f91a8ef1ab40468c0a43723a412e55883 # Parent 5440f8e3a06c89e37a717fa547650bcb8ab277ad Start nalbinding post diff -r 5440f8e3a06c -r afd5ed4f91a8 content/blog/2026/08/learning-nalbinding.markdown --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/content/blog/2026/08/learning-nalbinding.markdown Sat Aug 29 20:59:45 2026 -0400 @@ -0,0 +1,546 @@ +(:title "Learning Nalbinding" + :snip "What I wish I knew when I started learning my first fiber art." + :date "2026-08-29T20:15:00Z" + :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)). Nalbinding is a very +old fiber art which predates knitting by thousands of years. In modern times +it's not nearly as popular as knitting or crochet, so it can be difficult to +find good resources to learn from. + +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 just starting out. There are a lot of other great +resources out there, so you should search those out 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, figure out 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 (4-6 inches, X-Ycm), 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. 95% 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 4-5 inches 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. 4-5in 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 expect that yarn sizes in the shop are organized by +something like "the width of the yarn in mm", but unfortunately they're almost +certainly not. Some typical yarn sizes (at least here in the US) are, in order +(roughly) from thinnest to thickest: + +* Lace +* Fingering +* Sock +* Sport +* DK +* Worsted +* Arran +* Chunky or Bulky +* Super Chunky or Super Bulky +* Jumbo + +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). + +When you're getting started nalbinding you'll want a relatively large yarn, +preferably about the width 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, e.g.: 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 make sure to 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, e.g.: + +[![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 store, and 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 *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): + +* 100% wool, non-superwash +* Large size (probably "bulky" or "super bulky") +* Single ply +* A bright color you don't hate, ideally variegated if you 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 felt 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 pieces (e.g. where a row begins). 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 + shown 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**. + +[![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 can'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 single (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 it's +much easier to keep track of each loop if you 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 helped me keep things +clean and legible when I was first starting out. 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*. +There are two important points here: + +* Make something you actually want, so you have some real 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 hat or +a small scarf might be good places to start. + +## Examples of Things I've Made + +### Hats + +Sarah hat 1 + +Sarah hat 2 + +my hat to match scarf + +### Scarves + +first dalarna scarf + +fir tree scarf + +### Kobo Holder + +kobo holder + +### Snake + +popcorn + +## Going Further + +### Working with Yarn + +Yarn, specifically wool yarn, is a really interesting material. I'd found the +following two videos really helpful in understanding how and why wool behaves +how it does: + +TODO This video was really useful to 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 makes the solution clear: if you untwist +the yarn first it turns the helix of strands (stronger) into parallel strands +(weaker), making it easier to break. + +TODO This video helped me understand what the magical "felting" process is +actually doing + +felting video + +### A Nicer Needle + +Where to buy on etsy + +making improvements + +video about needle structure + +### Other Helpful Things + +Spray bottle + +Hair brush cleaner + +d12 for stitch counting + +stitch markers + +yarn cutter/scissors + +crochet hook to pull ends through + +bag to hold tools in + +### Stitches + +I like Dalarna + +### Yarns + +Visit the yarn store + +### Multiple Colors in Parallel + +multiple colors just by joining new ones + +multiple needle video from neulakintaat + +how well it works (i.e. how well-hidden the background color is) depends on the stitch and yarn + +never going to be as good as knitting + +## Communities + +Reddit + +Ravelry + +Facebook + +