# HG changeset patch # User Steve Losh # Date 1788138724 14400 # Node ID e23e9a6444674180c36bd5fb363b2acdaecefd3e # Parent 31ea780f05b7a2c9aed786e3f3cc6185accded50 More diff -r 31ea780f05b7 -r e23e9a644467 content/blog/2026/08/learning-nalbinding.markdown --- a/content/blog/2026/08/learning-nalbinding.markdown Sun Aug 30 12:29:28 2026 -0400 +++ b/content/blog/2026/08/learning-nalbinding.markdown Sun Aug 30 21:12:04 2026 -0400 @@ -8,13 +8,18 @@ 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. +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 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. +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 @@ -54,7 +59,7 @@ 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 +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 @@ -200,10 +205,10 @@ #### Yarn Sizing Nalbinding generally works better with larger yarn, especially when you're first -starting out. You might hope that yarn sizes in the shop are organized by +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 (at least here in the US) are, in order -(roughly) from thinnest to thickest: +probably not. Some typical yarn sizes are, in order (roughly) from thinnest to +thickest: * Lace * Fingering @@ -217,22 +222,22 @@ * Jumbo The classification of any particular yarn isn't based on a single number like -a diameter, but rather some combination of diameter, density, and overall feel. +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 +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 +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 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 @@ -249,12 +254,12 @@ 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. +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, e.g.: +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) @@ -280,7 +285,7 @@ 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?" +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 @@ -298,9 +303,9 @@ 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. +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 *don't* wind it. +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 @@ -311,11 +316,11 @@ 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) +* 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: @@ -326,19 +331,18 @@ ### 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. +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 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: +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 - shown below. + 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**. + 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) @@ -362,7 +366,7 @@ * 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 + 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 @@ -381,19 +385,19 @@ 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. +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 it's -much easier to keep track of each loop if you make them one by one. +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 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. +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 @@ -429,11 +433,11 @@ 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: +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 some real motivation to do it. -* Make one single thing. +* 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 @@ -449,32 +453,84 @@ 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. +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 -Sarah hat 1 +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) -Sarah hat 2 +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) -my hat to match scarf +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 -first dalarna scarf +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! -fir tree scarf +[![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. -### Kobo Holder +[![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 holder +### 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 -popcorn +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 @@ -618,13 +674,36 @@ ### Multiple Colors -multiple colors just by joining new ones +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. -multiple needle video from neulakintaat +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. -how well it works (i.e. how well-hidden the background color is) depends on the stitch and yarn +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. -never going to be as good as knitting +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 @@ -642,7 +721,7 @@ 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`. +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