Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

Introduction to Naalbinding

Intro by Mistress Derbail:

I’m going to start by confessing that I am a novice at naalbinding. A few years ago, I had purchased
Naalbinding needles, books, and appropriate yarn. I scoured the Internet for articles on Naalbinding, and I
tried…and tried…and tried to teach myself this craft. What I ended up with were lots of piles of knotted
yarn…and equal piles of frustration.

Then, at Gulf Wars XIV in 2005, I met a Laurel from Ansteorra named Mistress Alix. She was covered in
naalbinded items! She had scarves, slippers, hats and mittens (and you guys who were there know why; it
was cold, wet and generally freezing for most of the week). Anyway, she was kind enough to sit down
and show me, very patiently, how to do it. Suddenly, the knots made some sense, and I am happy to say
I’ve picked up the basics. To date, I’ve made two pairs of slipper socks, a scarf, three hats, and who
knows, I may have some other items done or started by the time this class begins.

So, this story is to let you know a couple of things:

 I am in no way a “great” naalbinder, but I do know the basics.

 I understand and appreciate how challenging it can be to learn.
 I also know the joy of having the “aha!” moment when all those tangles of yarn turn into
something real.
 The only way to learn this craft is to do it.

With these things in mind, let’s get started!

What is Naalbinding?

Naalbinding is an ancient craft of connecting loops of yarn or string to form fabric. As many of you might
notice, it has much in common with crochet, knitting, and sprang. But it’s a subtly different craft—mostly
because it involves connecting the separate loops of yarn in certain ways. The simplest naalbinding just
forms loops that connect one loop to the next loop to the next one and so on. More complex forms not
only connect loop to loop, but also rows of loops to each other, simultaneously. When naalbinding, you
pull the entire length of yarn you’re working with through the previous loop you have made…so you
work with short lengths of yarn (about 2 yards or so). To join new yarn lengths to your work, you literally
“felt” together the two ends (one of the old, one of the new yarn length) together with some spit and
rubbing the yarn between your hands. Honest, this isn’t as gross as it sounds….

Naalbinding is the term used in Scandinavian countries; variant spellings include nalbinding and
nålbinding. Pronunciation is like English N + ALL + BIN + DING. The translation means “Needle
stitching,” and in some places, it’s also been called single needle knitting, needle looping, and knotless
netting. Naalbinding is not just a Scandinavian craft; in fact, archaeological evidence showing
naalbinding have surfaced in places as diverse as Israel (circa 6500 BC), Switzerland, Peru (circa 200
BC), and China (circa 1000 BC).

Major naalbinding archaeological finds in SCA period are summarized in the following table:

1
Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

Place of find Item Circa Notes

Multi-colored, cross-
Egypt Sock 200 AD
looping
Multi-colored, cross-
Egypt Sock 500 AD
looping
Ankle length, madder
York, England Sock 970 AD
dye
Iceland Mittens 900 AD
Gold and silver wrapped
Mammen, Denmark Cloak ties (?) 900 AD
silk yarns
Oslo, Norway Mittens 1000 AD
Eura, Finland Mittens 1000 AD Multi-colored
Mittens (hand
Speyer, Germany 1000 AD Tomb of HRE Henry III
coverings)
Novgorod, Russia Fragments 1116-1134 AD
Kaukola, Finland Fragments 1200 AD Tri-colored
Delsberg, Switzerland Stockings 1100 AD 70 cm in length, linen
Tomb of Bernardo degli
Florence, Italy Glove 1100-1200 AD
Uberti
Lödöse, Sweden Mittens 1200 AD Felted after Naalbinding
Tomb of Louis the Holy
France Glove 1297 AD
of Anjou
Las Huelgas crypt, Tomb of Maria of
Mitten 1313 AD
Spain Aragon
Lund, Sweden Mitten 14th century AD
Asle, Sweden Mitten 1510-1640 AD

The reason I’ve provided this summary is to illustrate a couple of important points:

 Naalbinding appeared in numerous places throughout Europe, across a wide range of times
 Many examples show that multi-colors and items other than wool were used as materials
 The items are wide in range, including not only hand and foot coverings but “finishing” items
(cloak ties)

Naalbinding Stitches and Classification Systems

I’m going to keep this section brief because this is a basic class; the only reason I’m taking time to
explain this is because if you investigate sources listed in the bibliography, you’re going to see these
terms and will benefit by knowing what they mean. To date, we know of about 30 or so distinct
Naalbinding stitches, plus an almost infinite number of variations on these basic stitches. You will be
learning one stitch in this class1, which is a fairly simple stitch that can be used to make lots of different
items. To keep it simple, I call it the “Danish” stitch, as does American naalbinder Larry Schmitt (see
bibliography). If you master this stitch, I recommend moving to the Oslo stitch and then the Mammen
stitch (also known as the Korgen stitch, which is basically the same as Oslo, but with an extra loop of
thread). The Danish stitch is nice and solid without being overly bulky, and it is suitable for hats, socks,
mittens, and scarves; Oslo and Mammen are very sturdy and strong stitches. They are better suited for
items that see heavy wear, such as socks and mittens.

1
The “Danish” stitch in Larry Schmitt’s terms; F1 O/UO in Hansen’s terms; Type I in Held; and type 311 in
Nordland)
2
Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

Naalbinding scholars and/or well-known practitioners have come up with three basic ways to classify
naalbinding stitches; Larry Schmitt (probably the best known teacher in America) uses one of these
methods (Hansen), but often assigns a “name” to a stitch based on where it was first observed (i.e.
“York”). One method comes from Margrethe Held; she used Roman numerals (like III) + a lower case
Roman alphabet letter (like b) to identify stitches (IIIb). The second comes from Odd Nordland, who
used a base number + a superscript number to identify stitches (i.e. 412). Finally, Egon Hansen used a
technique that describes the construction of a single stitch and how it goes “over” or “under.” The
discussion of these classification techniques could go on, but I’ll let you investigate these on your own, by
using the bibliography.

Getting Started

There are two basic ways to start a naalbinding project: in the round (sometimes lacemakers call this a
Josephine knot) or in a horizontal, flat row. My experiments have shown that in the round is a nice way to
start “tubular” items such as stocking caps and socks2. For a scarf, the horizontal row is the way to go.

Rather than try to write how to start naalbinding, at this point, we’re going to give you a demo and help
you individually. On the following pages, I’ve put in some sketches from Schmitt on the horizontal
method and a nice handout from another re-enactment group in England (the Vikings). With the hands-on
today plus these sketches as a handout, you should be able to keep going on your current project or start a
new one.

Recommended materials

My experiments have shown me that a single-ply wool is the best type of yarn for beginners. I
recommend Icelandic Lopi (probably about as close a period wool as we can get in modern times, since
the Icelandic sheep is an old breed) or Lamb’s Pride Bulky or Lamb’s Pride Worsted. Both are fairly
heavy in weight and come in a beautiful range of colors. I mail ordered mine from Halcyon Yarns; better
yarn and textile suppliers also carry these. (In Larry Schmitt’s books, he recommends that beginners use
light colored yarns as the stitches are easier to see.) To give you an idea of roughly how much yarn you
will need for a project, a 3.5 oz. skein of Icelandic Lopi will make one hat or a pair of mittens; a pair of
socks usually takes two 3.5 oz. skeins. How much yarn you use will depend on the stitch you use and
your stitch size.

For your needle, I recommend a fairly large wooden one, such as those we use in class from Mielke’s
Farm (see bibliography). Schmitt goes on and on about how to make one from a plastic toothbrush, but I
think the wooden ones are easier and definitely more period!

Joining a New Length of Yarn

When you only have about 6” of yarn left in your needle, it’s time to join up a new 2-yard piece of yarn.
Pull, DO NOT CUT, about 2 yards from your skein of yarn and frizz the ends a bit. Frizz the end of the
yarn in your project (the one that came off the needle). Twist the two ends (one from your old length of
yarn, one from your new length of yarn) together. With saliva (yes, spit) wet the twisted pieces very well
and rub them hard between your palms. You are basically “felting” the two ends together. Rethread your
needle and continue your work.

Starting in the round and the Danish stitch (demo in class)

Make a slipknot loop with one end of your yarn (Fig. 1-a). Make sure that when you pull the short end of
the yarn that the loop of yarn tightens.

2
I have not yet made a mitten, but it’s also recommended for these items as well, IF you make the “fingertip” end of
your mittens first. If you start with the “wrist” end of the mitten, you can start with the horizontal method.
3
Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

Fig. 1-a

Fig. 1-b

Thread the other end through your naalbinding needle (Fig 1-b). Bring the needle up and around both the
loop of the slipknot and down (Fig 2-a). Keep repeating this until you have filled the loop of the slipknot
with approximately 12 loops (Fig 2-b). Be careful to make these loops large enough to that your needle
can enter them in the next row. This slipknot method to me is easier than what Schmitt suggests, which is
starting a horizontal row and joining it to itself. You might like to try Schmitt’s ideas and see what you
think.

Fig. 2-a

Fig. 2-b

4
Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

After 12 loops onto your slipknot you are ready to start the next row. Keep in mind that you are making a
spiral pattern out from the center, after this row starts, you will not see a defined “row” start. With your
needle, go down into the “triangle” made from your very first stitch, down into the loop of your very last
stitch and out. (Fig 3-a). This stitch is the first stitch on the second row.

Fig. 3-a

Using the same method (into the triangle, into the loop and out) go all the way around your first row of
stitches, adding the second row. Normally, this second row is work one regular stitch, one increase stitch
alternating around the circle. See below for information about increase stitches.

Increasing Stitches

Increase the stitches by going back through the loop you just made; in other words, go back through the
triangle of the previous row again (using the triangle twice). Again, this will make more sense when you
see it demonstrated.

Decreasing Stitches

5
Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

Instead of going through just one triangle from the previous row’s stitch, go through two at once.
Again, seeing this in class will make much more sense.

Project Notes and Ideas

Here are some suggested starter projects:

 Round hat: Measure the circumference of your head and jot down the number (mine is 13”). You
will want to make a circular “crown” for your hat roughly the diameter of your head
circumference (or slightly bigger, for shrinkage). Start with the “in the round” method and do one
row around your circle. For your next row, do one regular stitch and one increase stitch.
Alternating. Repeat this for about three more rows (regular stitch, increase stitch, regular stitch,
increase stitch). For your next row, just do all regular stitches (no increases); I found this keeps
the circle more smooth, BUT be careful! Watch and make sure no “tube” is starting to form yet. If
it does start to look like it’s “folding in” on itself, add the occasional increase stitch. Keep up this
pattern (three rows of alternating regular stitch and then an increase stitch around your circle,
with every third or fourth subsequent row just regular stitches) until you have the “crown” of the
hat completed. It took me about 12 rows to get the right size. Once you get this crown finished,
just do regular stitches, no increases. Keep trying on your hat to see how far it comes down on
your head; I wanted mine to cover my ears. When it’s almost to the “length” you want it, add a
decrease stitch maybe every fourth or fifth stitch, to make it fit a little tighter (almost like the
design of a beret) to the last two rows of stitches.

 Tube sock: Start in the round, just as with the round hat. However, you want a more tubelike
shape earlier on, so do about four rows that alternate a regular stitch and an increase stitch. Do
this until you have a “concave” circle that fits nicely over your toes (it took me about five rows).
Once you have the toe covering done, do regular stitches only; you should see a socklike tube
emerging.

 Scarf or muffler: Start with the horizontal method do about 125 stitches (or more if you want a
long scarf—125 will give you a neck muffler). You’ll be working the “long side” of the scarf.
Just keep making rows, L to R, then R to L until you have the width you desire (about 8” is a nice
width).

Finishing

When you are finished, with any method, run at least 2” of the leftover yarn back through the previous
stitches to secure it. Hand wash in warm water with a specialty wool soap or a baby shampoo. (Read the
yarn instructions on washing, just in case they advise something specific). Roll up in a towel to dry. Do
NOT machine wash or put through a dryer UNLESS you want “felting” and “shrinking.” In the case of
mittens, this is common—make them much large than you want, then shrink and felt them to fit. But I
don’t advise this until you get some experience with basic Naalbinding and handwashing.

If you have any questions, you can contact Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir at headrick@intergate.com .

Bibliography and Further Research (Articles and Websites in English, Focused on Europe)

Bender Jørgensen, Lise. (1992). North European Textiles until AD 1000. Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus
University Press. (Intricately details textiles finds, with analysis, from North and Central Europe before
the year 1000 AD).

Bender Jørgensen, Lise, “Stone-Age Textiles in North Europe” in Textiles in Northern Archaeology,
Textile Symposium in York, North European Symposium for Archaeological Textiles Monograph 3,

6
Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

NESAT III. London: London Archetype Publications, 1990. (This is VERY hard to find; I have tried,
unsuccessfully, through ILL. If anyone gets it, let me know. I will be glad to pay for a copy).

Briansdotter, Sigrid3. Nålbinding: The Åsle Mitten Stitch: An Instruction Manual. Snohomish, WA:
Tangle Fairies, 2000.

Briansdotter, Sigrid. Nalebinding Made Easy. Sultan, WA: Tangle Fairies, 2004.

Burnham, Dorothy K. “Coptic Knitting: An Ancient Technique.” In Textile History, Vol. 3, December
1972; ed. by K. G. Ponting and Dr S. D. Chapman. England: The Pasold Research Fund LTD,1972.

Bush, Nancy. “Nålbinding - From the Iron Age to Today” in Piecework Vol. IX N. 3, May / June 2001.
Interweave Press, 2001.

Geijer, Agnes. ”The Textile Finds from Birka.” Birka III, Die Textilfunde aus den Gräbern, Acta
Archaeologica Vol. 50. København, Sweden, 1980.

Hald, Margrethe. Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs And Burials: A Comparative Study of Costume and
Iron Age Textiles. Copenhagen, Denmark: Publications of The National Museum of Denmark
Copenhagen Archaeological Historical Series XXI, 1980.

Hansen, Egon H. “Nalebinding: Definition and Description” in Textiles in Northern Archaeology, Textile
Symposium in York, North European Symposium for Archaeological Textiles Monograph 3, NESAT III.
London: Archetype Publications, 1990.

Kiara’s Naalbinding Page. Available at:

http://www.angelfire.com/zine/kiarapanther/project/naalbinding.html

Lehtosalo-Hilander, Pirkko-Liisa. Ancient Finnish Costumes. Helsinki: The Finnish Archaeological

Society, 1984.

Martinson, Kate. “Scandinavian Nålbinding; Needle Looped Fabric.” In Weaver's Journal XII, No. 2,
Issue 46; Fall 1987.

Mielke’s Farm: Naalbinding (includes links for further study, tools, and several good booklets, including
Schmitt and Sigrid Briansdotter). Available at: http://www.mielkesfarm.com/naalbind.htm

Nalbinding Basics by Lady Morganna McGlachlen of Shadewes Company. Available at:

http://technetdesign.hypermart.net./naalbinding.html

Nalebinding Techniques in the Viking Age by Carolyn Priest-Dorman. Available at:

http://www.cs.vassar.edu/~capriest/nalebind.html

Phiala’s String Page: Naalbinding. Available at: http://www.stringpage.com/naal/naal.html

Schmitt, Lawrence W. Mittens, Mittens, Mittens! A Nålbinding Mitten Workbook. Cottage Grove, WI:
Self-published, 1997

Schmitt, Lawrence. Lessons in Nålbinding: Scarves Wimples and More. Cottage Grove, WI: Self-
published, 1996.

Schmitt, Lawrence. Lots of Socks. Cottage Grove, WI: Self-published, 1996.

3
Her mundane name is Anne Marie Haymes, though she publishes under her SCA name.
7
Meridies Mistress Derbail inghean Conchobar / Lady Myrgjol Gunnvaldsdottir

The Bellwether (Books and supplies). Available at:

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/thebellwether/nalpatbook.html

The Coppergate Sock. Available at: http://www.yorkarchaeology.co.uk/secrets/vikindrs.htm

Walton Rogers, Penelope. “Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate.” The Archaeology of York; Volume
17: The Small Finds; Fasc. 11. Dorchester, Dorset, UK: Council for British Archaeology (for the York
Archaeological Trust), 1997.

Walton, Penelope. “Textile Production at Coppergate, York: Anglo-Saxon or Viking?” In Textiles in

Northern Archaeology, Textile Symposium in York, North European Symposium for Archaeological
Textiles Monograph 3, NESAT III. London: London Archetype Publications, 1990.

Walton, Penelope; Textiles, Cordage and Raw Fiber from 16-22 Coppergate. The Archaeology of York;
Volume 17: The Small Finds; Fasc. 11. Dorchester, Dorset, UK: Council for British Archaeology (for the
York Archaeological Trust), 1997.

Yahoo Groups: Nalebinding. Available at: http://www.yahoogroups.com (Search for nalebinding and
enter information to join).