Needle-binding

Dear users, dear authors,
what is needle binding and how does it work?

Ha, how lovely, a dedicated thread 🥰 So, nalbinding is also called Viking knitting. You make a knot with a wool thread about 1 m long and, using your thumb and a needle, weave new knots onto it so that a kind of chain-stitch cord is created. You can then continue working along it by turning in rows or by joining it in rounds. Increases and decreases work similarly to crochet, by needling threads twice or skipping them. When the thread runs out, a new piece of thread has to be felted on. Basically, you can use any thicker needle, but I thought I’d do it authentically with one I carved especially for it from reindeer antler 😅
My practice piece is currently about 70 x 20 cm and will probably become a baby blanket.

Sounds like a lot of work...

Yeah, a little bit. Knitting or crocheting is definitely faster. But once you get the hang of it, it’s a lot of fun, and you end up with a dense fabric that won’t unravel 😉

I saw it once at a Viking market—they made some really beautiful things… hats and such.
And as I mentioned before, a hole isn’t a problem at all because it simply doesn’t unravel; you just sew it back up… and it’s no longer visible…
But in the end, I got more interested in board weaving and built myself a loom at home 😂
Maybe I’ll give nalbinding a try at the next meetup (someday the markets will be open again 💖)

Tablet weaving also really appealed to me, and I actually have a set of 12 tablets lying around here. Unfortunately, they ended up becoming the kids’ building toys at some point 😅

....and I built a pretty large frame (for 8 meters of trim) and after three years I still haven’t managed to warp it up or get myself some “proper” tablets.... 🙈

Does anyone else have anything to add?