Naalbinding, also known as “single needle knitting” is an ancient technique for producing a looped fabric which has the stretchy qualities of knitting. Samples have been found from the first centuries AD in Denmark, through Egypt in the 4-6th centuries, to Viking Denmark, Sweden, Finland (and possibly Norway), Iceland and England, and medieval Denmark and Finland. These items were mainly mittens, socks and stockings. some decorated in stripes or with fringes. However, some milk strainers of horse and cow tail hair, and the decorative panel of a pennant, may also fall within the SCA period (there is insufficient dating information in the documentation). Medieval French and German gloves and stockings also appear to have been made in naalbinding using silk and linen. These samples all come from the graves of ecclesiastics from the 12th to 14th centuries. Finally, there exists a silk cap from Antioe (probably Arabian) which is dated to the 10-11th C. It has a large tassel.
Naalbinding is basically forming new loops by catching a previous loop with a threaded needle, then threading the needle through a second previous loop, thus forming a new loop. While the variations on the number of loops in between, and the direction of the thread, are theoretically endless, in fact most stitches seem to involve three, four or five loops. Diagrams for making one basic stitch are found below. Naalbinding can be worked in a circle for socks and mittens or in lines for flat fabrics (such as resoling hose). To increase the size of your work, simply add an extra stitch into your working loop (ie instead of one stitch per loop, make two; or you can increase more gradually by making an extra stitch for every four or five regular stitches). Decreasing is done by catching two previous loops and working them as one. You can make your loops by catching different parts of the previous row: at the very top (“a“), picking up where the loops cross (“b“), or picking up multiple stitches as your work becomes more complex. Stitches typically work from left to right.
Basic nonbinding structure (Schmitt, p 2)
Naalbinding notation
There are variants of the notation but the version used by Larry Schmitt makes sense to me. Think of a row of stitches (the foundation) with the four quadrants of a clock above. The first part of the stitch is to pick up a loop from the previous row at “6 o’clock”. This is known as F. Depending on how many stitches you pick up, you have F1 to F3, 4 etc. Then you work clockwise towards 9 o’clock (in the direction of your previous stitches on the same row), going over and under the stitches as required. Over and under are marked “o” and “u”. At 9 o’clock, you change direction (now working forwards). The direction change is marked with a slash “/”. Then you work over and under in your pattern until you get to the point of creating a new loop and hooking back into your next foundation stitch to start all over again.
This example is described as F1 U O/UOO (Schmitt, 4).
Getting started
The first loops can be worked flat, like this (Schmitt, 4):
They can also be done by making a clove hitch around your thumb. From there, you can pick up stitches at the back of your thumb and put a twist into the work,. This gives an attractive ridge to the knitting. (Schmitt, 5)
Unlike knitting, naalbinding requires short lengths of thread which are attached from time to time by fraying two ends slightly, then twining by rubbing them together in the palms of the hands (this works best when the threads are moistened). Another way to join the threads if you are using handspun is to draw unplied wool through a loop, then ply the wool. Thread your needle and work to the end, then repeat the process. Finishing naalbinding is easily done by threading the end of your wool back through some of the previous loops.
Once you have mastered the basics, you can play around with different stitches. The Coppergate sock from York is worked as
F2 U / O O O (diagram from Walton 17/5, p 343)
Sources for more information:
Briansdottir, Sigrid. The Asle Mitten Stitch. Tangle Fairies: Snohomish WA, 2000.
Hald, Margarethe. Ancient Danish Textiles from Bogs and Burials. The National Museum of Denmark: 1980.
Nordland, Odd. Primitive Scandinavian Textiles in Knotless Netting. Oslo University Press: Oslo, 1961
Schmitt, Larry. Mittens, Mittens, Mittens! Madison WI,: Self published, 1997 .
Walton, Penelope. Textiles, Cordage and Raw Fibre from 16-22 Coppergate. Vol 17, Fascicule 5, of The Archaeology of York. Dorchester: The Council for British Archaeology and The Dorset Press, 1989.
Walton, Penelope and Rogers ____. Textile Production at 16-22 Coppergate. Vol 17, Fascicule 11 of the Archaeology of York. Dorchester: The Council for British Archaeology and The Dorset Press, 1997.
Copyright Diane Harper (Siglinde Harfnerstochter) 2011
The font in the first section is quite small.
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The mind boggles. I think I’d need a whole desk set aside to work on, and time to experiment. I’m sure it’s not so hard since you get the technique, but it looks baffling. And exciting.
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