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Naalebinding, Nalbinding, or Nålebinding (from Danish, literally "binding with a needle" or "needle-binding") is a fabric creation technique predating both knitting and crochet. Also known in English as "knotless knitting" or "single needle knitting," the technique is distinct from crochet in that it involves passing the full length of the working thread through each loop, unlike crochet where the work is formed only of loops, never involving the free end.
History
Naalebinding works well with short pieces of yarn; based on this, scholars believe that the technique may be ancient, as long continuous lengths of yarn are not necessary. Including some of the oldest fabrics known are examples from Judea, made in 6500 BC; from Denmark, 4500 BC. Early examples are also known from the Arabian Peninsula, Ancient Egypt, the British Isles and Scandinavia.
Many early examples were at first misidentified as knitting by archaeologists (and hopeful textile historians), who were misled by the looped appearance of each stitch. Fragments of fabric with the appearance of knitting, excavated from third century AD Dura-Europos, in the Middle East, turned out to be naalebinding. Samples of toed anklet socks from fifth and sixth century AD Egypt are also examples of naalebinding that were previously misidentified as knitting.
Naalebinding as a practical needle craft survived longest in Scandinavia before it was supplanted by knitting, which is less difficult. Naalebinding was regarded as a superior craft because it required more skill to produce and the fabric created was thicker and warmer.
Technique
The basic technique involves the use of a single flat needle. A loop is formed, and the needle passed through the loop. The thread is pulled through the loop, but the knot is not snugged up, but rather left loose, forming a new loop. The needle is then passed through this new loop, forming a chain. At the end of a row, the work may be turned, and each stitch passed through both its partner loop and a loop in the previous row, or the work may be performed in a single direction "in the round", forming circles and tubes for socks and mittens.
Due to the "pulling through", the technique is well adapted to short lengths of yarn which can be joined together to form a textile.
External links
"Naalebinding"