Bernhard's projects in Nålbinding

Here I show my projects done in Nålbinding in a small gallery.

I did not show all of the pieces I worked,

only the most interesting ones.

I would like to offer the opportunity to show their works on this homepage

to people who have worked interesting Nålbinding projects as well.

(Page is already in existence.)

Just contact me via email.

(Email-adress can be found under Adress of the Author)

This cap has been my first finished and useable work. It has been worked in spiral from the middle outwards. At the start of the work I increased by working two stitches into each stitch of the previous row; then into every alternating stitch, later only into every 3rd, 4th, 5th etc. row..

In some places (more into the middle) I did increase too many stitches in the structure of the loops.

During this project I managed for the first time to connect the single woollen threads with the method of "splitting and felting". In the beginning I used to run the new thread parallel to the old one and sew in the loose ends later.

This is my very first work and therefore not for sale.

Project 1

still Project 1

I later took up the work again and did a border in a different stitch on this first cap.

Old stitch: UU/OOO

(Thumb loop technique, i.e. pricking into the backward thumb loop from the back)

New stitch for the border: UOOO/UUUOO

The second stitch sounds complicated, but is simple in the thumb loop technique if one knows how to work the pricking into the backward thumb loops. With this one additionally pricks into the two next backward thumb loops from the right to the left.

I worked the 2nd cap in two colours and felted it afterwards in the washing machine in a 90ºC cycle. The blue wool is hand spun as well and the skein has been dyed with indigo. Sabine Bajinski-Muth made the indigo vat for this and I took part as a guest. I would like to thank Sabine for this again.

Stitch: UO/UOO F1

The U in brackets means that only one stitch is used from the previous row. This can be done to produce a looser structure in Nålbinding. It will shrink more during felting though.

Project 2

Project 3

The opposite picture shows the start of a ringlet sock in the double spiral technique.
In this technique a second colour is worked onto the previous row shortly after the start. To avoid the constant re-threading of the needle, I would advise to work this Nålbinding project with two needles.

Stitch UOO/UUOO F2

I worked this sock with a set -in heel, following the example of the "Coppergate Sock".

To do this a slit has to be worked into the Nålbinding project by passing over the previous row for the length of the slit with a loop chain. Here it is important to work the loop chain in the same stitch used for the rest of the work and also to work the same number of stitches as in the passed over stitches of the previous row.

It is best to measure the length of the slit on the foot or on a sample such as a sock or stocking.

still Project 3

still Project 3

Here the (nearly) finished sock can be seen. The heel has been set in.

Contrary to different descriptions I advise not to work the heel separately (worked from the tip by increasing) and then to set the pre-finished heel in; I would advise to work the heel directly into the slit and finish it off by decreasing towards the tip.
This results in a clean stitch structure. One can work without the nuisance of counting stitches, first in the slit and then in the heel, and also the extra work of sewing in the separately worked heel

The increase has been worked from the tip of the sock to the small toe. The decrease for the heel has been worked from the start of the slit to its end, which is visible on the picture as a brown Y.

Project 4

So far this headband, made from indigo-dyed hand spun wool, has been my prettiest and most useful object.
Description follows further down.

The sweater I am wearing in this picture is not worked in Nålbinding, but hand knitted by my mother.
(Most likely I inherited my talent for needlework from her even though I did not learn how to knit so far - funny, isn't it?) :-)

still Project 4

The headband has been worked in the form of a tube and has been sewn together on the ends of the tube. The seam of the finished piece is at the neck. (On the picture below.)

Where the ears are, I worked increases respectively decreases on one of the borders. A little towards the forehead, more towards the neck. This way the headband fits perfectly and keeps the ears warm. If liked, the band can be worked less wide or the earflaps can be left out..

Work about 30 loops in a loop chain for the start, close the loop and work on up to the 5th row; then increase 1 stitch in every row on one side up to the 9th row. Work rows 10 and 11 without increases and then decrease 1 stitch in every 2nd row, until arriving at the original size. Continue working until half of the heads' width is worked. Then keep on working up to the part where decreases have been worked before. Now increase in those parts where you decreased before and vice versa. If you like you can draw a pattern on paper first and keep measuring the Nålbinding piece on this pattern. Working evenly is important.
I simplified this work by marking the parts where increases and decreases started with coloured threads. I simply pulled the threads into one of the stitches with a crochet hook where needed and knotted them lightly.

The stitch structure of the headband.

The stitch isUOOO/UUUOO F2

(Thumb catching technique: Prick into a total of three backward thumb loops.)

... still Project 4

Hat in the Asle-mitten-stitch

This is the largest and warmest project which I have completed so far by using the Asle stitch. The stitch creates a different structure on the inside and the outside; it is named after a location in Sweden, where a glove was found, that had been produced in that manner. I worked the hat until it was possible to turn up the rim. This helps in keeping ears warm! I used approximately 150 g of handspun "Milchschaf" wool. The hat now belongs to a hobby-shepherd in the Bodensee-region, whose sheep also supplied the fibre.

Objekt 5