Tag: nålbinding

Fiber Study: Camel roving

On By CarynIn Craft
Photo description: fiber study page for camel roving from Oklahoma Mini Mill, (counterclockwise) with a card from the mill, a sample of roving, knit swatch, woven swatch with embroidery, crocheted round swatch, nålbound swatch, sprang swatch, two ply on a paper bobbin, and single ply on a paper bobbin

I assembled my camel roving fiber page! I quite like camel fiber; it is nice to spin, and soft. I would definitely work with the fiber again. In fact, I have two and a half balls of 2-ply yarn with which to plan a project. Exciting. I have also decided to add a synopsis of my blog posts about the fiber to the pages, so I can remember how I felt about the fiber. Now to figure out how to attach the printed pages. I tried some washi tape, which surprisingly doesn’t like card stock much. Hm.

Photo description: same page with the swatches lifted to reveal the hand written descriptions

The roving sample isn’t as perfect as it came from the mill; I liked spinning so much I forgot to leave a bit unspun. The fiber in the box was spun, and then I brushed it back open. Oops.

Fiber page: Shetland lace

On By CarynIn Craft

The Baize Shetland wool was the first Livestock Conservancy Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em fiber I purchased. I bought a 13 oz batt, and have been spinning it at demonstrations and fair booths. I’ve been quite remiss in actually making a fiber page! That is now rectified, and this wonderful fiber has a page in my sampler book.

Photo description: Post card from the breeder (top left), single spun and two ply yarn (top right), unspun wool as purchased scoured and carded (middle left), crochet round (middle right), two Shetland lace knit samples (bottom left), nålbinding (bottom middle), and a woven swatch with combed fringe.
Photo description: same page, but with the samples folded up to show the descriptions

Shetland wool is a joy to spin, and is definitely on my “will purchase again” list.

Not historical nålbinding

On By CarynIn Craft

My experiments with nålbound bracelets continue. I tried para cord, which I did not like at all because the stitch method puts a twist into the cord, and para cord changes visually when twisted.

Photo description: orange and purple para cord nålbound with the Dalby (UOU/OUOO) stitch, showing changes in texture and width as the cord picks up twist

Although untwisting the para cord for every stitch is possible, I don’t like that the white core of the cord shows through on sharp bends or snagged sections. I do like the Dalby stitch as well as the Telemark stitch for flat interesting single row weaves. I tried some stiff finished leather cord as well, which did not work because the leather couldn’t make the bends required to lay flat. I will try it again with unfinished leather cord so I can soak it into submission.

I went back to my favorite satin cord, also called rat tail or mouse tail depending on who is doing the labeling. It is made of solid color nylon, has a nice drape for this work, and melts readily with a thread zapper.

Photo description: purple satin cord bracelet done with the Dalby stitch and finished with a macrame square knot slide and Celtic button knot end stops.

Best for last

On By CarynIn Craft

The colored bracelet experiments continue, and this one is a winner. I tried a nålbinding stitch with the neon rainbow satin cord, specifically the Telemark stitch in the Russian stitch family. It works beautifully. Not only do the interwoven loops look pretty, the color transitions are aesthetically pleasing.

Photo description: neon rainbow satin cord looped into a wide woven band using a Telemark nålbinding stitch, finished with a loop on one end and a celtic button knot on the other

The nature of nålbinding also makes finishing the ends less awkward. For the looped end, I pulled out the beginning stitches (which for me are always weird), and spiraled the end into the weave, securing it by melting with the hot wire Thread Zap.

Photo description: loop end of the bracelet showing the end of the cord melted to the neighboring cord and the Thread Zap II tool

The other end I pulled the loops closed, leaving a tail end which I tied into a button knot. The loops are stable, the clasp mechanism elegant, and I’m already planning additional projects!

Photo description: same bracelet shown closed.

Pyrography on antler

On By CarynIn Craft

We had a little pyrography on wood with yesterday’s throwback, so today is my new obsession: pyrography on antler. I recently made nåls for nålbinding from the tines of deer antler. I’m experimenting with different shapes and curves and am quite pleased with the results. I was thinking of inking them for decoration, but the dried ink literally just wipes off the slick bone surface. I turned to pyrography instead. I have a Colwood Super Pro II wood burning unit, which can be fitted with a vast array of tips. No more messing with old soldering irons. I can also control the degree of heat, which makes a difference. For wood I use the detail setting around 5-6. For the antler I had to crank it up to 9. Even then, it took several back and forth motions to burn the color into the fine lines. I achieved the color without cutting into the bone, which left a silky smooth surface after a light sanding and buffing. I finish each nål with a coat of Renaissance wax. Here is a video short of a thicker nål with a wrap-around pyrography vine.

Photo description: four antler nåls, two with pyrography. The left most nål has four foot prints: alpaca, rabbit, bison, and sheep. The second from the right has a line drawing of a flax stem and bloom. The other two are plain, because people are different.

My nåls sold well at a recent Earth Day Market. The ones that remain I will be selling on Etsy.