How to Nalbind. Step 2: Joining a New Length of Yarn

[@tashinamccullough5954]

this tutorial is amazing! Its the best one Ive seen so far, I was so frustrated with it until I found your channel. Thank you!

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

You’re welcome!! Happy nalbinding!

[@karenazier8822]

So far, your video has been the most helpful for me. I did have a bit of a snag when I got ready to join a new piece. I think I got my loops wrong and then at one point, I tugged too hard and the two pieces came apart. To be honest, I thought I was already past the join. I’m going to unpick my stitches and start over being careful to put a stitch marker in my loops before removing them from my thumb. I also need to practice the joining a little more.

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

Even experienced nalbinders will occasionally pull a join apart so don’t feel bad about that. Sounds like you’ve made a good start. Stitch markers are great to help you identify the loops too. I would suggest you start with a fresh piece of yarn rather than unpicking. We pull the whole length of yarn through every stitch in nalbinding, so it is subjected to quite a bit of abrasion. By the time you’ve unpicked it, the yarn can be quite “fluffy” and difficult to rework. Also, unpicking nalbinding is a very slow process because it doesn’t unravel.

[@sarahlangdon1965]

Brilliant thank you!! I’m going to try this next bit now.

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

I broke the steps up into different videos so people could learn at their own pace. I hope you're enjoying learning to nalbind!

[@kathrynbassett1535]

So really really helpful thank you so much 😊 able to follow these videos pause and try again. So helpful that you have broken to the steps into individual videos. Sending yarny good wishes your way Katy from NZ 😊

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

I’m so glad it was helpful for you Katy! I hope you enjoy many happy hours of nalbinding now.

[@tamilouduplechin7927]

Very helpful!!

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

Glad it was helpful Tammy!

[@EssensOrAccidens]

Really enjoying watching this-- very relaxing. Thank you. I note that in your Step 1 video you deliberately started with a length of yarn that was about 1m. As you are joining yarn pieces quite soon, is there any reason you didn't use a longer initial length? Or why you don't just nalbind (?) using the whole skein and then cutting the piece when you've used a sufficient amount? (I know nothing about all this, just stumbled upon the handicrafts space, but am finding it very wholesome.)

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

@@EssensOrAccidens Glad you enjoyed the video. I demonstrate with about 1m of yarn because that is a good length for beginners to manage. I generally work with lengths a bit longer than that, but it also depends on the thickness of the yarn and how much abrasion it can withstand. It is not possible to use a whole skein or a continuous ball because we are pulling the entire length of the working thread through each individual stitch. That’s why we work with manageable lengths, and it’s also why nalbinding doesn’t unravel.

[@EssensOrAccidens]

Thank you for the response! A few hours after posting that question I sort of reasoned it out and realized that nalbinding involves pulling the entirety of your yarn length through each stitch, making a long yarn length tedious and a whole skein ludicrously so. I have since also watched a few other videos on various means to reduce that tedium by making loops, using multiple holes in the needle, chaining the yarn, etc. However, my takeaway as a pre-beginner (I am waiting for my Amazon initial order of needles and yarn to arrive later today, lol) is that the joining method is very competitive with the various loop/chain methods in terms of what *seems* to work. I hope that shortly I will have a better idea of the reality! 😂 Thanks again.

[@patch5383]

I see why you would use a wool or high content wool yarn for this but if I only had synthetic or superwash merino laying around do you think i could get away with just using a russian join instead?

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

Absolutely you can use a Russian join. Just be careful as you’re pulling it through because that type of join tends to catch.

[@kohlraedirectioner]

I see now why you need a yarn with a high wool content (synthetic and plant fibers don't felt), but what makes this splicing method best for nalbinding? Why shouldn't I use a "magic knot", as I would for crochet or knit?

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

You certainly can use knots if you wish, but this method will give you a smoother finished fabric.

[@HamsterOnStrike]

@@bonsaiwoman3231 Perhaps a Russian join would work nicely? *for using acrylics or whatever

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

@@HamsterOnStrike Yes - many people do use a Russian join. Personally I’m not fond of them because I find they catch as I’m pulling the yarn through the stitches. But maybe I’m just not very good at them!

[@deborahbrown6061]

Brilliant!!

[@emilywong6923]

Can you use a blunt tapestry needle?

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

Absolutely! As long as you can thread the yarn through it. Generally a yarn needle will be larger and more comfortable to use, but if all you have is a tapestry needle, give it a go.

[@freydablack9027]

I was so worried about pulling apart my felted piece that the chain stitch became very loose and I'm not sure it came out right. I think I might take it apart tomorrow and try again. Perhaps a few words about evening out the stitches when one's tensioning is poor would help?

[@bonsaiwoman3231]

Even stitches really just come with practice. As you’re making the chain, you can stop occasionally and pinch the back loop between your thumb and finger and pull on the tail. This will give you an idea of how your tension is going. Loose stitches may also be less obvious once you connect them to the next row. Bear in mind that the Oslo stitch can also look quite different depending on the thickness of your yarn, your thumb size, and how firmly you pull your thumb loop. So your chain may look different to mine even if you’ve done it correctly. Using thicker yarn will give you more dense stitches even if your tension is loose. You only need to be careful with the felted section for a couple of stitches until it is worked into the fabric. Then it will be secure. As you practice you will get more confident working through that area without making your stitches too loose. If you wish to start again, I recommend you begin with a new length of yarn. Nalbinding does not unravel, so the only way to take it apart is to undo the whole thing one stitch at a time by stitching in reverse. That is a lot of time and a lot of abrasion on your yarn.

[@freydablack9027]

@@bonsaiwoman3231 thank you so much for that thorough explanation. Everything you pointed out makes sense to me and is very helpful. It is true, my thumbs are very thick and I noticed right away that the stitches seemed very large. I will do the pinching and tail-pulling to try to even them out. My yarn is very fine as well; it is the only pure wool yarn I have. I shall start over as you suggest. You are so generous to offer not only the videos but in answering questions so thoughtfully. You are a wonderful teacher!