r/Nalbinding • u/littleblvebird • 1d ago
Absolute beginner looking for advice on nalbinding needles!
I’m just getting started with nalbinding and would love some advice from more experienced people. For someone who has never done it before, what needle size and material do you find easiest to work with?
I’m particularly interested in my first needle being made from period-appropriate material, such as bone, antler, horn, or wood. I’d at least like to avoid modern plastics/metals if possible and use something that would be reasonably appropriate to the historical context.
Is there a particular length you would recommend for an absolute beginner? And of the materials mentioned above, is there one you find noticeably easier to work with?
I’d really appreciate any advice, thanks!!
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u/tragicgender 1d ago
I would like to add that in addition to what u/Banegard said about round versus flat needles, I personally prefer a thin, flat needle. Not thin as in less wide, but thin as in very flat, if that makes sense? Keep in mind that when you’re nalbinding, you’re forcing your needle and all the yarn on it through a very small space (whether you’re tensioning on your thumb or otherwise). The thinner/flatter your needle is, the better, in my opinion. I have some needles that I like but are a bit too thick to go through the space as smoothly as I would like, especially when I’ve stuffed them full of yarn.
Speaking of stuffing needles with yarn, you might want to consider the number of holes in your needle as well. If you’re a beginner still learning the basics of the stitches, one hole is absolutely fine, and you don’t even need to move beyond one hole if you’re more comfortable or an expert. However, when I got more comfortable with the stitches, I found that I liked needles with at least two holes so I could fold more yarn through multiple holes and not have to join more yarn as often.
I’m not a woodworker myself, but I can recommend some Etsy shops that make nalbinding needles if you’d like to look at some examples. (You can also just use a blunt tapestry/sewing needle if you have any on hand, and in fact I prefer those for smaller stitches like needle-tensioned York stitch.) I think most of these are in the US, so apologies if you’re based elsewhere. Maybe the pics in the listings can at least give some inspiration.
HolmgardTrading (great shop with both wood and bone options, as well as both one- and two-holed options): https://www.etsy.com/shop/HolmgardTrading
RightWorkWoodshop (also a great shop with wonderfully flat needles, either with one or two holes): https://www.etsy.com/shop/RightWorkWoodshop
TFWoodcraft (has curved needles with one hole, which I find weirdly satisfying to work with, plus needles with three holes that are slightly too thick/not flat enough for me, but you might disagree): https://www.etsy.com/shop/TFWoodcraft
Amazon does have some nalbinding needle options, but I’ve tried them and do not recommend most of what’s available at this time (at least in the US). You’re probably better off either trying an Etsy shop or making your own and seeing what you like.
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u/littleblvebird 1d ago
Thank you so much for the wonderful advice and great resources!! I’ll definitely have to check out these shops you shared with me
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u/linglinguistics 1d ago
I tend to make my own out of old chopsticks, which means bamboo. Not the best material because of that fibery texture (hope that’s the right expression and if not, hope you still understand). So, with my crude tools, It’s hard to make it completely smooth.
The width is, well, chopstick width, which isn’t very wide, which makes it hard to carve out the eye, but for the needlebinding itself I'm happy with it. And I like my needles short, max 5cm. I don’t usually see people using such short needles.
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u/Cucumberneck 1d ago
I think thats very different for everyone but i like a needle about the length of my index finger.
Maybe try that and then you get a feel if you want a longer or shorter one.
They are very easy to carve yourself.
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u/littleblvebird 1d ago
I’ll have to give carving one a go! I’ve seen a few decent tutorials online
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u/Cucumberneck 1d ago
I just made a hole with an awl and carved the needle around it so the wood around it didnt get to thin.
Took me literally minutes.
Good Luck!
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u/alan_ericsson 1d ago
I prefer a flat one! I got a bone one off of Etsy and it’s probably on the longer side 4.5 inches.
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u/stevelosh 14h ago
For someone who has never done it before, what needle size and material do you find easiest to work with?
I like bone or horn, but I know some people love wood. You'll just have to try a couple and see. Honestly they will all do the job fine.
Is there a particular length you would recommend for an absolute beginner?
Length is also pretty subjective. Some of the common advice I've heard is "the width of your hand" or "the length of your middle finger", but my favorite needles are about 30-50% longer than that. You just have to try a couple and see what you prefer.
If you just want somewhere to start, start with one that's somewhere around 3.5-4 inches and branch out from there. Or make a couple of various lengths out of popsicle sticks and get a feel for what you prefer that way.
I’d really appreciate any advice, thanks!!
If you can afford it, buy a couple of needles of different sizes from Etsy. I've gotten a few from LykosLeather that I was happy with. But really any of them will do the job.
One extra thing you can do to make things a little nicer is to buy a variety pack of sandpaper at the hardware store and use it to sand the rough edges off whatever needle you buy. Sometimes the needles you get from Etsy will be a little rough (I mean, they're only a few bucks, what can you expect) and a little time sanding things down will make them feel a lot nicer to use.
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u/ryanlc 1d ago
There isn't a single answer for you. The length of needle is more about personal preference than skill level.
I prefer a thinner needle with a flattened (not pointed) tip, so I can "scoop" under the yarn loops. If the tip is pointed or sharpened, it can be painful and/or you can start splitting the yarn pretty badly. You can see in my profile some I've made in the past. I will say that shorter (3.5"-4.5") may be easier from a maneuverability point of view (not to mention storage).
As for material, all your selected options are just fine. I've made several out of cow bones (the ones I referenced above), and I have some bog oak that I'm going to make several more from.
If you're looking to make your own, you can do it with very few tools. I use my bandsaw and power belt sander because I have them. But you can get away with a simple low-power hand drill and a knife. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCilh1p6xIQ (note: not my channel)
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u/littleblvebird 1d ago
Thanks for the advice!! From what I’ve heard, making my own doesn’t seem all that complicated.
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u/Specialist-Hunt-1953 1d ago
It is definitely personal preference and takes some time to figure out what you like. I feel like the odd duck in this post because I am the person who likes a round bone needle. I started with a flat bone and then once I got the round I have never changed… I think personal preference comes with time
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u/LocksmithAccurate284 1d ago
I am not super experienced, but started with my first needle gifted to me by a friend who is a reenactor made from bone/horn, not sure. I read that wood is better for some people if the nalbinded product tends to be wavy instead of flat at the end, so I recently got the second wooden needle from a historical museum/laboratory shop. What I look out for is also a big hole. I can thread wool through it several times meaning I won't need to rejoin the wool as often.
I can't post pictures or I would show you.... 😞
On a side note: I was struggling a lot at the beginning and as soon as I changed to single-ply yarn/pencil roving yarn made from actual wool, most of my problems just disappeared. So I would advise you not to start with some random yarn you got, especially knitting yarn or suche, but rather the correct one, though it might be more expensive. You only need a couple of meters for practice and should then be able to make fairly even stitches, so that you could start on an easy small project. Another thing I learnt: I started with the method where you use your thumb and I didn't manage to maintain even tension and kept getting confused. When I switched to basically sewing the stitches it got a lot easier for me, so trying out different techniques as a beginner could also be helpful. 🪡
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u/Banegard 1d ago
It‘s not just the material, but also the shape of the needle.
I had an aweful start with a round bone needle, but discovered working with a flat horn needle was much better suited for me. Flat needles all the way for me now, no matter the material.