Needlebinding also known as nålbinding, nalbinding or naalbinding is one of the oldest textile techniques known to mankind since ancient times.
Fragments from the Nahal Hemar cave, Israel, are considered to be the oldest find. Ancient craftsmen living in this region used yarn made from plant fibers and human hair. Another early and no less impressive example comes from Germany. Found in Friesack, a fragment of double-twisted bast fiber yarn dates back to 7750 BC.
Nålbinding became the most widespread during the period of Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The famous socks from Oxyrhynchus, Egypt date from the 3rd to the 5th century AD and are knitted using the Coptic stitch method. Found on the territory of the Greek colony, they are adapted to be worn with sandals.
Another famous find comes from York, which gave the name York Stitch (Also known as Coppergate Stitch and Jorvik Stitch). Low sock found there dated back to the 10th century. They are distinguished by a very delicate method of knitting, which is on the one hand very simple visually, but quite difficult to perform.
The most popular type of knitting is called Oslo Stitch, which owes its name to the discovered nalbound mittens from Oslo, dated from the 11th to the 12th century. Oslo Stitch allows to make a fairly dense texture that protects well from the cold, fits well, and does not constrain movements. Similar to Oslo naalbound mittens were also found in Sweden, Finland, and on the territory of Kyivan Rus.
Another two interesting examples are nalbound caps found in Germany. The first of them is the Cap of Saint Simeon, dated to the 11th century. Found in Trier, Germany is currently in the Treasury of the Trier Cathedral. After being analyzed in 1999, it was found to be made using the technique of nalbindning, specifically the pattern F4 UUU/OOOU with z-spun s-ply wool. Perhaps the hat originates in the Middle East as the owner of the hat, St Simeon, who spent a large period of his life living there but the origins are highly disputed.
The second one, the nalbound cap of St Bernard of Clarivaux dates to 1152 AD, now kept as a reliquary in a church in Niederwerth, Germany. It is less preserved, but an interesting detail is that it was made of cashmere.
Despite the fact that needle binding was a forgotten technique for a long time, replaced by much simpler and faster knitting, such products have a number of indisputable advantages:
- Nålbinding items retain their shape better. They have the property of tumbling over time and taking the shape of a part of their owner's body.
- Nalbound socks perfectly match historical shoes, making them extremely comfortable to wear. Thanks to the properties of natural wool, it effectively continues to warm even when wet.
To preserve nalbound clothing, it is recommended to wash them in cold water with special products for natural wool. Shampoo or shower gel also could be used as a detergent.
If the socks are not dirty after wearing, but you want to disinfect them and remove the unpleasant smell, put them in a plastic bag in the freezer overnight.
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