broden_naalbinding_socks.pdf

Nålbinding Socks worked in the Brodén Stitch

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Nålbinding Socks worked in the Brodén Stitch

Isabel Ulfsdottir

January - February 2004

Summary *

History *

Tools *

Materials Used in Period *

Nålbinding stitches *

Procedures and Materials *

Materials *

The Brodén's Stitch *

The Sock Pattern *

Bibliography *

Summary

I created a pair of Nålbinding socks for my Lord to wear on cold winter evenings. These socks were created in a wool/mohair blend in the Broden's

stitch using a modified pattern found in the "Lots of Socks" book by Larry Schmitt. If you look closely you can find the place were I ran out of wool

and had to order more from the supplier. Even though it was the same color code and product, the color was slightly different from one lot to the

other. This was a lesson in having enough material to complete the project. This was my first project in the Broden's stitch, and I am very pleased

with the outcome. Even though this stitch is much slower to work than the Oslo stitch, the added thickness and warmth is worth the additional time. I

would like to thank Gudrun Ottosdottir for teaching me this wonderful art. I've wanted to learn Nålbinding for years and took several classes but was

unable to learn the art until Gudrun taught me. She is a wonderful teacher!

Documentation

History

Nålbinding is a form of looped needle netting that predates knitting. Nålbinding articles have been dated from centuries before Christ well into the

twentieth century. After 1850 and the industrial revolution there was a decline in the creation of Nålbinding articles.

http://www.willadsenfamily.org/sca/isabel_as/socks/socks.htm

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Nålbinding Socks worked in the Brodén Stitch

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The Nålbinding socks from Egypt shown here are especially interesting because they made the socks with a

separate toe to accommodate the thong for their sandals. This is a child's sock done in red, blue, green, yellow, and

violet wool.

In the Viking age Nålbinding was used for articles such as hats, socks, mittens, milk strainers, and shoes. Several

different stitches were used, the simplest being the Danish stitch and the more complex stitches being the Asle and

Omani stitches. With all these stitches, the work advances in spirals around the article attaching new lengths of

yarn as needed. The new lengths of yarn are attached by felting the two pieces of yarn together using spit and heat

from rubbing your hands together. Unlike knitting, which is worked from a skein of yarn, Nålbinding requires you

to work with relatively short lengths of yarn that must be attached as the work progresses. For this reason, wool is

the best yarn for this art. Often finished mittens and other articles were decorated with embroidery or other needle

techniques in contrasting colors.

Tools

Nålbinding requires a large needle that resembles a blunt

sewing needle. Needles in period were made from wood,

bone, or bronze. Some needles have a single point with a

hole in one end and some are double pointed with a hole

in the middle of the needle. Nålbinding needles range in

size from about 10 cm long to 15 cm long. The needle

shown to the right, with a surviving mitten, was found in

Denmark.

http://www.willadsenfamily.org/sca/isabel_as/socks/socks.htm

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Nålbinding Socks worked in the Brodén Stitch

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The needles pictured here are classified as writing styli

made from bone. I disagree with the archeologists, I

think these are decorated Nålbinding needles.

Any scribe would look at these artifacts and conclude

that the point is not sharp enough to make pinholes in

parchment, the butt end is not smooth enough to burnish

gilding, and there is no reason for the holes to be drilled.

If you compare the bone "styli" with the

iron writing stylus pictured here, the iron

stylus does not have a hole in one end, has

a smooth butt end, and has a much sharper

point. Then if you compare the bone stylus

to a needle that the archeologists classify as

a Nålbinding needle, pictured with the mitten above, the bone styli are of a more similar shape and size to the classified Nålbinding needle.

Materials Used in Period

Wool was the most common material used for the articles. However some articles are worked in other materials. A silk Nålbinding cap from Antinoe

was recovered and a linen sock from Delemont Switzerland was recovered. I am not sure how the lengths of yarn were joined in the linen articles.

Wool and silk can be felted together but I am unaware of how linen could be joined in this fashion. I plan to experiment with linen in the future to

determine how it may have been joined.

Nålbinding stitches

There are several Nålbinding stitches used in period, each named for the location where it was found or the person who discovered it. They are the

Danish stitch, the Oslo stitch, the Korgen stitch, the Broden's Stitch, the Dalby stitch, the York stitch, the Saltdal stitch, the Asle stitch, and the

Omani stitch. The Danish stitch is the simplest stitch listed and the Omani stitch is one of the more complex stitches listed.

Please see the attached cards for examples of the stitches that I have learned how to do thus far. I have learned the Danish, Oslo, Korgen, Broden's,

York, and Asle stitch. I am not sure if I did the York stitch right so that card may be incorrect.

http://www.willadsenfamily.org/sca/isabel_as/socks/socks.htm

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Nålbinding Socks worked in the Brodén Stitch

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Nålbinding socks fall

into several common

techniques, all shown

to the right. The

Coptic sock from 16-

22 Coppergate seems

to have been worked

with a deliberate

front slit with work

started at the toe of

the sock. This sock

has what appears to

be a two-triangle

heel. The sock from

Uppsala, Sweden has

no front slit and

could be worked

from the ankle or the

toe. This sock

appears to have an

"afterthought" heel

worked in rounds. A

stocking found in

Delement,

Switzerland from the

12 th century is knee

height, has a two

triangle heel and has

a very pointed toe. A

pair of Nålbinding

stockings excavated

in the parish church

at Delsberg was

made of course linen.

Procedures and Materials

I choose to recreate a simple sock much like the medieval sock from Uppsala, Sweden in the Broden's Stitch. I used the pattern in Schmitt's book

"Lots of Socks" as my guide for these socks. I adjusted the pattern by lengthening the ankle portion of the socks to give my Lord a little more warmth

on cold winter nights.

Materials

Nålbinding needle and felting board (made by my lord)

Lamb's Pride Worsted Wool in White Frost ( 85% Wool, 15% Mohair)

I choose a wool/mohair blend instead of 100% wool for the socks because the texture of the yarn was much softer than the 100% wool. I also choose

an off white color because the color was more pleasing than a pure white. I also think the off white looks more like a natural color for wool. It

simulates an un-dyed pair of Nålbinding socks. As discussed in the Summary, I ran out of wool and, despite buying the exact same product and color

to finish the socks, the color match was not exact.

http://www.willadsenfamily.org/sca/isabel_as/socks/socks.htm

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Nålbinding Socks worked in the Brodén Stitch

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The Brodén's Stitch

I choose to use the Broden Stitch because it is much denser than the Oslo stitch and would provide a very warm thick sock for my Lord. The Broden's

stitch is worked as follows. The directions from "Lots of Socks" are so well written that I include them directly from the book:

"With a loop placed on the thumb and your running thread draped forward over the thumb, slide the needle behind the loop on the thumb and then

first over, then under the first three loops at the back of the thumb. Do not pull the needle entirely through these loops. Adjust the direction of the

needle picking up the two threads draped over the thumb so that it comes out "over" the loop on the thumb and "over" the thread that will form the

next stitch. The new loop is drawn up around the thumb as the needle is pulled through all the loops." (Schmitt p.14-15)

The Sock Pattern

The sock pattern for the simple sock from "Lots of Socks" is very similar to the sock I was trying to create. Below are the instructions for the socks

that I made, including my adjustments to the original pattern, which came from the aforementioned book.

Ankle

Start with a foundation of 81 loops.

Complete 10 rounds

Heel Opening

Work 42 loops free of previous row.

Reconnect to previous row on 43 rd loop.

Complete this round, 81 loops.

Work two rounds here.

For the next 7 rounds

Decrease 1 on either side of the foot.

Toe Shaping

For the next 2 rounds

Decrease 4 on either side of the foot.

For the next 2 rounds

Decrease 6 on either side of the foot.

Stitch up the opening with whipstitches.

Heel Shaping

Start at the middle on the sole side, work around, adding extra loops in the

corners.

For the next 1 round

Decrease 0 on either side of the foot.

For the next 4 rounds

Decrease 6 on either side of the foot.

Stitch up the opening with whipstitches. Full.

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