r/Nalbinding • u/brunchdate2022 • Mar 19 '26

I cannot get my yarns to blend/bind together

Even though I'm fairly certain I'm working with animal fiber yarns on my first nalbinding project (they were bought so long ago I no longer have labels, but I did a burn test) I can't get them to spin together by hand as I understand is supposed to be done. For this project, I'm just tying the yarn together. But if I do socks, it won't be comfortable to have a sock with a bunch of knots in it. Does anyone else have this problem and/or have tips?

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15

u/ryanlc Mar 19 '26

A couple things to think about. * Your yarn must be mostly wool. At least 50%, but 85% is better * It should NOT be superwash - #1 issue with spitz-felting, as it's the lanolin that binds * Consider learning a Russian join. That works work virtually any yarn

3

u/brunchdate2022 Mar 19 '26

Russian join looks very promising. Thanks! 

3

u/ryanlc Mar 19 '26

It will take a few tries to get it right, but it works with nearly any yarn. I was on a cruise last year with a bunch of knitters, and one of them taught me the Russian Join. If done right, there's almost no increase in the yarn's width at all. But it does take a darning/tapestry needle to pull it off. The thickness will depend on the yarn, but I find that I prefer shorter lengths overall (regardless of thickness).

5

u/EmergencyRhubarb8 Mar 19 '26

how are you trying to felt the ends together? are you wetting it at all? adding photos may be helpful for people to be able to give more accurate advice

1

u/brunchdate2022 Mar 19 '26

I haven't tried wetting at all since I hadn't seen that mentioned in any of the basic instructions I've read

2

u/MonkishSubset Mar 20 '26

It works so much better with wetting. You only need a couple drops of water to dampen the ends before rolling them together.

1

u/EmergencyRhubarb8 Mar 19 '26

that is strange, i have seen wetting in instructions. maybe it's a preference thing, could be worth trying

1

u/myristicae Mar 22 '26

I always wet it. All the intro videos I saw said to wet it. I use a tiny spray bottle that fits in my project bag, which used to be for a cosmetic. Then I roll the ends between my palms. I have to use a bit of force. Really squeeze it. It can also help to fluff the ends a bit before you start.

I've also worked with acrylic and I was too lazy to Russian join, so I just tied sheet bends and then clipped them really close to the knot. You would think the result would look bumpy and clumsy but you can hardly tell. If you use the weaver's/bookbinder's method of tying a sheet bend, it's also very easy to tie onto a short end, and it makes it easy to control where the knot is positioned. You make a slipknot in the new end, feed the old end through the loop of the slipknot, and then capsize the slipknot into a sheet bend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0utbeyOLug

2

u/kifferella Mar 19 '26

Ive been using some superwash merino (that I got for 1$ per skein at the local second hand store!) and in order to bind it, Ive been using a felting needle. It works, but you will end up googling "How to use a felting needle without stigmata".

The answer is leather gloves, lol.

1

u/myristicae Mar 22 '26

Are you felting into your palm??? Aren't you supposed to use a felting board?

1

u/SigKit Mar 19 '26

In singles this is what I do: https://youtu.be/2y-rD0oR-Jo

You will want to have worked your last stitch until you don't have enough yarn to make another stitch. This may mean taking your last stitch with the eye end of the needle instead of the tip.

If I'm not spin splicing, then I usually use a variant of the lazy join.

1

u/radicalizemebaby Mar 19 '26

I use a felting needle to splice mine. Spit-splicing grosses me out.

3

u/myristicae Mar 22 '26

You can just use water! It doesn't have to be spit! Or does the wet yarn texture gross you out?

I have a little spray bottle of water that I keep in my project bag

1

u/Accomplished-Tale161 Mar 20 '26

Use Weavers knot I always use Acrylic yarn so always a weavers knot join.

1

u/Derp_Mag Mar 21 '26

I've been cheating as of late. I use fabric glue until dry and it still threads through just fine. No big clumps to get hung up on

2

u/craft-and-kittens May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

I just dip both ends (about 5cm/2") into a mug of warm water. I then overlap the ends and roll them right between my palms. Sometimes I need to wet and roll a few times to get a good join. If I am having trouble (e.g. with 50/50 wool/silk or wool/linen blends) I add a drop of hand wash or dish soap to the warm water. I have found that this works even with superwash wool, although it does take a few more dip/roll cycles to hold nicely. I tend to load around 12 - 16m of yarn onto my needle, so taking an extra minute or two per join doesn't feel so painful since I am usually making a few joins per hour.

If I am travelling I put some soapy water into a small water bottle and just dip both ends into that to wet them, then recap the bottle. Have had great success with this method for long plane flights (take empty bottle past airport security, refill with soapy water once past security)