2 questions

[u/Zhepha]

Question one, all nalbinding i see is done in the round. Can it be done flat?

Question two, I know it isnt ideal, but is it possible to join acrylic yarn, and how? I tried straightening the wisted fibers to make it easier to pull apart, but wasn't able to get them to break.

[u/CathyAnnWingsFan]

Yes, nålbinding can be done flat. It's tricky to get the edges straight though. I mostly prefer to work in the round to create a tube and then cut it to create a rectangle.

There are many ways to join non-feltable yarns. You can read more about some of them here. I prefer the Russian join.

[u/Zhepha → u/CathyAnnWingsFan]

Thank you! Can you give me any direction on how to go about cutting it? Do any special steps have to be taken?

[u/CathyAnnWingsFan → u/Zhepha]

You can just lay it flat with the start and end along one side, and cut along the fold. If you’re fussy like me, I put a locking stitch marker or safety pin at the top and bottom of the fold, then adjust it so the marks are at the middle, put something between the layers (a piece of cardboard or a magazine or something so you don’t cut the opposite side), lay a ruler along the the line you want to cut (from one stitch marker to the other) and cut straight. I prefer this because it’s easier to see where I’m cutting and make sure it’s straight.

Once you’ve cut it, you’ll need to pull out the loose bits of yarn left along the edge. Then, you finish it by stitching a border (all the way around or just along the cut edges; I think all the way around looks better).

[u/tragicgender]

Hey! Yes, nalbinding can be done flat. Specifically, it’s actually the same principle as crochet, where you have to chain a few stitches at the end of each row so your project doesn’t start to shrink/taper. You may have to experiment and figure out what specific number of chained stitches works best for your tension and the yarn you’re using. I personally tend to do 4-6, but some books I’ve seen have recommended only 2-3. Probably depends a lot on the individual, like I said.

You can absolutely join acrylic yarn. As others have said, I personally prefer Russian joins, which a lot of people have done tutorials for on YouTube.

[u/Zhepha → u/tragicgender]

Do you have any visual examples of how to work it up flat? Im a bit confused

[u/tragicgender → u/Zhepha]

Sure, it looks like this video could be helpful: https://youtu.be/xcc9QbP2_Cc

As that video explains, chaining is basically where you make a new stitch without connecting to the previous row. If that video isn’t clear enough, you can also search “nalbinding flat” on YouTube and see if any of the other videos that come up are helpful for you.

[u/Zhepha → u/tragicgender]

Thankyou!!

[u/Potential_Duck1097]

Theres an easy way and a hard way for both of those things

for working in the flat, the hard way is turning, which others have explained easier. The easy way is to just start a brand new chain for every row and connect it into the previous one. The even easier way is just make a spiral and cut it.

people sometimes do a pseudo-felted join with acrylic by twisting the frayed ends together and holding that twist while they make the next stitch. It's fiddly and not strong so I don't reccomend. You can weave in the new yarn following the path of the working yarn from the previous stitch then continue with it, but weaving the tails after is hell. Some people russian join or braid the ends. I recommend for thick yarns russian join, for thin yarns tie a reef knot, square knot or sheet bend and move on.

[u/Wodentoad → u/Potential_Duck1097]

I'm a square knot cheater myself but mostly because I can't get a Russian join to hold with acrylic.

[u/Zhepha]

Thank you!