I attended a class on nalbinding two weeks ago when I was at an event. I sat through a two hour introduction where I was given pretty thorough instructions and then the next day I sat through another class where there were entirely too many students and three lefties (like me) who got their own TA. I walked away from the class with the knowledge of how to do a basic stitch, a pattern for a tote, and a skein of yarn. Four days later I completed my tote.

I set out to learn nalbinding because it is very old and someone suggested to me that the Herental flowers may have been done with a nalbinding stitch. I do not believe that to be the case – I am sure now that they are needle lace – most likely detached buttonhole stitch in some twist or another. But I actually had to do nalbinding in order to figure that out.

And immediately after completing my tote I found myself at the Lama farm where I could purchase a ton of fibers for making even more stuff. I bought several balls of chunky wool yarn and two really super soft skeins of Alpaca yarn. And the next day I started project number two which will be a hat when it is complete. Without a pattern, after having read someone else’s notes on how they created a hat, I set off to make a hat. I do believe I’m moving in the correct direction (I’m about half finished) as it fits very nicely on my head but is not quite long enough to cover my ears yet.

I have to contrast this hat with a linen hood that I am also constructing. I purchased a custom-made linen hood last year and had her make me a pattern as well so that I might make some additional hoods in other colors. But right from the start I have felt that the initial hood was just a wee bit too small for my head as I had difficulties keeping it in place. I set out to fix that problem by making a hood out of a much softer fabric – namely a silk and linen blend that I had some suitable scraps of. I like this fabric because of its light weight and course softness. Yes – I do mean course softness – it is very lush and soft but has enough texture that it should not just slip out of my hair. I’ve had this fabric for years and I never could figure out what to do with it until I cut it into a nightie that I have yet to finish constructing. There was, sadly, very little of the fabric to start with.

So – comparing and contrasting the hat with the hood: I prefer having no pattern and just more of a general idea of the direction to go so I don’t get lost or get bogged down in details. Either is an equally nice project for working on in the car. The hat is going to be completed long before the hood!