My first replica socks

[xylaria]

I have just finished making my first pair of nalbinding socks. They were roughly based on this one from 10centry york. Nalbinding produces a far more weather resistant fabric than knitting and is still used in scandinavia to make mittens and other garments.

I did a differant type of heel than there was on the original, mainly due to my lack of experiance, but I used the same stitch. The socks were made 10% bigger and then felted to fit. To do this I washed the final socks in the washing machine on a 40c fast spin wash. I used 100gms of prespun 3ply pure wool I got from a charity shop (copyright 1976!!!).

The finish product is nothing like a knitted sock, more like a strechy felt slipper. The felting also forgave those beginners errors, and has produced a firm strong fabric that I can't wait to test out in some mean weather and pair of sandles .

 

[Mike Ameling]

Great job! Well done!

Too many people poo-poo those old crafts and ways of making things. But those old ways survived for all these years because THEY WORKED. And few people think about doing that "fulling" step at the end - even with their knitted stuff. It REALLY helps the final item.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands
- who needs to get busy sewing up some chausons - booties sewn up from wool material

 

[Toddy]

Nice one ! Very well done

How long did they take to make ? I've just re-learned how best to wind footwraps to wear under my courrans at the Crannog this weekend, and was wondering about just felting a pair of bootee things instead. They're warm though.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[ForgeCorvus]

So, are they waterproof?

Nice work though :notworthy

errmm.......you know its coming up to Yule...........no chance then :sulkoff:

 

[robin wood]

very impressive.

 

[xylaria]

Coppergate stitch is probably one of the most time consuming nalbinding stitches (its the simplest), the broader more complicated stitches from finland and iceland are the fastest. Mr xylaria has been watching the whole run of battlestar galacticca on DVD and it has basically took as many hours as it takes to watch every episode of it. A hat in olso stitch took me about 8 hours, but like most things it becomes quicker with practice. Allegedly a mitten in the headbangingly difficult omani stitch can be done in one hour.

Some Nadelbinding stitches: http://home.arcor.de/bedankbar/english/nadelbinden%20stiche.htm#oooooo

If I had used oil on wool, or treated with lanolin they would be waterproof, they are pretty thick as is and water has to try quite hard to get through as it does with tweed.

 

[addo]

Look great. I borrowed some mitts when up in Norway with a similar knit and shrunk down, very very warm and more robust than my modern wool ones.

If youve gone to the trouble of making these, it'll prob be first prize for the upcoming meet for the rest of the outfit!

 

[Indoorsout]

Fantastic job! Did you ever do those nalbinding starter kits you were thinking of doing? If so I'm still interested.

 

[xylaria]

Fantastic job! Did you ever do those nalbinding starter kits you were thinking of doing? If so I'm still interested.

No. The wool I got was from meat sheep, and some of the fibres are bit on the short side to spin easily and evenly. It still felts great up so i will find a use for it. I have found an easier cast on method than barnard's site. Casting on i find is the hardest bit.