Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Nalbinding and what happened next

 I got interested in nalbinding, after looking at sprang, which is a netting idea. Nalbinding is sn ancient Scandinavian textile form, related to knitting and crochet but done with a single large big-eyed needle .

In the course of doing that,  I noticed Sally Pointer was using her own natural cordage, string to me, so of course before doing sprang or nalbinding I thought I'd learn to make my own thread to use 


 Like spinning your own yarn, always more fun to make rather than buy. Also I can always use string for houseplants and outside.

And I found another maker showing how to make cordage from daylily foliage, of which I have plenty waiting to be tidied up.

In previous years I've converted daylily and iris foliage into hand made paper. This year it's string.

Up shortly after dawn, can't sleep well anyway propped up to protect my eye, I thought the heck with my shoulder, I can just do a bit of making or I'll perish from the need to make.

Out at five, still cool, and there's a supply right at the step. 

Already pre damped by the sprinkler, ready to go.

Pausing only to appreciate the Russian sage coming out with the last of the daylilies and the first of the brown eyed susans


I gathered up an armful of daylily foliage 


Separated out the green ones, split them and put them on the deck to dry out


Then started learning to make string.



And here's my first try, with two joins, so as to have a continuous length. It's bumpy beginner work but strong . 

Now I'm thinking of making a supply and dyeing it with some of the natural dyes I have in the freezer, so as to use it for a coiled basket kibd of container. 

What fun, all before breakfast. Temps will be high again today so I had to get out early to do this. Very happy despite whining shoulder.

Yesterday more kitchen table politics. Here's MoveOn's new sticker, now on my front door to greet anyone who comes.



Old, but not done yet!

Happy day everyone, keep hope alive. Si, se puede! And support Ukraine. Slava Ukraine! Home and abroad, it's all about freedom.



13 comments:

  1. So interesting. Here I am with my own crop of day lily leaves. Thanks!
    Love your door greeting sign.

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  2. Our ancestors must have made string similarly. Fascinating, Boud and before breakfast! Stay cool today!

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  3. I love your creativity, you are an inspiration. Never stop learning, creating, doing. I'm sure you are a happy woman, living your best life.

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  4. Wonderful and I love the door sign too!

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  5. Day lily foliage into string! Who would have ever thought? And your string looks amazing!

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  6. You never cease to amaze me. I have a whole garden full of daylilies. Maybe I'll give it a try.

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  7. Making cordage from daylilies is interesting.

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  8. In a million years I would not have thought of making any sort of cord from day lilies.

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  9. Wow daylilies! That string looks like promising basket material.

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  10. I looked up nalbinding after I read about it here, and realized I have that bone tool among my grandmother's array of bone tools. I'll give it a try one of these days.

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  11. I read that as nail biting and immediately jumped to the conclusion that something dire had happened. That'll teach me to pay more attention! Never would have thought to make string from daylilies and now I'm looking forward to seeing the basket you plan to weave.

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  12. Good for you.
    We have lots of day lilies. Maybe I'll have to get the children making string but first I need to find the link.

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  13. Just use the title in my pic up there, on YouTube.

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