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Naalbinding declined when knitting arrived—the knitting technique was faster, produced adequate if not superior fabric, allowed larger-scale production.
The Competition:
Knitting with two needles and continuous yarn was faster than naalbinding—same amount of yarn produced more fabric in less time. For producing trade goods or clothing for large families, knitting’s speed was decisive advantage.
The knitted fabric’s tendency to unravel was disadvantage, but not fatal one—careful finishing could prevent or minimize problem, and speed advantage outweighed durability loss in many applications.
The Persistence:
Naalbinding persisted in limited contexts—remote regions, traditional households, for specific items where properties were superior. Some communities maintained technique through 19th century, though by then it was recognized as old-fashioned, associated with poverty or stubbornness.
The Rediscovery:
Modern interest in historical crafts has revived naalbinding—people learning technique from archaeological evidence and surviving traditions, creating reproductions, experimenting with variations. The revival is not economic necessity but cultural preservation, connection to ancestral skills, appreciation for technique’s unique properties.
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