nålebinding

thumb|Nålebound socks from Egypt (300–500 CE)thumb|Mittens done in "nålebinding" thumb|Swedish nålebinding mittens, late 19th century

Nålebinding (Swedish, Danish and Norwegian: literally 'binding with a needle' or 'needle-binding', also naalbinding, nålbinding, nålbindning, or naalebinding) is a fabric creation technique predating both knitting and crochet. Also known in English as "knotless netting", "knotless knitting", or "single-needle knitting", the technique is distinct from crochet in that it involves passing the full length of the working thread through each loop, unlike crochet where the work is formed only of loops, never involving the free end. It also differs from knitting in that lengths must be pieced together during the process of nålebinding, rather than a continuous strand of yarn that can easily be pulled out. Archaeological specimens of fabric made by nålebinding can be difficult to distinguish from knitted fabric.