Netting needle
A netting needle is a tool for making and repairing fishing nets and other knotted netting. It carries a supply of thread, allowing it to pass through the work without handling the entire loose length each time. Shape and size vary according to use.
Norway's Yrjar local heritage collection documents wooden examples, including tongue-type needles from Vanvikan in record YHL1218. It also describes brass and iron tools of different shapes. Old catalogue terminology alone therefore does not establish material. Distinguish the needle from the netting gauge used to determine mesh size.
When recording an example, photograph its openings, points, wear, dimensions and any surviving thread. A flat netting needle should not automatically be identified as a weaving shuttle or an ordinary sewing needle. Documented use and comparable museum objects provide stronger evidence than shape alone.
