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ikkivan
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
434 Posts |
 Posted - 02/20/2010 : 09:08:26 AM
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I have used Noro Silk Garden for several items, and it reminds me of my love/hate affair with sewing corduroy (or velveteen) ... every time I knit (or sew) with these materials, I swear I'll never do it again. But I always do. My main gripe with Noro is the knot I ALWAYS find in each skein, and it ALWAYS means an abrupt, out-of-order color change. Argh#$%!!
I knit a hat and scarf set for an auction out of the Noro Transitions and had to go through it to put the angora sections where I wanted them (as on brim of hat). Sometimes I rewind the yarn to find knots and then splice the color segments together to put it back in order, although I resent having to do that. And yes, I got a sticker once that actually drew blood! Duh, and I'll probably use it again because I love the look of this yarn. I have four skeins of silk garden; maybe I'll try a moebius scarf, as has been suggested. I'll also try the conditioner rinse.
Donna, with intentions always bigger than her available time. |
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Consuelo
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2010 : 6:15:37 PM
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Donna, I TOTALLY know where you're coming from. I started this thread and swore off Noro and guess what I'm knitting with right now? Noro, what else! But I did switch to Noro Silk Garden instead of that g-- awful all wool stuff. The colors is the deal - they are amazing!
Consuelo
"Tavel is fatal to prejudice" Mark Twain |
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Lanea
Permanent Resident
USA
5159 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2010 : 06:05:34 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by abt1950
Carol,
How did the Mini Mochi hold up? I'm knitting socks from it now and generally like it. I have a few reservations about it's potential feltability and found a knot with a color order reversal on the first skein.
Anne in NJ
Anne, I made a pair of socks in Mini Mochi last fall and was also worried about their durability. I've worn them several times since then and washed them repeatedly on gentle cycle and air dried them, and so far so good. I did have one skein that was very poorly plied, so that sock is a mess with lots and lots of joins. I have the sense they won't last as long as many of my other socks, but they are soft and pretty.
I think I'll save this particular yarn for hats and scarves from now on.
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Shelia
Permanent Resident
USA
2317 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2010 : 11:40:40 AM
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Well, I'll be totally honest here and say that I really like Noro yarns, have used them quite a bit, and have never found a knot that disturbed the color pattern to any significant degree. I've also knitted with handspun that was marked with outrageous prices (didn't pay them, I'm a spinner, too) that had way more vegetable matter than any Noro yarn I've used. In fact, other than a few very small pieces of dried grass, I've not found much in the yarn.
Count me as a Noro fan!
Shelia
www.letstalkstash.blogspot.com
ravelry name - sheliaknits |
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PBELKNAP
Permanent Resident
USA
1127 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2010 : 1:48:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Schaeferyarnlover
I knit a turtleneck with Noro and can wear it next to my skin because of a tip I found here on KR years ago. After I knit it, I gave it a good soak in hair conditioner (I use Dove). The difference is amazing and it works because wool is really sheep hair right?
As for your two skeins,how about a pair of gloves? I made some for my sister and then soaked them and she loves them!
How much hair conditioner, for a sweater? I'm knitting a sweater that I'd like to soften up a bit...
*************************
WIP = Socks (k), Ladybug Afghan (c).
Done this year: Sheep-Go-Round Sweater (k)
Twitter Name = WildKnitter
If I could only do this for a living... |
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Schaeferyarnlover
Gabber Extraordinaire
481 Posts |
Posted - 02/22/2010 : 6:05:06 PM
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A nice generous squirt in the kitchen sink if you can. Coolish,tepid water and let it soak overnight. Let us know how it turns out!
Debra |
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abt1950
Permanent Resident
3019 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2010 : 1:30:55 PM
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Lanea,
Thanks for the info. I finished my Mini Mochi socks too. The colors are gorgeous, but I got tired of the texture of the yarn by the end of the second sock. I haven't had a chance to wear them yet--they're low man in the sock rotation at the moment.
Anne in NJ
Knit long and prosper |
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Nitaks2
Warming Up
USA
73 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2010 : 07:55:55 AM
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I LOVE the colorways in Noro, but, I can't abide the price! Too darned much!!!! So, I tend to leave it where I found it. Although, I haven't tried it, I've seen that Plymouth Boku stuff, I wonder if that might be a better option in terms of your wallet???? I intend to try it..
Anyway, hope this helps!
Nita |
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Coolj
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 1:11:15 PM
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A few years ago I mentioned on KR how my friend, Marian, left me her stash when she passed away. Marian was a delightful person and dearly loved bright, colorful yarns. In her stash, there was a large canvas bag chock-full with some small, some large balls of Noro's Kochoran. I had been looking for something to make the Stay-Put Wrap by Mags Kandis, and the Kochoran gauge would work. IMHO, Kochoran is a softer and better behaved yarn than Kureyon or some of the others and was exactly what I had in mind. When I really dug through the bag, I realized what Marian had done--she had simply cut out the colors she didn't particularly like and separated them from those she liked. There must have been 35 balls of Kochoran in there!
I've been working on the wrap off and on for a year, and I picked it up again last week. I'm almost finished with the sleeves, but I still have about 40 ends to weave in! It has truly been a labor of love, and I grin whenever I think of Marian cutting out all those unwanted colors.
Juanita |
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Consuelo
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
582 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2010 : 7:13:19 PM
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Oh, my goodness, Juanita. I can just imagine how much "fun" you'll have weaving all those ends in. What a crazy / cool idea to cut out the colors you don't like. Your friend was gutsy. Thanks for sharing.
Consuelo
"Travel is fatal to prejudice" Mark Twain |
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Lanea
Permanent Resident
USA
5159 Posts |
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Coolj
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - 03/11/2010 : 07:38:12 AM
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Lanea,
The Stay-Put Wrap is an incredibly easy pattern, but it might be a good idea to buy extra yarn. As written, it's way too small. I'm on the tall side and had to cast on additional stitches. The back is too small, so I had to make it a FEW INCHES longer! Then, I had to lengthen the wrap.
I'm very pleased with the Kochoran, and I will post a picture when it's finished.
Juanita
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Lanea
Permanent Resident
USA
5159 Posts |
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mathiemom
Chatty Knitter
USA
229 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2010 : 10:26:57 AM
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I do think that there's considerable variation between types of Noro in terms of softness. I recently made a Lady Eleanor Shawl out of Silk Garden Chunky, and the colorway was oh-so-beautiful. Everywhere I take that shawl (even when I was working on it), I'd get compliments from complete strangers. BUT . . . I did get the vegetal matter. I agree with those who said that it's part of the Noro experience, and that you just have to decide if you can tolerate it or not. But the thing that made me really annoyed is that there were MANY knots, and the colors attached after the knots were completely out of sequence. This meant that I had to frequently finesse things (for example, start a whole new ball of yarn and maybe working in the rest of the partial ball at some later point) to avoid major color pools. Very annoying. I can tolerate a lot from a yarn, but this drove me bananas, especially considering the price of this yarn.
Wendy |
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azblueskies
Permanent Resident
2300 Posts |
Posted - 05/10/2010 : 12:07:47 PM
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I have some Noro I've been working with....no knots but I hate the colors! I've been toying with overdying it. Anyone ever tried that with this yarn?
azblue
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So much to learn, so little time. |
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Janadanu
New Pal
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2011 : 1:57:33 PM
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I wish I'd been a member here and had read this thread before I bought a whole bunch of this stuff. Lovely colours I think, but...
Kureon- Harsh and overly fuzzy. Weak. I gave it a slight tug on a join, and was gobsmacked when the yarn just parted. 
That was no fun. Didn't see any knots...in this one.
Chirumen- KNOTS! Oh good grief, here a knot, there a knot, everywhere a knot, knot, and that was a bummer. Also some weird raggy stuff that I had to trim out.
Silk Garden - What's the first thing I find, 6 inches in to the skein? A knot. What a surprise. I'll use it to make the project, which calls for it, I'm prepared for lumber and other detritus, as well as more knots. But I'm knot impressed. 
I do like the colours. it's a shame the quality isn't there. Especially considering what I paid for it.
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sgoldfried
Seriously Hooked
Canada
769 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2011 : 06:39:44 AM
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hi
i have knitted with noro and it is rough
but the colors are really beautiful
i usually make scarfs or shawls
it ripped my hands to pieces so i started knitting the noro with a
silky yarn throughout
it knits up beautifly
now you cant knit socks or sweaters
but for shawls a scarfs it comes out very nicely
sylvia |
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lella
Permanent Resident
9701 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2011 : 4:30:49 PM
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I'm knitting the fronts and sleeves of a Silk Garden sweater for my daughter. She chose the yarn, a Christmas present, VERY expensive from a tony shop, then she knit the back but ran out of time to finish it.
I will try to be kind here...
I just do not like Noro Silk Garden, and will probably seek an alternative if I ever knit this pattern again. Matching this yarn is crazy, absolutely crazy making (!), and I can see why they recommend dry cleaning on the tags because what I have doesn't seem balanced well or spun well.
It's like a beautiful, evil, yarn that drags you in with the color, and eats your brain alive. I've swatch/knit off three balls trying to find a match for the second front piece. And yes, the knots, and yes, the sweepings off the floor quality of it. To me, it looks like my own beginners yarn; it's charming but no other redeeming qualities, other than the softness from the Cashmere, and the play of the colors.
Lella
Zippiknits
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.
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Greyling
Gabber Extraordinaire
576 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2011 : 6:50:26 PM
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The LYS used Noro for a beginner felted bag class. Terrible to knit with, but I felted it to make a nice bowl for yarn snippets.
Used Noro again for the "entrelac scarf" and could not stand it. So many knots per skein. Some yardage between knots was a mere 8 inches. Good for Noro, bad for knitters.
No thanks. Will not be purchasing again. I do not want 24 knots per skien. Too wasteful. |
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minh
Permanent Resident and Destasher Extraordinnaire
USA
3416 Posts |
Posted - 12/10/2011 : 11:04:03 PM
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Now I remember why I don't knit with Noro!
A long time ago I knitted a scarf out of Noro Kureyon. The knots in the skeins drove me crazy and the yarn was so scratchy that I decided not to knit with it anymore. This week I took a crochet class for a cowl that showcases variegated yarns: the sample was made out of Kureyon but I decided to be smart (hah!) and picked Silk Garden instead thinking that it would be softer. There was only one knot per skein this time but the little "threads" in the yarn are really putting me off. I don't mind a rustic look (like tweed or a good farm yarn) but as someone said, this is more like floor sweepings...
http://minkyknits.blogspot.com |
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totally UNDERwhelmed by Noro
