Thursday, August 7, 2008

Noro

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Although spring is just round the corner..... No truly it *is* just a few more weeks away - although the freezing temps and constant rain would have us all think otherwise....I really need a pair of mittens. My lovely Jet handwarmers have pilled horrendously which is very disappointing and I want to make me something nice and pretty and warm.

My nephews mittens were a great knit and there is an adult version of the pattern I thought I would try. I remembered I have 5 balls of Noro Kureyon (with no specific purpose) so I decided I would treat myself to some truly special mittens

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The mitten is too big so I'm going to frog it :( and go down a needle size. Length wise its fine but its a bit baggy round my hand and although functional as it is, I think for once in my life I will start over.

While I adore the blue and pink on the cuff I'm not that fond of green and orange so I might try a different ball that looks like it might have more blue and less green. I guess with this yarn you never really know what you'll get and its all part of the 'experience'. The colours are really deep and vibrant and quite amazing.

I did really like the colours and the way it knitted up. But....

Will I get flamed for this?

I don't really 'get' it. I mean, it was nice and everything, and I can almost forgive the knots, the bits of grass and the underspun bits. But having a colour change by way of one colour knotted to the next???!!! I dont know...not really my cup of tea (or ball of yarn). I guess I just like my yarn a little more....predictable?

Does that make me a boring knitter?

I didn't "hate" it, I guess I was just expecting to be more "wowed" by it.

Especially as here it costs about 4 times as much as a ball of 'regular' yarn. I didn't pay that much since Fi was selling it cheap - so in that respect I'm glad I did finally try it and didn't fork out huge amounts of cash for yarn I like but....well.... not that much.

Maybe my expectations were too high? After all, it is just a ball of yarn.

I see Nikki says she 'gets' NK now so perhaps its a case of trying again. I guess I just thought I'd fall in love..... not have to work at it.

8 comments:

Sharonnz said...

Not a boring knitter, an honest one;-) (I didn't see that my colour changes were knotted together? Must look next lot I use.) I like Noro...but not enough to ever invest in a whole garments worth.

erika~ the inspired mama said...

NK isn't my favorite yarn either. i think the colors are gorgeous but i don't really like knitting it and the knots (and the price!) drive me crazy!

i think i knit a pair of arm warmers out of that same colorway. i used 2 balls of yarn, same colorway, same dyelot, and the second arm warmer has colors that aren't anywhere in the first. i kinda like them, all mis-matched like that though! :)

xo,
erika

Anonymous said...

I have mixed feelings about Noro too. Love the colours (haven't had any knotted colour changes - yet!) but can't really get my head round the general 'twiggyness' of Kureyon and Silk Garden.

Anonymous said...

I've experienced the same thing Gabes, and had the knot thing happen in my $17 a ball Silk Garden!! I love Noro more in the ball than I do knit up in most instances, however, for felted projects, especially where you want that stripey look, that's where the Noro love comes in :D Can't wait to see how version 2 comes out :D

Anonymous said...

i'm with you on this one. i love to stand in front of the shelves of variegated yarns in the store, and i certainly have a small stash of them, but i find them almost impossible to appreciate knit up. even when the colorways are gorgeous, somehow i can't appreciate the way they come together in a a garment as much as the way they look in the skein.

Unknown said...

I know what you mean. I was ready to be totally in love with the NK sock yarn, but when I saw it in person and felt it with my own hands, disappointment. I think we all have different yarn taste, just like in food or fashion, so there's no way to please everyone. That said, the colors are fabulous!

Fi said...

I didn't love it the first tiime I used it, but I adore it now. In saying that, I love SG more than Kureyon, but I think if you get the right project, and the right colours.... Awesome.

Bugger about the knots. There are occasional ones. I get maybe 1 knot in about every 2-3 balls, and usually they are in totally wierd places. So thats when I pick up a different ball, felt a join in a good colour matching spot, and go for it again. Means odd balls at the end, but thats OK.

Some people also skip whole colours out of the range - so you could knit them again, and just leave out the orange and green - save all thsoe bits for another project.

I think the mitten looks great anyway.

Rebecca said...

I am in the 'I'm not wowed by it club' too - It is okay...... BUT i won't be forking out $15.00 a ball again......