|
I read Penelope Trunk’s Reality Check for Bloggers post this morning over my oatmeal.* I started pondering her point about controversial opinions. I wondered if I had any controversial knitting opinions.
Then I suddenly remembered how much I hate Noro yarn. Hate, hate hate.
I hate Silk Garden because I’m allergic to mohair. And the mohair fibers are so tiny and sucky that when you knit with it, the fibers come flying out, and within ten minutes my eyes start to swell up.
I hate Kureyon because it contains 95% wool, 5% sticks, bits of string, recycled fiberglass insulation, and “crap we swept up from the floor of the warehouse.”
I hate their sock yarn because even though I hate everything else Noro makes, I still somehow got suckered into paying $19.95 for a crappy skein of yarn. Noro sock yarn, let me count the ways in which I hate you:
1. Horribly over-spun. I was constantly having to un-kink the knots that the yarn tied itself into.
2. Fiber content (70% wool, 30% nylon) inaccurate. Actual fiber content: 70% wool recycled from military blankets, 30% twine and fiberglass insulation.
3. Too tiny. Although I have knit socks at 8 st/inch in the past, I just don’t have that kind of time these days.
4. TWENTY BUCKS ARE YOU KIDDING ME.
Even after washing, my Noro/Knit Picks Essential combo socks (knit with one strand of each held together) are stiff and scratchy. I regret ever having purchased this yarn. I doubly regret actually knitting it, instead of donating or swapping it.
FIGHT THA POWA. NORO SUCKS.
* I agree with every point she makes, by the way. I make a living (such as it is) as a professional blogger… but not here.
Tags: Noro Hate
Comments (26)
TrackBack
« Back
| First | Home | RSS |
Forward »
|
I always read about how great Noro is, and every time I pick it up in the store I think, “Wow, that’s scratchy,” and put it back, thinking I must be the only person in the entire universe immune to the siren song of Noro. I am not alone! Thank you!
I love your blog, by the way. Found my way over from a link on Mason Dixon, and now I am addicted to Sims Sunday. And I don’t even play it. Great writing!
Comment by Sara L. —
April 22, 2009 @ 1:26 pm
--------------------------
Amen, sister.
I do like the colorways and the long striping patterns… but really. The imitators (Poems, fer intstance) I’m seeing here and there are SO much easier on the hands. I’ll see it in the magazine or the store, go ‘oh shiny’, then actually lay my hands on it and check the pricetag… and put it right down again. No thanks.
(Then I’ll go find the alpaca corner and pet the skeins until my hands start to forgive me.)
Comment by Misha Day —
April 22, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
--------------------------
I can tolerate, even enjoy, Noro Silk Garden, but the rest of their yarn can go suck an egg as far as I am concerned.
Wait. You are a professional blogger somewhere? Will you tell us so we can come over and harass you there?
Comment by kmkat —
April 22, 2009 @ 1:57 pm
--------------------------
I wish I could disagree with you. Very expensive and often has knots just when the color was doing what you wanted it to.
Comment by LisaK —
April 22, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
--------------------------
I am so glad I am not alone in my Noro hate. As with kmkat I can tolerate their Noro Silk Garden but I can get hand spun I like way better from people I actually like. Is it just me or do all their colourways look like they have been rinsed in a vat of dirty brush water. Oh yeah, and it’s totally scratchy! Ewww. Ok venting is over.
Comment by Katharine —
April 22, 2009 @ 2:32 pm
--------------------------
I like the colors, but SO HARSH, that yarn. I made a pair of socks and my fingers were sore – ridiculous!
Comment by Patti —
April 22, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
--------------------------
I love the colorways but the sockyarn made me literally cry. So overspun. So easily broken.
And it seems like ALL the brands of the cool, long-repeat, funky-color sockyarn are the same (like Mini Mochi).
I like regular Noro Kureyon OK, though. Though I admit I like the behavior of something like Cascade 220 better.
Comment by fillyjonk —
April 22, 2009 @ 4:01 pm
--------------------------
I, like you, hate Noro. Sometimes I forget and try again but it’s always the same. I am not so happy with the colors. They look good in the ball but when they come out, blec. I also HATE the number of knots. I had a ball that had four knots in it.
Good thing there’s other stuff to knit with.
Comment by Heidi —
April 22, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
--------------------------
I was also not impressed with Noro. I wanted to buy some on my last trip to Japan because I thought it would make a nice (and appropriate) souvenir. I tromped all around Tokyo to find it and when I did I couldn’t bring myself to spend that much for that scratchy yarn. Oh well.
Comment by lisa eaton —
April 22, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
--------------------------
Controversial? Apparently not, since everyone seems to be agreeing with you! Including me. I admit to liking the colors, but haven’t found any of their yarns at all appealing. I made a Booga bag a few years ago and was delighted when I was finally done and didn’t have to knit with that yarn anymore! Except for the dyeing, I really do not understand the Noro love that so many people feel. Glad to hear I’m not alone!
Comment by --Deb —
April 22, 2009 @ 5:29 pm
--------------------------
There’s a new Noro that’s pretty scrumptious… Taiyo.
http://www.yarnmarket.com/yarn/Noro_Yarn-Taiyo_Yarn-4182.html
But feel free to hate it, I’m not offended. I love the colors of Noro, but it definitely has drawbacks. And the sock yarn is NOT my friend.
Comment by PlazaJen —
April 22, 2009 @ 6:15 pm
--------------------------
I like Noro, although I agree with all of your criticisms, so I have to give you a Funny (1).
Comment by Christy —
April 22, 2009 @ 9:41 pm
--------------------------
What PlazaJen said about Noro Taiyu – it’s softer/less scratchy than Kureyon, for instance. And I do like the Noro colors. So can’t say I’m a hater, but agree with most of the points made about bits of trees and leaves in the wool.
Comment by MaryLou —
April 22, 2009 @ 10:43 pm
--------------------------
LOL! Now, don’t you beat around the bush – tell us how you REALLY feel!
I’ve always thought that bandwagons weren’t nearly as cool as everyone wants to think they are.
Comment by T. —
April 22, 2009 @ 11:35 pm
--------------------------
I’m another one who has set the yarn back down because it’s a) scratchy and b) pricey. Love the colors, but can’t see the sense of spending the price of my mortgage payment for yarn that feels like twine.
And what’s all this about another blog?
Comment by gayle —
April 23, 2009 @ 3:27 am
--------------------------
Okay I’m so glad I found your blog on the free pattern website. Gonna stalk you from now on.
Comment by Rain —
April 23, 2009 @ 3:34 am
--------------------------
Did you weigh the skein? My 100g skein only weighed 92g. Grrrr. I was not impressed. The skein also had a knot which caused an abrupt colour change. Argh. On the plus side, the socks really softened up after washing and the yarn bloomed.
Comment by Geri —
April 23, 2009 @ 5:36 am
--------------------------
I love people who say fucking with gusto and great abandon!
Comment by leslie —
April 23, 2009 @ 11:10 am
--------------------------
wow – I somehow thought there was something wrong with me when I went to a fancy yarn shop, (with yarn snobs who hardly spoke to me)picked up the different Noro’s and put them all back. Scratchy!! And the sock yarn was very scratchy! I’ll sleep better tonight knowing I’m not crazy. (well, i am crazy, but not on this point….)
Comment by Lisathemom —
April 23, 2009 @ 12:56 pm
--------------------------
Oh goodie, a fanclub of haters-of-teh-Noro. Yucky stuff. And you know what? I DON’T like the colorways. There, nyah.
Comment by kellys —
April 23, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
--------------------------
Hate hate hate hate Noro. Always have, always will. I seem to be the one who gets the skeins with 3 knots in them, all as the color I really wanted is coming around in the pattern. Hate!!
Comment by Ginger —
April 23, 2009 @ 3:46 pm
--------------------------
I’m making socks out of noro right now, and it can be very frustrating. I wish the colors weren’t so beautiful.
I find that the yarn seems much more suited to lace than socks. Still a pain to knit with, but it will make a beautiful Charlotte’s Web Shawl.
PS–I almost tried to magic link that pattern, a la Ravelry. Nerd!
Comment by ayla —
April 24, 2009 @ 4:06 am
--------------------------
Where are all these commenters in my real life? Everyone I know just loves the Noro, and I get smacked down when I venture to mention my hate. Noro just…..sucks. Harsh and scratchy materials, crappily spun. I don’t even really like the colors that most people go gaa-gaa for (they tend to look like someone melted down a box of crayons into mostly brown soup). I had a few skeins that I thought I would rescue by making a felted bag – since a scratchy bag isn’t so bad – but the stuff wouldn’t even FELT properly. I swear the only reason Noro sells is due to mass hysteria.
Comment by Emily —
April 24, 2009 @ 11:22 am
--------------------------
Having owned several skeins of Noro Kureyon through out my life and currently have stashed away for a Clapotis a bag of Silk Garden, I have to agree with the criticisms about this yarn! I’m conlicted. It’s a love/hate thing for me.
So what compells me to buy it?
The colors, which really doesn’t amount to anything glorious once the yarn is knit, compared to so may other yarns.
Definitely NOT the texture.
I do know that thae long button wrap I knit last year was a frequently warm comfort to me during the cold winter months.
I did like the Booga Bag knit in Noro, way, way back!
And the sock yarn…..I can’t tell you how may times I’ve been lured by it’s siren song at MS&W, Stiches And Rhinebeck, but so far, NO DEAL!
Comment by Linda —
April 27, 2009 @ 5:55 am
--------------------------
[...] you all know, I hate Noro. Another reason to hate it is that Kimble loves it very much. In chicken terms, he “goes [...]
Pingback by Redshirt Knitting » Stripey! —
May 14, 2009 @ 11:08 am
--------------------------
First big knitting project… chose Noro Taiyo. First ball of yarn is ok, but part way into the next the yarn starts to not hold the tension and then it pulls apart. I look at it and pull more apart and more and more! Will my project hold together as I wear it or will it just start falling apart?
ok, simple. I will try to return the yarn and use something else – an avoid ever using Noro again.
Comment by Olive —
February 20, 2010 @ 6:31 am
--------------------------