Japan’s preeminent yarn company, Noro yarns are loved around the world. Fantastic big balls of natural fiber, hand-selected by Master Ensaku Noro from the most ethical suppliers, Noro fibers are never treated with acids or harmful chemicals and are gently spun to preserve original qualities and character. Asymmetric patterns and complex colors masterfully fade from one tonal shade to the next creating gorgeous colorwork.
Master Eisaku Noro’s philosophy of life and connection is uniquely expressed in every ball. “From ancient times Japanese have accepted, enjoyed, and been charmed by the non-uniformity, unevenness, & coarseness of nature. This is the basis of the philosophy of Noro yarn,” Master Noro writes. “Natural fibers have great features that humans cannot mimic. I want to leave these features as much as possible in my yarns. If I make wool yarn, I use various lengths and thicknesses of wool fibers to try to reproduce the nature of sheep itself in our yarn, such as unevenness and coarseness. These natural states are intentionally left by using human hands and old machinery so that natural fibers are not over processed. All of this is so knitters can feel nature more closely when knitting with Noro yarns. Impurities in the raw materials are carefully removed by hand without the use of chemical treatment which is not good for the fibers or the environment. We also aim to reproduce the colors of nature in our yarns: leaves for example, all look green, but in reality they come in countless variations of green. By mixing colors we can give our yarns more natural feeling colors reminiscent of oceans, mountains, flowers, trees and so on.”
All the animal fibers that are used in Noro yarns come from certified organic farms, from international sources such as Australia, the Falkland Islands and South Africa. Master Noro is personally involved with inspecting all aspects of production, from visiting the animal farms to checking the machinery used and keeping restrictions on the dye processes to maintain products that are as eco-friendly as possible. “Friction, rubbing and heat during processing weaken the fibers in direct proportion to the length of time they are processed. By dramatically shortening this process, we are preventing damage to the enzymes in the fibers and simultaneously profiting the environment,” he says.
The Yarn Patch is proud to bring our customers three of Noro’s fine lines: Geshi, a viscose/cotton/silk/wool blend in DK weight; Tsuido, a new 100% wool bulky; and Taiyo, a cotton/silk/wool/polymide blend worsted weight. During our Product Showcase (now through June 4, 2021), we have free patterns when you purchase the yarns to make your chosen project. Just click the yarn name to see all the choices.
And be sure to check out our video where Heather, Susan and Adrianna model some of the samples.
