Merry Christmas to all!!!

I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Christmas Tree
Originally uploaded by Orchid22

Here is just a little glimpse of our decorated tree.



I did the whole tree in cool blue shades and silver snowflakes.











I am so glad we finally got a tree. I have been wanting to have one to decorate for a few years now. I was kind of worried that the dogs would knock it over or eat the ornaments, but the have actually been pretty good. I had one little issue with Tanuki trying to eat an ornament, but I caught him before he ate too much.

I love this little lambie ornament. I got it at the lobby store at my work. It is so nice to work at home office and be able to shop on my lunch break if I need to pick up some gifts.

I can't wait for all of this holiday craziness to be over so I can get back to more knitting!!!

I have 3 pairs of socks on the needles right now, but I have been itching to start something bigger. I hope there are some good yarn sales after the holidays so I can get some yarn for a bigger project.

Will it felt?

I have been wondering about the durability of the new Noro sock yarn since this is a single ply non-superwash yarn. I had heard some rumors that it was indeed superwash, so I decided to put it to the test. I knitted up a VERY small swatch (4sts x 4 rows). I couldn't bear to part with too much of this georgeous yarn for a destructive test.

I then measured it pre-washing.

I hand felted this swatch in the sink in warm water with some hand soap. It did felt rather quickly.

I measured the swatch post wash and it had shrunk about 1/8 inch in both directions. This yarn definitely is not superwash, but it sure is beautiful!!

Noro Sock Yarn Review

Orchid22

Noro Sock yarn at last!!

This yarn is just as beautiful as its worsted weight counterpart. Subtle shifts of color over several rows give your project a handspun look. I picked mine up at Knitter's Mercantile. They had several lovely colors to choose from, but I liked this one with its mix of purples and greens. As you would expect from Noro, the colors are very saturated.

The texture of this yarn is similar to the regular Kureyon. It feels slightly scratchy at first, but softens up considerably in the knitted fabric. This is a tightly spun single ply yarn with very little bounce, and surprisingly little splittiness. Also, its variable thickness has a quality that enhances the handspun look. I have not yet encountered any hay or twigs in the wool, as I have with other Noro yarns. It has been a little problematic getting the yarn to feed smoothly from the center pull ball. I think it is the yarn's somewhat twiny texture that causes it to tangle. It isn't a huge problem, but just something to be aware of.

I am knitting my socks on size 2 needles. I was advised to knit this yarn on size 1's, but mine are currently in use. I don't believe the fabric is too open to compromise the durability of the socks; it is a 30% nylon blend, so I think they will wear pretty well. I am knitting this 64 stitch sock toe-up on a magic loop with a short row heel. The instep and cuff will be a 3x1 rib. I am consistently getting 9 sts/in.

I look forward to finishing and wearing these to test the softness and durability. I do admit that I am really enjoying knitting with this yarn so far!!