What they share
Noro dyes long lengths of fiber in sequence before spinning, so the color in a ball moves through a planned series of shades — a run of rust into plum into moss — over meters rather than inches. The yarns are lightly spun, a little uneven, and happier washed by hand or dry-cleaned. The color sequence in two balls of the same colorway starts at different points, which is a feature for a scarf and something to plan for in a sweater (knit from two balls alternately, or decide not to care).
Side by side
| Fiber | Ball | Weight | Gauge | Color | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kureyon | 100% wool | 50 g, ~109 yd | Worsted | 4½ sts/in on US 7–8 | Long striping runs |
| Silk Garden | 45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lambswool | 50 g, ~109 yd | Worsted | 4½ sts/in on US 7–8 | Long striping runs, with a halo |
| Ito | 100% wool | 200 g, 437 yd | Worsted | 4½ sts/in on US 7–9 | Very long runs — one big cake |
| Haunui | 100% wool | 200 g, 437 yd | Worsted to aran | 14–16 sts/4" on US 7–8 | Softer shifts |
| Haunui Silk | 65% wool, 35% silk | 150 g, 361 yd | Worsted | 16–18 sts/4" on US 7–9 | Softer shifts |
| Haunui Cotton | 60% wool, 40% cotton | 150 g, 410 yd | Worsted | 16–20 sts/4" on US 7–9 | Softer shifts |
| Madara | 60% wool, 30% silk, 10% alpaca | 100 g, 219 yd | Worsted | 15–17 sts/4" on US 7–8 | Tweedy near-solids |
| Tsubame | 50% silk, 25% wool, 25% polyamide | 200 g, 656 yd | DK | 5½–6 sts/in on US 4–6 | Long runs |
| Kakigori | 50% cotton, 30% silk, 10% viscose, 10% polyamide | 200 g, 660 yd | DK | 21–24 sts/4" on US 5–7 | Long runs |
Kureyon vs Silk Garden
The two originals, and the two most people mean by "Noro". They are the same weight, the same ball, and often the same color numbers, so a pattern written for one knits in the other. Kureyon is all wool: crisper, warmer, slightly rustic, and it felts beautifully — it is the classic yarn for a felted bag. Silk Garden is the soft one: the silk gives it sheen and drape and the mohair a light halo, so the same colorway looks blended rather than striped. Silk Garden against the neck; Kureyon for mittens, bags and anything that will be felted.
Ito and Haunui: the big cakes
Ito is Kureyon's color sense in a 200 g cake with 437 yards — four Kureyon balls' worth in one piece, with no joins and color runs that go on for most of a scarf. It is the easiest Noro to make a large striped shawl or a one-cake wrap from, and the only one where a whole sweater's color sequence is continuous. Haunui is the heavier, plainer wool in the same big put-up, with shifts rather than stripes; Haunui Silk and Haunui Cotton are the same yarn with silk or cotton added, the cotton version being the one for a warmer-weather sweater.
Madara: the tweed
Madara is the odd one out: a single-ply of wool, silk and alpaca with tweedy flecks, in colorways that read as near-solids rather than stripes. It is Noro for a cabled sweater or a plain cardigan where a striping yarn would fight the stitch pattern. Dry clean.
Which Noro is DK?
Tsubame and Kakigori. Both are 200 g cakes of around 650 yards at DK weight — enough for a small sweater from one cake. Tsubame is half silk and half wool with nylon, with drape and some strength, for a year-round cardigan or a big shawl. Kakigori is cotton and silk, the summer Noro, for tops and lightweight wraps. Everything else we stock is worsted.
Which to buy
A felted bag or warm mittens: Kureyon. A scarf or cowl with the colors doing the work: Silk Garden, or Ito if you want it long with no joins. A striped sweater: Ito. A cabled or textured sweater: Madara. Summer: Kakigori. Something lighter than worsted for a shawl or cardigan: Tsubame. And whichever you choose, buy the whole project from one dye lot — Noro's lots differ more than most, and we match every order to one.