What is it about Noro?

In many ways, I'm quite a conservative person. My dress sense is, largely, plain (jeans, plain coloured shirts), and I'm certainly not one for feminine florals.

Not that I don't like colour - I wear a lot of sombre shades for work, and so it is nice to get out the brights every now and again.

But there is something about long colour change yarn, that just makes me want to knit. I've got an awful lot of Kauni in the stash - a beautiful rainbow of yarn....that has a recommended needle size of 3mm, which is possibly why I've not made anything out of it.

About eighteen months ago, one of my local yarn shops was offering Noro Taiyo at half price. No more than 2 balls in each colourway, but I couldn't resist. After all - it's a long colour change yarn that you can knit up on 4.5mm needles!

But what to make? I have.....there's no other way to describe it....titted about for some time trying different ideas, before coming to the conclusion that with this particular yarn, knitted is better than crocheted.

So I decided to have a go at a side to side jacket. I've added a few darts for swing and swagger. It's in stocking stitch and the sleeves are also worked side to side.

The result? Bright, but not as brash as I feared. The long rows have meant that the stripes are narrow and so there aren't huge blocks of lime green to contend with.

I also had some Noro Cash Island, which I used to define the darts, as well as for the cuffs and collar. Short rows were used, as needed, for all shapings. This hasn't got the Noro bug out of my system, but I do feel as if I've burnt some serious stash! There's a skein and a half left of the Taiyo in my favourite colourway - I feel a shawl coming on.......