Grumperina goes to local yarn shops and Home Depot

Pretty yarn, great name! I am interested in the Noro sock yarn, as well, but now, I'll be interested in what kind of feedback you get.

Oohh... sock hop yarn. I just bought some and I am so excited to use it! I can't wait to see the sock you make with them!

I recently (yesterday, I think) read a rather thorough review of the Kureyon sock yarn. I wish I could remember where, so I could link to the post; but it came down to: Swatch before you knit with this yarn, and wash your swatch, because the yarn seems dreadfully stiff and scratchy until after you wash it. (The author had swatched on 00, 0, and 1 US needles; pre-washing she preferred the 1s, but post-washing found the 00s produced a sturdier and soft fabric.) She also recommended that one consider knitting the heel and toe in a contrasting, sturdier, yarn, given that this one is a single ply and thus prone to wear out faster.

I can't wait to see the socks that handspun becomes for your grandmother.

i just finished a sock with kureyon sock yarn. i agree, it is rough, but i do love my wools to be wooly. after a soak in the tub, it's softer. it's not as soft as the other sock yarns i'm used to, just softer than it's original state. i knit my sock on 1s, but next time i think i'll use 0s.

i have some sock hop just waiting to be knit up, maybe watching you knit up yours will motivate me.

I have not knit with the Noro sockyarn but hear it softens nicely when washed. If so it must be like 'real' Noro that feels kinda' scratcharoo when knitting.

The sock hop is absolutely beautiful. Please do not tempt me............ it wouldn't be nice!

I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my heels and have been trying *so* hard to figure out the best way to do short-row heels without the little imperfect bits. Thank you for showing me that I need that book! Those heels are just... perfect! I just love that yarn, too! I can't wait to see how it knits up.

Haha, I suspect that Country Mouse was referencing a review on my blog, here.

It softens nicely into a rich, dense fabric after an inaugural wash, but alas, I wouldn't count on its durability. ^__^ My initial impressions of it have been that it's a lot weaker than other sock yarns. But I guess we won't really know until I've worn the socks for six months or so. Enjoy your travels!

You may have already come across this, but Sheri @ the Loopy Ewe had some thoughts on the Noro today too, re: washing/softness/etc.

You might also want to check out Sheri at the Loopy Ewe's post on the Noro sock yarn. She just completed her first sock using Noro and has some interesting comments.

I love the handspun. Sheri at Loopy Ewe said that Noro is rough but it does soften up a bit. Still rougher than some but she said she couldn't tell when she put them on. I'm not so sure about it personally. I find anything Noro to be rough.

I saw this and thought it was interesting.

I loved working with the sock hop yarn and I bet those socks will be perfect for grandma.

Oooh so pretty! Perfect for travel knitting - have a good trip :)

It wouldn't hurt a bit....

The yarn is gorgeous. Hope your trip is wonderful in every way.

Yummy.. handspun. I'm addicted to knitting with handspun now... to the point where I almost even ignore my own handpainted yarns to knit with handspun. I can't wait to see these socks.

I felt a washed Kureyon sock in an LYS on vacation...machine washed...and it hadn't softened up much at all. Really disappointing, because the colors are so pretty. I'll never wear socks that rough.

Wow, this yarn seriously rocks, I'm green w/ envy.

That sounds like a perfect project for your trip! That yarn looks scrumptious.

Wow! That yarn is scrummy!

I'm yearning for some Noro sock yarn too so I'm reading all your comments with interest.

So pretty! Happy New Year!

I am so glad that you are going to have time to play with this yarn now :-) I hope that it brings you lots of joy. Although I am no longer dyeing or spinning for CMF, there are many of the other same hand spinners still working on this yarn - and it goes up for sale about every two months.
Have a grand trip and enjoy the Sock Hop. I had a bunch of fun creating it!

I have felt the Noro Kuryeon sock yarn after being hand washed and air dried and it did soften up some. I think in time it will get softer. I bought 2 skeins of it because the colors are so amazing. And because I have tough feet. ;)

I've seen, touched and played with two Noro socks (two individual socks, not a pair). The colors were stunning but the yarn was very rough. And, it seems like washing only provides minimal softening. But maybe the roughness could be a bonus, a selling point ... Exfoliate your feet while you wear your hand knit socks!

Also, one woman had issue with this yarn and her standard sock patter, (sock looked like it was knit for a club foot) because of the yarn's varigation in thickness.

Cross my heart and hope to die, I have never knit a sock (and not sure I ever will)... but this yarn looks good enough to eat, and I might have to find some non-sock use for it and order some for my very own!
absolutely beautiful, thanks for sharing!

With my looser gauge than yours, 64 stitches makes a st st picot edge sock for my US size 7 feet with room to spare in the foot and the leg -- 60 stitches makes a closer fitting sock. At your tighter gauge, I'd guess that 64 stitches would make a closer fitting sock, so if grandma has significantly larger feet, you might cast on 68 stitches.

Have a nice trip. ;-)

Lovely yarn, the socks will be beautiful.
I can't speak for the Noro sock, however, what I always do with my Kureyon is to soak it in the wash (I use shampoo) and then REsoak it in hair conditioner for about 20 minutes. I just fill the sink and then squirt a healthy amount of conditioner into the water, mix it around with my hands, and submerge the knitting. I didn't think much of it until I was at my LYS the other day and all of them were commenting on how soft I'd gotten my Noro...so maybe that would work. Either way, let us know. :)

I have a ball of the noro sock yarn in my stash now. I started to play with it and put it down. I love the colours, but the texture is just not calling to me... quite sad!

It softens up in the wash, yes, but honestly? It feels no different on my feet than any other "soft" sock yarn. And knitting it up was SO FUN. Totally worth it.

What a pretty color! I bet the socks are gorgeous. Have a safe trip.

I just knit two pairs of socks with Sock Hop Yarn! Love it! One of them was in the Aint No Mountain High Enough colorway. Yours looks a lot redder than mine was. You can look on my Ravelry Projects (Photodee) to see the way mine turned out.

How wonderful that your sock hop yarn will be on the needles soon! I love to see it finished, you see I spin and spin and spin....almost never knit but when I send my little skeins out into the world it makes me happy (and the rest of the CMF spinners)to know they will one day become socks, can't wait to see yours for your Grandma!

Too many comments to go through, so sorry if this is a repeat - but Soxophone Player made a few pair (handcranked) from Noro sock yarn and said, "Notwithstanding the amazing colours, and the fact that there is enough hay in three balls to feed a small sheep for a year, I'm giving this one a thumbs down." The 'blog entries also detail the crazy yarn kinkage. It's not something I think I will want to knit with.

Kathy, beautiful this yarn! I love it!
Paty Fontes

I love the choice of yarn for the mindless knitting. Should be a very lovely pair of socks for Grandma. Oh, and the short-row heel from Cat's new book... brilliant. I did the same as you and followed the directions for the wraps and picking them up exactly and am very impressed with how they look. I'm actually pretty impressed will everything I've done so far (ok, 1 pattern) out of the book. Have a great vacation.

The socks will be beautiful in that yarn! Gorgeous pictures! Safe travels. And about the jump into spinning...totally painless!

Such a beautiful colorway!!! Good luck - I hope you have a wonderful trip! =)

after reading that noro had a sock yarn out (where have i been?) i went out and bought some promptly. it's not filled with hay, but did have a break and a tie in it, rendering matching socks very difficult. oh well. at least it's gorgeous!

http://soxophoneplayer.blogspot.com/

This gentleman has some good info on his site about Noro, he does use a csm (circular sock machine) to knit with, but the resulting yarn issues in regards to softness are the same.

I love the yarn you are using next, very scrumptious!

Why in the world would anyone make socks out of singles? They'll never stand up to the wear that socks get. The colors may be pretty, but why make something that won't last?
Y'know, if you learn to spin you can make socks that are beautiful *and* durable. Check out these handspun, randomly striped beauties:
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1763508078&size=l

On Jeannie Townsends sock site (Yahoo group)there has been much ado about how terribly rough that Noro sock yarn is...for me it is only the soft lucsious yarn for socks...jmho!

I have knitted the sockhop yarn (I LOVE it) so soft and squishy and they hold up really well to washing and wearing. I have been knitting a Noro sock yarn scarf and while it does feel a bit rough at first, it does seem to be softening up a bit (basic feather and fan stitch-very pretty). I have read on other blogs that when washed, the yarn does soften up. I hope so!

I looooove the short-row wrapping from Cat Bordhi's book. It made me a w&t short-row convert when all I'd do before were Sherman heels.

As for the Noro, I'm not surprised it's rough. I basically expected a lighter version of Kureyon--but I can wear regular Kureyon on my feet (not sensitive, I guess). I sort of have a desire to ply two balls of it without matching up the colours and knit boot socks.

I've made a pair of socks out of the noro sock yarn and love them! The colors are delicious and the fiber certainly has it's own personality. They did soften up quite a bit after just one wash and they keep my feet nice and toasty.

Love the colors in that sock yarn- can't wait to see the socks, they're sure to be fabulous!
Happy knitting-
ali

As I am so very late in responding, you probably already know how luscious and sproingy the Sock Hop yarn knits up. The color you chose in beautiful, too.

I also have procured a skein of Noro sock yarn but have yet to knit it up. I'm not in a hurry because of the rough exterior, but isn't that the case with most Noro yarns?

I haven't knit with the Noro sock yarn yet, but I've heard it really gets soft after a good washing.

Lovely yarn! Plus, handspinning isn't such a bad hobby to add on. I don't spin nearly as much as I knit, but there are some days where spinning is exactly what my soul needs.

That's Noro for you -- beautiful from afar, but not so nice to touch. The colours are my inspiration, though, for my own yarn. I haven't quite got the looooong colour repeats going yet, but I can make a very credible self-striping yarn, and one that's actually soft.

Keep trying, Noro!