Painting With Yarn

Eisaku Noro is the genius behind the glorious hues of Noro Yarns. Juliet Bernard spoke with him about his life and work

THE YARNS created by the brand Noro are more than just something to knit with. They are a completely immersive experience, combining amazing colour combinations and fibres. Every moment you work with a Noro yarn is completely unique, as is the project you are making.

No wonder, then, that knitters all over the world become addicted to trying and buying Noro. My own stash of Noro is pretty substantial. I’m not sure what I am going to make with it, I just know I am intoxicated by having the yarns. Of course, other spinners do produce variegated and self-striping yarns, but none has managed to achieve the amazing blends of colour and fibre that founder Eisaku Noro creates.

Mr Noro is a real master of his craft. After graduating from Matsuzaka technical high school in Mie prefecture, on Japan’s main island of Honshu, he worked for 18 years with two different spinning companies. Both produced specialist woollen yarns, and he gained experience across all aspects of each business, from the actual production processes to managing people. He had a deep desire to create his own yarns and develop his own creativity, however, so he decided to establish his own company.

From vision to reality

I asked him how he goes about developing a new yarn such as Noro’s latest offering, Hakone, and how he decides on which fibres to use. “First, I always try to create new yarns that we have never created before,” Mr Noro says. “I want people to be surprised or feel a sense of fun when they see Noro yarns.