The long waited Kureyon Sock is here and it is everything I had expected plus some.
I actually had a skein of Kureyon Sock for the last month or so. I knitted a swatch and then gave the rest to a customer of ours for a review. I wanted to have an independent perspective on the yarn. Below are my thoughts on the yarn and then his feedback.
Kureyon Sock is a single ply yarn much like the regular Kureyon line. It is also spun roughly and has a slight thick and thin texture. 
Each 100 gram skein has approximately 457 yards of yarn, which is sufficient for a pair of average size socks. I have been asked often if the yarn is too rough and/or itchy and my answer to both questions is no. However, if you are looking for a soft sock yarn or a super soft knitted sock this is not the yarn for you.
On the skein Kureyon Sock feels slightly softer than the regular Kureyon but with a twine like texture. When I knitted my swatch with my skein (color #180), I started with US size 1 needles, which I found too small for the yarn. So I switched to US size 2 needles and that worked much better. On size 2 needles I got 6.5-7 stitches to an inch and I was able to enjoy the texture of the yarn much better. 
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Both on the swatch and the sample sock knitted by our independent reviewer Steven, the thick and thin texture showed nicely and added a rustic look to the knitted fiber.
Before blocking my swatch had a slight overall fuzz, much like other single-ply wool yarn. The swatch was softer than I had expected, definitely softer than the yarn as it was on the skein. I blocked my swatch by soaking it in cool water and then gently pressing the water out. The gauge or the size of the swatch did not change but it did get slightly softer.
 The sample sock was knitted by Steven and I did not block it (the photo to the left is pre-wash). I wanted to find out what would happen if I were to wash the sock. While the yarn band recommends gentle hand-wash only I have read multiple posts on Ravelry that this was not a must. So I threw the sock in with the heavy wash in warm water with jeans.Â
I was surprised to see that our sample sock came out OK. It did not shrink at all but the fiber became a little fuzzier and looked more like it was felted. The colors held steady and none of the yarn came loose. So I threw the sock in to the wash one more time and again nothing much happened! I did not machine dry our sample sock both times I simply laid it flat to dry.
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While our sock survived machine washing well I would not recommend this process for your socks. I believe our sample sock did not change in size due to Steven’s tight gauge – he knitted the sample sock with size 1 needles, which did not leave an allowance/space for felting.
I also had my 2.5 year old wear the sample sock all around the house for a day (pre-wash). If you know little boys you know that they can clock in quite a bit of mileage on an average day. The sock held and with one day of use it did not pill at all.
 What appeals to me the most about Kureyon Sock is the richness of the colors and the way color lines show on the knitted fiber. Currently Kureyon sock comes in 12 colors that are same as the regular Kureyon colors lines. However, given the yardage on each skein colors show a little differently on Kureyon Sock; one gets a wider range of colors for each skein. I know I should not single out one color line but I cannot help myself, color #188 is simply dreamy. I love the combination of deep moss greens, lilacs, deep lavender and finally amethyst like purple with occasional silver like beige.
In summary, if you like the regular Kureyon line you will like the Kureyon Sock line. If you have never used the Noro line and you would like to try the Kureyon Sock be ready for a unique experience. It is my humble opinion that with its new line Kureyon Sock, Noro will have a dedicated following. One final note, if you would like to have a small sample of Kureyon Sock please let us know, we will include one with your next order.
With all that here are Steven’s thoughts:
My first experience with Noro Kureyon yarn was about a year ago when my wife knitted a beret for herself.  I was really impressed with the vividness of the colors as they came together in bold, textured stripes. When I found that Noro was making sock yarn, I jumped at the opportunity to try it! Â
Noro started making Kureyon sock yarn available in the US earlier this year. The yarn composition is 70% wool and 30% nylon, which should add to the strength of the finished product. One skein will easily be enough to knit a pair of socks for a man or woman. Â
When I’m knitting a pair of socks, I’m not as concerned about color as I am about sock construction. I thought I would feel the same when I started this project. In fact, I didn’t even know what colors were tucked inside the skein of yarn. The center-pull yarn was a turquoise-like color. Nice enough. But as I continued knitting, I was really surprised how excited I got when the colors changed. Burnt oranges. Deep purples. Bright yellows. Every color was amazing.Â
Noro Kureyon yarns are essentially still hand-spun, which means that the width of the yarn is smaller for a while, then thicker. The inconsistency of the hand-spun yarn also adds to the attractive texture of your sock. This change in thickness bothered me at first. When I got to the thinner part of the yarn, it would tend to pull apart in my hand.  (NOT what you want in the first inch of rib knitting!) My tension was a little too tight at this point. I had to adapt or the project would have ended up in the trash. Unfortunately, this was also the hardest thing for my fingers to get used to. The Noro website recommends that you knit gently. This is good advice. KNIT GENTLY!
I had some concerns about the strength of the sock. The label recommends using needles that are size 2 or 3. I used size 1 needles, resulting in a tighter knit stitch and a stronger sock. (Modify gauge accordingly.) I also decided to add a stronger heel flap than I might use on a machine-spun sock yarn. (My heel flap was a simple but strong k1 sl1 repeat on the right side of the flap, p the wrong side. I also slipped the first stitch in each row to make the gusset stitches a little easier to pick up.) Another possibility might be to knit some sewing thread in with the Noro yarn on the heel turn and toe. This might be overkill, but I would rather have a pair of socks that will last a good long time than have them wear out in the heel! Â
Overall, this was a nice yarn to work with. Most of my complaints were based on operator errors, not the yarn itself. Once I got used to the different texture and thickness of the Noro Kureyon sock yarn, things moved along nicely. I ended up with a sweet little sock that has bright and brilliant colors. It will make someone’s feet warm and happy!
