Ito & Viola
These giant "shawl balls" are both 100% wool (organic and mulesing free wool)
Ito is distinguished by the 47 distinct colors in each ball (compared to Noro's popular Kureyon yarn which features just 4-6 colors per colorway. Each Ito ball has 467 yards and it knits at a wide range gauges (3.5 - 5) on a US 8-10.5 needle. The shoulder wrap/cowl shown in the left gallery used just 1 ball and I knit it using a size 9 (although the pattern suggested a 7 and most of my customers use a 10!). The shoulder wrap pattern is free with the yarn purchase. It is great worn scrunched up as a cowl underneath a winter coat, and then indoors, you can "unscrunch" it and it comes down just over the shoulders and provides a nice warm hug! I've also used Ito to knit the Lanesplitter skirt (shown in the gallery here - knit on the bias) which is a popular Ravelry skirt pattern that was originally written for Kureyon.
The price of Ito is $49.99
Viola is also 100% wool but offers a subtler color gradient than Ito - there is still some color gradation, but it doesn't knit up in stripes. Viola is recommended knit at 4-5 sts/inch on a US 7-8 and it has 437 yards/ball. Like Ito, depending on what you're knitting you may be able to work this yarn at quite a wide range of gauges.
The price of Viola is $39.99
If you want a non-wool shawl ball from Noro, check out Akari by Noro.
See other Noro yarns.
