Noro Tensan: a colorful, textured celebration for your needles

Happy December! I never start decorating before Thanksgiving, but the minute the dishes are washed and the leftovers tucked away, the Christmas plates and mugs come out of the high cabinet, and the whole house shifts into celebration mode.

We have several trees at home, mostly because we have far too many ornaments for just one, but partly because each has a different mood. Our living room/dining room tree is the elegant one: white lights, gold balls, and my mother’s lovingly collected White House ornaments. Beautiful, classic, polished… exactly right for that space.

But my favorite tree? The big one in the family room. It stands an unapologetic 12 feet tall, full of multicolored lights and the ornaments that tell our family story. Popsicle-stick picture frames from preschool days, hand-painted treasures from vacations, fancy blown-glass ornaments, and sentimental pieces from quiet trips for just the two of us. From far away, it looks like a riot of festive color. But up close, it’s magic -- every ornament with its own memory and meaning.

Noro is exactly like that tree

Noro yarns are a symphony of color and texture. They're joyful, surprising, and full of personality. The colors shouldn’t work together, but of course, they do. They always do. And Noro’s newest yarn, Tensan, brings that spirit to life in the most beautiful way.

What makes Tensan so special

Noro Tensan is a luxurious blend of 68% silk and 32% wool, and you feel that combination from the very first stitch. The silk lends a warm, subtle glow, while the wool brings bounce, structure, and a soft rustic texture that creates an interesting, highly wearable fabric.

This is a worsted-weight yarn, which makes it wonderfully versatile—you can swap it into almost any pattern that calls for 16–20 stitches per 4 inches. And with six stunning colorways, you’ll find something that speaks to your palette. From a distance, each one reads as pink, aqua, purple, or grey… but get closer, and the magic appears: dozens of tiny flecks and micro-stripes blending together for depth, movement, and dimension.

It’s colorful, but never loud. Variegated, but never chaotic. It’s the perfect blend of vibrant and sophisticated.

Patterns that let Tensan shine

The designers at Noro Magazine understand exactly what makes this yarn special. Their Tensan patterns use clean, simple silhouettes that highlight the yarn’s natural beauty. Stitch patterns like moss stitch and reverse stockinette emphasize Tensan’s texture and the subtle tonal shifts that make it so captivating.

To make it easy (and tempting!), we’ve created three Tensan project kits:

• The Autumn Rivers Cowl – a fun accessory worked in the round in double moss stitch
• The Ayr Vest – a simple, flattering layering piece in reverse stockinette
• The Juno Cardigan – a beautifully easy-fitting dropped-shoulder V-neck cardigan

I’m already swatching and completely smitten. I can’t wait to show you how this yarn knits up and how versatile it really is.

See it all up close

I’ll be sharing all six colorways, swatches, and the full Tensan project kits on YouTube this week so you can get a real feel for the yarn before you cast on. If you're already a Noro lover, this will be such a treat. And if you haven’t tried Noro yet, Tensan is the perfect place to start.

It’s joyful. It’s textured. It’s colorful in that deeply, unmistakably Noro way. And it’s exactly the kind of yarn you want in your hands during the cozy weeks of December.