Knitch Magazine

Cornelia Hamilton, noted designer of Noro fashions, has just published Noro Meet the Man Behind the Legendary Yarn. It includes 40 of her most popular designs plus an insider’s look into Noro Yarns with an introduction to Esiaku Noro, the man behind the yarn. We wanted to meet the woman behind the designs and the book, so we asked her a few questions about her amazing journey with Noro and knitting.

Knitch: Can you tell us about your knitting background? What (or who) fired your interest in yarns and knitting?

Cornelia: I was taught the rudiments of knitting by my mom when I was about 8. I knit a scarf and then stopped. Then I started free-hand embroidering heavily at 13 and began crocheting steadily soon thereafter. At 16, I started with macramé and began selling macramé jewelry. This continued through college, and I turned to costume jewelry moving to New York, where I sold to various small boutiques and Henri Bendel. I turned to knitting at about age 22 since crochet was out of fashion at the time. Also, knitting uses considerably less yarn and I had a budget to watch. I never looked back!!

Yarn, thread and string have been a constant theme in my creativity. I am fascinated by the endless variation of things that can be made by taking an endless piece of yarn and manipulating it into a fabric. There is more to explore than is possible in a lifetime.

Knitch: Did you pursue formal training in design, and would you describe what or who influenced your sense of design?

Cornelia: I had no formal design training. Crafters and painters populate both sides of the family tree, though. I earned a Liberal Arts University degree with a major in Victorian English Literature. I think that my non-design education has been invaluable in my career. I learned all the skills needed for running a business. The creativity and curiosity was already there.

Knitch: What was your first professional design project? What did you draw on for inspiration?

Cornelia: My first professional project was knit while riding through Europe on a train. It was a striped dress in a thin mohair that I sold to Family Circle Fashion and Crafts upon my return to America. Honestly, I have no idea about where the inspiration for that design came from!

Knitch: What has influenced your designs since then? Do you still approach design in the same way?

Cornelia: Inspiration has never been a problem for me. I guess I am inspired by life in general and yarn in particular. I always design with a thought of how I can interpret any particular yarn to its best advantage. Otherwise, I do find architecture inspiring as well as nature and couture fashion. I have never really tried to analyze my creativity more than working to cultivate the contact that is necessary with my intuitive subconscious side which allows for the surfacing of the ideas. That has been constant since the beginning of my design career.

Knitch: What drew you to Noro? Did working with Noro yarns influence your designs? Do you ever work with other lines?

Cornelia: I first came in contact with Noro yarns at Fiberworks in NYC while working there as a sales person. The yarns have always radiated a creative integrity like no other yarn. They are exciting, egotistical (in a positive way) and luxurious. Yes, they have influenced my designs. I approach my designing from a structural angle rather than a surface design angle and the Noro yarns helped to bring out my specific way of thinking.

I have worked with other lines: Araucania, Malabrigo and Plymouth’s Earth Collection. I am quite fussy about yarn qualities and only work in natural fibers and yarns that inspire me. I particularly like medium weight one-ply and roving yarns.

Knitch: You are a renowned pattern designer and have written several books. Can you tell us about your newest book, Noro, Meet the Man Behind the Legendary Yarn?

Cornelia: Noro, Meet the Man… is actually my 12^th pattern book, but it’s my first published book to date. It includes 40 of the best designs from my earlier Noro books and an account in writing with photos of my trip to Japan to meet Mr. Noro and see the Noro offices. Needless to say, it was a wonderful moment for me to meet the man that has created the yarns that have been my biggest design inspiration!

Knitch: What do you think accounts for the remarkable long lasting success of the Noro yarns? Is it the yarn, the designers, the dyes, or all of these factors? Do you foresee any change in direction or exploration of new yarns?

Cornelia: Quite simply – the creative integrity of Mr. Noro himself. He is an artist. Color, texture and fiber are his tools. It is clear that this is a man who finds joy in creating the product that he wants to create and is not restricted by the demands of the market or the limitations of equipment. What other creative people do with his product is yet another joy for him. The Noro line will always be one to keep an eye on. The yarns are constantly developing and changing. The company has been a pioneer in the industry in the area of environmentally friendly production.

Knitch: As an American living in Sweden who works primarily with Japanese yarns, can you interpret for us the differences between American, European and Japanese knitting? How do the knitters in these markets affect one another?

Cornelia: I have no ideas on the differences between the knitting in different parts of the world. Color ranges are the area where I see the most difference with each country interested in the color palettes that are specifically their own. That is a fascinating subject!

Knitch: What has been your most popular design to date? Why do you think knitters responded to it so well?

Cornelia: My most popular design to date is undoubtedly, Klaralund. I am happy to say that it is included in Noro, Meet the Man… I think that knitters like the construction of it. It is simple but not boring -- reminiscent of kimono shaping. Strangely enough, even though I like the design very much I was not sure about including it in the original Noro Book Two since I felt that it was rather body type specific and that it might not have a broad enough audience. I was happily proven wrong on that point! It is still a very popular design.

Knitch: What criteria did you use to choose the designs to be included in your latest book?

Cornelia: We simply chose the strongest designs from my previous five Noro books.

Knitch: What do you foresee for knitting fashion in the future? What do you think will be the major influences?

Cornelia: I see a couture trend of handknits that seems to expanding both in its boldness and application. I think that handknits represent freedom and creativity in a very special way that has a universal appeal. I think that we are again moving toward a more open fashion sensibility that is embracing individuality and self-expression, which is always good for all kinds of needle arts. People are in ever greater need of an alternative to the imposition of technology on their daily lives. The needle arts are a colorful, meditative and productive way of enriching one’s life. I believe that this trend is here to stay and will, in fact, grow over time. Not because it is cheaper to produce your own garments as it was 50 years ago, but because of the satisfaction gained from the creative process involved.

Knitch: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself or your new book?

Cornelia: There will be new Noro designs in the not too distant future!!

All photos featured in this interview were reprinted from Noro: Meet the Man Behind the Legendary Yarn, with permission from 6th&Spring Books; copyright 2009; photos by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton. All rights reserved.

Where to buy Noro: Meet the Man Behind the Legendary Yarn: Yarnmarket.com