From Munch to Transylvania: The Story of Our New Sock Yarn

Issue No. 07 – From Munch to Transylvania: The Story of Our New Sock Yarn

Stories from our home at 682.5 metres above sea level

This autumn marks the beginning of a new chapter for us — one that feels both like coming home and starting anew. After more than a decade of designing yarns for others, we are finally able to share our own: ARNE & CARLOS Socks & More.

A new beginning

For over twelve years, we worked with a very large company that produced yarns especially for socks. It was an inspiring time, but last year we decided to take a leap and continue this adventure independently. Luckily for us, we owned all the designs we had created — which means we can now relaunch them under our own brand.

Breaking the mould

The biggest difference today is creative freedom. We now have control over every detail — from concept to colour to production — and it makes a world of difference. Back in 2013 and 2014, when we first began designing sock yarn, we worked closely with the super-talented product developer Barbara, who is still with us today.

At the time, we were meant to use an existing template for stripes, but Barbara accidentally forgot to send it. So we created our own from scratch. When she later realised, she said, “Oh, I thought I’d sent it to you!” But by then, we had already developed something entirely new. Instead of starting over, Barbara looked at what we’d done and said, “It’s so beautiful — let’s try it.” And that’s exactly what we did. Together, the three of us broke the mould — quite literally — and created a new kind of printed-effect sock yarn that felt fresh and original at the time.

Colours inspired by Edvard Munch

The colours of that first collection were inspired by one of Norway’s greatest artists, Edvard Munch, whose work we have admired for years. We spent countless hours at the Munch Museum, studying his use of colour and how tones shift from light to darkness.

Our palette came from his paintings of night — Star Night, Winter Night, Summer Night, and Moon Night. We also looked at The Scream and a Self-Portrait, and our initial idea was to name the yarns after the paintings themselves.

However, the company we worked with didn’t quite share our enthusiasm. The Scream, they said, was too dramatic a name for yarn, and Vampire — one of the later colours we developed — was also rejected for fear it might scare people away. In the end, The Scream became Twilight, while the Self-Portrait became Autumn Night. And when Vampire was refused, we laughed and told them to call it The Vegetable Garden instead — which, astonishingly, they did.

Now, things are different. We can make our own creative choices and follow our instincts completely. If we want to call a colourway Vampire, we can — and it feels quite fitting, considering that our sock yarn is produced in Transylvania.

From Transylvania with love

One of the things we couldn’t do in the past, but can do now, is visit the manufacturer itself. The factory is located on the outskirts of a beautiful city in Romania called Cluj, the capital of Transylvania. We’ve always been fascinated by that part of the world — the colours, the folklore, the textiles, the stories of castles and legends.

Never in a million years did we imagine we would one day travel there, not to explore the castles or the myths of Dracula, but to design and produce sock yarn. Yet that’s exactly what happened.

The factory itself is Italian-owned but based in Romania, and our visit there was both fascinating and full of inspiration. We were able to follow the entire process from start to finish — from our colour sketches at home, to how the engineers reinterpret those shades and calculate exactly where each hue must be printed on the yarn so that the final sock looks just as we designed it.

We also discovered that the process is far more industrial — and far more beautiful — than we had imagined. We’d always known that sock yarns are “engineered,” but we pictured something resembling a printer. Instead, the machines were enormous, sturdy, and full of character — the kind that seem to have their own personality. It was, as we said at the time, like finally putting a face to a name.

Sustainability and craftsmanship

Environmental care plays an important part in this process as well. The factory uses solar panels for power and cleans all the water used in production, which is then returned to the council. Our yarn now includes recycled polyamide, helping us create a more durable yarn with a smaller environmental footprint.

We came home from Romania filled with ideas and possibilities for the future. Being in direct contact with the people who make our yarn means we can now explore new effects, new colours, and new ways of bringing creativity into every ball.

A quiet launch

After twelve years of sock stories, it feels wonderful to begin a new chapter — still with Barbara, still with our colours, and still with the same joy that started it all.

The yarn is quietly being delivered to local yarn stores worldwide right now, and it may take a little time before it reaches yours. If you can’t find it locally, please ask your shop to bring it in — your interest helps them stock it.

Meanwhile, it’s also available online:

ARNE & CARLOS Socks & More World Wide (Except USA) – Click here.

ARNE & CARLOS Socks & More USA – Click here

Enjoy these photographs from our visit — and don’t forget to tune in next week for our special video showing our trip to the factory and the birth of our new yarn. It premieres on October 26.