Category Archives: Quince & Company Kestrel

NEW PROJECTS Quince & Co Kestrel 2021

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Quince & Co Kestrel is part of our Treat Yourself to Something Nice Sale, on to June 19th!

Konti

Simple yet striking, Konti’s zig-zagging lace pattern calls to mind rippling currents in a swift-moving stream. Worked seamlessly from the top down, this pullover’s exceptionally clean construction and minimal finishing allow the lace motif and Quince & Co Kestrel’s fluid drape to take centre stage. Shown here in colourway Lira, a warm and neutral earth tone, we think Konti would look equally stunning in a bright jewel tone like Rosehip or Bordeaux.

Construction

Sweater is worked from the top down, worked flat through the neckline and upper body shaping, then worked in the round for the lower body. Sleeves are picked up around the armholes, shaped with German short rows, and worked in the round.

Size

  • Bust Circumference: 48¾ (53½, 57¼, 59, 62¾) (67½, 70¼, 75, 78¾)” [124 (136, 145.5, 150, 159.5) (171.5, 178.5, 190.5, 200) cm]
  • Shown in size 53½” [136 cm] on a 34″ [86.5 cm], 5′ 9½” [176.5 cm] tall model (19.5″ [49.5 cm] positive ease)
  • Suggested 16–20″ [40.5–51 cm] positive ease

Materials

Skills

Long-tail cast on, cable cast on, backward loop cast on, picking up stitches, German short rows, Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off (links provided); increasing, decreasing, knitting in the round. Charts and line-by-line instructions included (see our knitting techniques page for curated tutorials).

Holderness

Cassie LaFollette’s Holderness elevates a simple summer tank into a work of art! Knit in the round from the bottom up, Holderness begins with a deep, folded hem and features a tidy i-cord bind off at the underarms and neckline. Easy-to-work cables create charming braided straps for a delicate and polished finish. Holderness’s thoughtful construction combined with Kestrel’s fluid drape create a timeless piece that is breezy and effortless to wear. You’ll reach for this tank again and again.

Construction

Tank is worked in the round from the bottom up, then separated at the underarms. The body includes a folded hem. Underarms and neckline are shaped by a staggered i-cord bind off. The braided straps are achieved using simple 2-over-2 cables.

Size

  • Bust Circumference: 32¾ (37¼, 40¾, 45¼, 48¾) (53¼, 56¾, 61¼, 64¾, 69¼)” [83.5 (94.5, 103.5, 115, 124) (135.5, 144.5, 155.5, 164.5, 176) cm]
  • Shown in size 37¼” (94.5 cm) on a 34″ [86.5 cm], 5′ 9½” [176.5 cm] tall model (3¼” [8 cm] positive ease)
  • Suggested 3¼” (8 cm) positive ease

Materials

Skills

Long-tail cast on, invisible provisional cast on, cables with and without a cable needle, Meg Swansen’s speedy i-cord bind off, grafting (Kitchener stitch), (links provided); decreasing, knitting in the round (see our knitting techniques page for curated tutorials).

PROJECTS Kestrel Lace

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Quince & Co Kestrel is 15% Off until June 19th!

Quince & Co Kestrel has been a customer favourite for years … good things never go out of style. It’s an aran weight, organic linen, so it knits up quickly and easily. It’s machine washable, perfect for warm-weather garments. It makes beautiful, simple stocking stitch fabric, but it also knits up as a stunning lace. Quince & Co Kestrel is 15% Off until June 19th

Kestrel Patterns Featuring Lace

Hacienda

Hacienda is a modular knitted stole with a lovely drape and texture. The unique construction of Kestrel is a perfect fit for Bristol’s unique and fearless sense of design. All of these elements come together beautifully in this fun to knit, and fun to wear, piece.

The wrap is designed with Quince & Co Kestrel, an extremely versatile, aran weight 100% organic linen (I don’t know if you get more environmentally without hugging a tree). It knits beautifully, easily and fast, it’s machine washable (in a delicate bag), and softens up COMPLETELY after washing. If you want to maintain the crispness in the picture above you’ll need to wash by hand, lay flat to dry, and press (a little spritz of Soak Flatter won’t hurt either). Because of the textile, this wrap is great for cooler summer nights, people who winter in a warmer climate, or for anyone who can’t wear wool and wants something really nice.

Size

14½” [37 cm] wide and 60″ [152.5 cm] long

Materials

Skills

Cable cast on, picking up stitches (links provided); increasing, decreasing. Construction diagram included.

Fernwood

Fernwood is a pretty tank with an elegant, scalloped lace edge. Designed with Quince & Co Kestrel and 6mm/US10 needles, it’ll whip up quickly, so you can wear it all summer!

Size

  • 31(33, 35, 37, 39, 41.5, 44, 46.5, 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 62.5, 64, 66, 69.5, 73)” or 78.5 (84, 89, 94, 99, 105.5, 112, 118, 124.5, 132, 139.5, 147.5, 155, 159, 162.5, 167.5, 176.5, 185.5) cm
  • Intended to be work with -2 to +2”/-5 to + 5 cm positive ease
  • Linen is VERY stretchy, especially after being washed. Consider going down a size.

Materials

Mira

Mira is an open tee is a great layering piece for summer. The oversized shape and relaxed gauge aim for maximum drape, which is then compounded by eyelets and garter stitch. There’s very little shaping in this piece, making for a relaxing knit. The fit is very oversized and the tension is loose, but if you want something a bit smaller and firmer try going down in needle size to a 5mm/US8 or 5.5mm/US9.

Size

  • Bust Circumference: 54 (60¾, 66, 72¾)” or 137 (154.5, 167.5, 185) cm
  • Shown in size 54″ [137 cm] on a 34″ [86.5 cm] on a 5’8″ [172.5 cm] tall model with 20″ [51 cm] positive ease
  • Designed to be worn with 16-24″ [40-60 cm] positive ease

Materials

Skills

Long-tail cast on, sloped bind off, cable cast on, three-needle bind off (links provided); increasing, decreasing. Charts and line-by-line instructions included.

Sandshore

Sandshore is a seamless cardigan worked from the top down. A clean mesh lace forms an intersection down the back, set slightly asymmetrically for interest. The Kestrel knits up quickly and is a smooth, dry summer yarn. I’ve found Kestrel is extremely stretchy knit at this tension, consider going down one or two sizes in the pattern.

Size

  • 31 (35, 39, 43, 47, 51, 55, 59, 63, 67)” or 79 (89, 99, 109, 119, 129, 139, 150, 160, 170) cm

Materials

PROJECT Seguin

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Seguin

Straight off, let’s acknowledge that Seguin is not a design for the chestier ladies. I think it’s important to value all bodies, and some of those bodies look really pretty with a bit of an accent in front. I also like the ‘smocking detail’ (it isn’t really smocking), it’s just interesting and a cool texture. I don’t think it would be hard to omit the ruffle and just keep the slipped stitch cable rib. Seguin is made with Quince & Co Sparrow, but if you like the aesthetic but want a thicker yarn that knits faster try Merrifield, made with Quince & Co Kestrel and 6.5mm/US10.5 needles … isn’t that nice of them?

Size

  • Finished Bust: 32½ (36¼, 40, 43¾, 47½, 51½, 55¼, 59, 62¾)” [82.5 (92, 101.5, 111, 120.5, 131, 140.5, 150, 159.5) cm]
  • Shown in size 36¼” / 92 cm on a 34” / 86.5 cm, 5’5” / 165 cm tall model (2 1⁄4” / 6 cm positive ease)

Materials

  • Quince & Co Sparrow: 6 (6, 7, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11) skeins
  • 3.75mm/US5 – 16″ circular needles
  • 4mm/US6 – 24″ circular needles
  • 4mm/US6 – 32″ circular needles
  • Pattern

PROJECT Popham Crochet Bag

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Popham in Quince & Co Sparrow

Popham

Quince & Co Sparrow Linen is finally restocked just in time for the good weather! And it’s a good thing, because I seem to have reached maximum pandemic and my brain doesn’t seem to want to work good. If you are in the same boat, Popham is a nice little crochet bag (I know the crocheters are always jonesing for pretty projects), ready for you to go hit the outside and stand in a line (but it’s outside, so that’s a nice change, right?). If you are not a crocheter you can take the knitted version, Rue Mouffetard, for a drive. And another cool thing, this pattern is written for two sizes of yarn (a nice touch), the thinner Quince & Co Sparrow (the brown bag) and the thicker Quince & Co Kestrel (ecru bag) (also restocked).

Popham in Quince & Co Kestrel

Materials: Longer, Narrower Bag (thinner yarn)

The brown bag in the pictures. Size is 4½” [37 cm] wide and 27½” [70 cm] total length (including strap).

Materials: Shorter, Wider Bag (thicker Yarn)

The ecru bag in the pictures. Size is 4½” [37 cm] wide and 27½” [70 cm] total length (including strap).

Popham in Quince & Co Kestrel

Popham in Quince & Co Kestrel

Popham in Quince & Co Sparrow
Popham in Quince & Co Sparrow

NEW PROJECT Day Blossom

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Day Blossom

When we make projects for the store, I choose them with you in mind. You’ll can probably figure out which things I like to make for myself – mostly sweaters with simple silhouettes, accessories for the family, and quirky little things (mohair tissue box covers, decorative mini-sweaters, tea cozies with limbs growing out of them, etc). Day Blossom is kind of a crossover – I came across it while looking for a store project, and figured I’d take a chance on it. I fell in love with the texture, I love texture and playing with texture. It combines two weights of Quince’s linen yarns, one thicker and one thinner. In the pictures the yellow is the thicker yarn (Quince & Co Kestrel) and the neutral colour is the thinner (Quince & Co Sparrow).

I kind of like the little fringes, they reiterate the changes in the textile and create a bit of visual interest, but you don’t have to make them if you don’t want to. The size is nice too, it’s very comfortable as a scarf and as a shoulder cover. The linen is cool and comfortable, all drape. After a long winter and cold spring it’s nice to wear a garment that’s feels different. Linen and wool are kind of binary opposites; wool is all about warmth, air and body, while linen is cool, dense and drapey.

I like knitting linen with wood needles, but Liane said it drove her up the wall. When I made my first sweater with Quince & Co Sparrow I swatched quite a bit to make sure I got tension, and I tried both bamboo and brass needles. At first I didn’t like the wood, then I tried the brass, and after that I went back to the wood and preferred them. In the end, the needles weren’t really the factor I expected them to be, but getting used to working with the linen was the important part. Once I was accustomed to the fibre I was happy with my regular needles. As for all those swatches, Sparrow is super soft and machine washes beautifully so I use them around the house and the store. They’ve replaced disposable tissues for removing makeup, washing my face, and cleaning up little messes. To my mind, that’s a big bonus – the less I have to send to landfill the better!

The colours shown in the original pattern are Quince & Co Sparrow in Moon (a grey with a blueish cast) and Quince & Co Kestrel in Minos (purple). Their colours are STUNNING, I love them, and for a bit I had a hard time thinking outside of that box. But it’s been such a cold & dreary spring here that I felt I owed it to everyone to come up with something brighter, happier, more optimistic. To pull myself out of that blank mental space I pulled all of the colours off the shelf and shuffled them around on the table. I’m glad I did, the colour combo I came up with is sunny, it has just enough colour to brighten things up without being “HI, NICE TO MEET YOU! I’M YELLOW!” You can’t go wrong with the combo of a colour on a neutral, you just have to make sure that the tones in both shades are complimentary.

Materials

NEW FREE PATTERN Beach Wrap

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Beach Wrap

This wrap was created with accessibility in mind – I wanted it to be simple to knit, and incredibly wearable. It’s made with Quince & Co. Kestrel, a 100% organic linen that’s easy to knit with, comfortable to wear, and super easy to wash (throw it in the machine in a delicate bag). The linen is heavy enough to keep you warm on spring and summer nights, but will never leave you sweating.

The simple welted texture is random, completely reversible, and creates a classic, timeless look. The pattern is knitted on the bias, increasing in width as you go, so you can make it any size you like and you never have to worry about running out of yarn. We’ve written the pattern with a line-by-line chart, to help you keep track of your rows (a beneficial thing for everyone, but especially helpful for people with learning disabilities). And the final bonus – it’s a FAST knit on 6mm/US10 to 7mm/US10.75 needles (think quick mother’s day gift)!

Size

  • 82”/205cm long (from tip to tip)
  • 20”/50cm deep (at longest point)

Materials

PROJECT Sweet Pleat

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Sweet Pleat

This adorable little dress is the perfect gift for any little girl. It comes in sizes from 6mohts to 12 years, and is made with Quince & Co Kestrel (ON SALE NOW), which is nice and cool for warmer weather and is of course machine washable.

Size

To fit: 6(12, 18) months and  2(4, 6, 8, 10, 12) years

Materials

  • Quince & Co Kestrel: 3 to 7 skeins  (see pattern for details)
  • 5.5mm/US9 needles (see pattern for details)
  • Tapestry/darning needle
  • Pattern

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

Sweet Pleat COMBO

PROJECT Mira

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mira combo.jpg

Mira

This oversized top is a quick, easy knit, in soft & comfortable Quince & Co Kestrel (ON SALE NOW). It’s casual and easy to wear, just throw it over a tank or a cami and you’re good to go! Kestrel is machine wash and dryable, very easy to knit with and wear.

Notes

Linen is VERY STRETCHY, especially at this tension, and I suggest you look closely at the size measurements and go down a size (or go down a needle size). The garment is designed quite oversized and I think there is a lot of flexibility in choosing a size, depending on how you want it to look. This can be a real plus, you may not need to buy as much yarn if you’re normally a medium/large/extra large!

Size

  • 54 (60¾, 66, 72¾)” [137 (154.5, 167.5, 185) cm] bust circumference
  • Shown in 54” / 137 cm on a 34” / 86.5 cm, 5’8” / 172.5 cm tall model with 20” / 51 cm positive ease.
  • Designed to be worn with 16-24” / 40-60 cm positive ease.

 

kestrel combo.png

Colours

We have 6 or more skeins left in the colours pictured above, but don’t wait too long because the yarn is on sale now and won’t last long!

mira combo 2.jpg

 

PROJECT Davis

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Davis

My friend Dawn was looking to take advantage of our summer sale and made a summer sweater, so I pulled together a Ravelry search for her and when she came across Davis she kind of made a swooning sound. I figured if it was swoonable for her, everyone should eyeball it. It’s an oversized pullover, which means it’ll have lots of room to move and lots of casual elegance. It’s made with Quince & Co Kestrel, a gorgeous chunky weight, 100% organic linen tape – one of my favourite summer yarns because it’s easy to knit with, works up fast, and washes and wears extremely easily. Plus, it’s ON SALE NOW!

Size

  • Finished bust: 41½ (44¾, 48, 51¼, 54½, 57½, 60¾)” [105.5 (113.5, 122, 130, 138.5, 146, 154.5) cm]
  • shown in size 44¾” [113.5 cm] with approx 11″ [28 cm] positive ease

Materials

Kestrel combo.png

We currently have the following colours in stock in sufficient quantities (depending on size desired):

  • Aegean 511 (lot 2)
  • Ash 515 (lot 20)
  • Bordeaux 520 (lot 1)
  • Pebble 504 (lot 20)
  • Senza 500 (lot 6)
  • Terrapin 523 (light khaki green, lot 1)
  • Wave 516 (lot 2)

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

Kestrel Davis Combo .jpg

 

 

 

 

FINISHED Quick Sand

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Quicksand kestrel senza 1

Quicksand kestrel senza COMBO 2

Quick Sand

I just finished this little cardie for myself, and I think it worked out really nicely! It’s a simple, top-down cardie made with Quince & Co Kestrel (ON SALE ALL JULY). The colour is ‘Senza’, an ecru. I modified the pattern and made it cropped, so I only used 6 skeins instead of 8. I also made one size smaller than I would normally wear (all the details are in my Ravelry Notes). You’ll probably see me wearing it around the store very soon, I think it’s going to become a summer wardrobe staple.

Materials

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

Quicksand kestrel senza COMBO 3