Category Archives: Quince & Company Kestrel

FINISHED Daicey

Quince and Co Kestrel Daicey Sample

Daicey

I just finished Daicey, a new store sample, one I intend to wear around the store this Spring & Summer. It was a super quick and easy knit, a real low-brainer. I think it is going to be a great sweater to wear over a tank or cami in the summer! It’s open, airy, casual, modern, and simple – all things I like.

Notes

  • The neckline is quite wide (as it is designed to be). If you have broad shoulders you should be fine. If you have narrow shoulders (like me and my mannequin) you might find it slips off your shoulders. If I make Daicey again I will cast on fewer stitches for the neck.
  • I expected a lot of drape and made a size smaller than I would normally, but it really does have a ton of stretch. I think I over-estimated my size, if I make this again I might make the smallest size (I’m a size 4-6/small, 36″ bust).
  • I don’t think the A-line shaping is necessary for the garment’s style if your body doesn’t need it. I would skip that if I made it again. The same goes for the pocket.
  • I blocked by washing in a delicate bag on cold and drying (in the delicate bag) on low heat. I find this loosens up the fibres and makes them soft and pliable. Plus I can see the full stretch & drape. If you don’t want it to “let-go” don’t put it in the dryer.
  • I wove the ends in where possible (underarms, pockets, cuffs, etc) and sewed all of the ends down with matching thread. All yarn was joined at the side, under the arm.
  • I didn’t bother using double pointed needles, I was able to make the arms entirely on 16″ circular needles (I don’t know if that would work with the smallest size).

Size

  • Finished Bust: 31½ (34¾, 37¼, 39½, 41¾, 45¼, 48½, 52)” or 80 (88.5, 94.5, 100.5, 106, 115, 123, 132) cm
  • finished measurements for our sample are available in our Ravelry project notes (no point subjecting your to that kind of minutiae)

Materials

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

Quince and Co Kestrel PATTERN daicey COMBO

Rhea

a01c2e0f-bc48-4771-b1c0-7fb962b4c2c4-8693-00000cb91adf6319_tmp

Rhea

I love this new pattern by Pam Allen, made with Quince & Co Kestrel. Of course it’s a gorgeous spring/summer cardigan, made with gorgeous yarn, but it’s also knit seamlessly from the bottom-up (SEAMLESS is one of my favourite words, I can’t tell you how sexy I find it).

Skills

I think this pattern is probably suitable intermediate knitters or advanced beginners who are ready to take a leap forward. Special skills required include:

  • long tail backwards-loop cast on (no biggy)
  • short rows (intermediate skill)
  • three needle bind-off (not a big deal)
  • seaming (I know they said seamless, but I guess there is a bit? anyway, it’s good to learn & practice is the only way)

Notes

Check out our Kestrel Knit Hacks!

Size

  • Bust Circumference: 33¾ (37, 40¼, 43½, 46¾, 49¾, 53)” or [85.5 (94, 102, 110.5, 118.5, 126.5, 134.5) cm]
  • shown in size 37″ [94 cm] with 3″ [7.5 cm] positive ease

Materials

  • Quince & Co Kestrel: 9 (10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) skeins
  • 5mm/US8- 32″ circular needles
  • 5.5mm/US9-32″ circular needles
  • 5mm/US8 double pointed needles
  • 5.5mm/US9 double pointed needles
  • Tapestry or darning needle
  • sewing needle & matching thread (to join yarn)
  • Pattern

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

Rhea COMBO

RESTOCKED & HACKS Quince & Co Kestrel

073ed-quince2band2bco2bkestrel2bdisplay2bblog2bskeins

Quince & Co Kestrel

I’m kind of sweet on Quince & Co Kestrel – I’m working on our 4th project in it and my mind is already spinning, thinking ahead to the next. It’s a flexible aran to bulky weight, machine washable, and made from organic Belgian linen. It knits up quickly and the drape is divine!  Like all things linen, woven or knitted, Kestrel only gets better as you wash and wear it.

 

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

Quince and Co Kestrel COMBO BLOG

Kestrel Knit Hacks

Size

Linen has LOTS of drape, especially when knit loosely. Consider making a size smaller than normal, your finished garment will grow after blocking and with wear.

Joining

Tape or ribbon yarn like Kestrel yarn aren’t joined in the same way as other, regular plied yarns. When changing balls, you’ll need to sew the ends together with matching sewing thread – see this tutorial. You can alternately try this other method for joining hollow core yarns.

Winding

Linen balls are slickery and like confinement. After winding your skein, house it in a sock or the leg of some old pantyhose to keep it from becoming an unruly pain in the bum (I’ve been known to pick up cool coloured hose & socks if they cross my path at the dollar store).

Washing

What they say about linen is true – it washes extremely well, and gets softer and nicer after each wash. It is, however, not made from the cape of the man of steel. Like everything else, it’s vulnerable to abrasion, which will ruin the surface of the textile and make it mungy-looking (I learned this the hard way, curse words were uttered). Wash your linen in the machine, but always put it in a delicate bag. If you want to put it in the dryer I’d be safe and put it on cool and maybe keep it in the bag. The fibres will not shrink in the dryer, but they’ll contract a little, and again, my concern is abrasion.

Quince and Co Kestrel PATTERN daicey pullover

Daicey

I’m currently working on Daicey, it’s going extremely smoothly. It is a very simple top-down raglan with a smidge of A-line shaping and a pocket for a cute little detail. Mine looks great so far, but it won’t gel until it;s been washed and the fibres settle. I’m using a muted colour, Turtle, but I also have a client who’s working on it in Rosehip, and I can’t wait to see how the vibrant colour affects the design. I think her’s is going look a bit better, I think the brighter colour will make the details and the lines *pop*.  Who knows, maybe I’ll like it so much I’ll make another!  I’m also making a size smaller than normal because I expect the fabric will be stretch-city.

  • Quince & Co Kestrel: 8 (8, 9, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) skeins
  • 6.5mm/US10.5 24″ circular needles
  • 6.5mm/US10.5 – 16″ circular or double pointed needles
  • matching sewing thread & needle
  • Pattern

 

NEW Tees for Quince & Co

 

 

Flex

Taking advantage of Kestrel’s fantastic stitch definition, Heidi uses simple shaping to form what is more or less a mitered square. The center of the ‘X’ is then shifted toward the front to complete the effect of a “cross front” top, without overlapping or seaming the fabric at the front.
The front and back pieces are worked separately from the bottom up. Then they are joined with the yoke, which is worked in the round, ending at the front center of the neck. The piece is then folded in half and seamed at the sides. (Shown in size 37¾” / 96 cm with 5” / 13 cm positive ease)

Sizes

Bust circumference: 33½ (37¾, 42, 46, 50½, 54½)” / 85 (96, 107, 117, 128, 139) cm

Materials

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w

 

Edie

Edie is a simple tee worked with raglan increases from the top down. First you have to work back and forth until V-Neck shaping is complete, then in the round to the end.
Textured stripes will help to compensate the yarns tendency to bias. Short-row shaping for the rounded bottom gives a casual finish. Stitches for short sleeves are picked up after body is complete, to work the sleeves top down in the round. An optional neck finishing is provided. Sample shows unfinished, raw edges.

Sizes

Finished bust circumference: 33 (35, 37, 39.5, 42, 45, 49.5) inches / 83.5 (89, 94.5, 100, 107, 114.5, 125.5) cm
Sample is size XS with approx. 2 inches of positive ease at bust.

Materials

 

Shop Online Button Turquoise 250w