Category: Quince & Co.

Linen and cotton from Quince & Co.

5/15/2019

Linen and cotton from Quince & Co.
are back for warmer weather!

Warm weather really is coming, we promise! And we have already brought in some yarns that are cool to the touch and light on your lap for the spring and summer months.

Quince & Co. produces organic linen yarns in two different weights: The fingering weight Sparrow and the aran weight Kestrel.

For more warm weather options check out the sport weight cotton Willet, and also the fingering weight silk blend Tern.

Sparrow - Perfect for spring

Sparrow is Quince's fingering weight, 100% organically grown linen yarn.

Sparrow is a plain little yarn, beautiful in its simplicity. Its clean, smooth hand is crisp as you knit it. But after washing and wearing it becomes handkerchief-soft and drapey.

You can learn more about Sparrow right here.

Kestrel - Cool, crisp linen. . .

Kestrel is a new take on a simple linen yarn. The folks at Quince took the same organic linen that they use in their little Sparrow and spun it this time in a ribbon structure.

Kestrel knits up quickly at 3½ to 4 stitches to the inch. Its flat surface adds a slight texture to simple knit and purl stitches, and it has incredible drape.

You can learn more about Kestrel right here.

Willet - Light and clean. . .

Made in the USA, Willet is Quince & Co.'s light, summery bird, sourced from high-quality, responsibly grown Cleaner Cotton™.

Says Quince: "In Willet's neat little stitches, we see potential for sweet baby things, cool tanks and tees, pillow covers and summer throws, shawls, and more. Try it in a pretty lace pattern or a well-defined knit/purl texture."

You can learn more about Willet right here.

Tern - Soft and sepia. . .

Soft and skinny is the wispy Tern, a blend of wool and tussah silk.

The yarn's muted palette - think vintage painted photographs - results from the way in which the different fibers absorb dye. The wool portion colors thoroughly, but the silk is barely tinted.

"Why isn't Quince on your web store?"
We are proud to be Quince's flagship retailer for NYC, but they have requested that we sell their yarns in store only.
Please feel free to email us if you'd like us to send you a current list of our colors!

Sparrow Patterns

Lida Shawl

Hazlewood

Aisa Tee

Kestrel Patterns

Hudson

Aura

Laguna

Willet Patterns

Torrey

Sully

Auger

Tern Patterns

Immie

Bellefleur

Olympia

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Quince & Co. Sparrow Show

5/22/2016

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It's a Quince & Co. Sparrow Show!

For the next two weeks, Argyle Yarn Shop will be hosting a trunk show on loan to us from Portland, Maine-based yarn maker Quince & Co. The featured yarn is Sparrow, Quince's fingering weight, 100% organically grown linen yarn.

A trunk show is when a yarn maker lets us borrow some finished knitted samples to display, so guests can see what the yarns look and feel like in person, and get inspiration from the beautiful designs.

Let's see what lovely tops have come out of the trunk this time:

Below is Aila, designed by Isabell Kraemer, a pretty tank top with open diamond lace details at the hip. A simple A-line shape makes easy work of this top-down summer piece, knitted in Sparrow linen.

Amalia’s graceful hem is the centerpiece of this delightfully simple shell, worked in Quince's linen Sparrow. Cleverly joined garter-stitch panels on the front and back create a graceful flutter at the bottom edge. Subtle garter stitch trims at neck and armholes complete the simplified beauty of this piece, designed by Pam Allen.

Modern and graphic, Dianna Walla’s Zara Tee boasts boxy elements in shape and color details, with a slim sleeve to balance it off.
Worked flat in pieces from the bottom up and seamed, the applied crochet chain technique used for the contrasting color makes simple work of the widely spaced vertical stripes.

Melissa LaBarre’s Pippa tank is a study in feminine simplicity.
Featuring a sweet lace back detail just below the neckline, Pippa sports an easy A-line shape and is knitted in the round from the bottom up, in Quince's Sparrow linen.

And, in the classic Lida shawl by Bristol Ivy, simple cables and yarn over eyelets create a compelling lace pattern perfect for warm weather.

At Argyle, we're proud to be the New York City stockist for the beautiful yarns of Quince & Co.

So come on over and check out Sparrow, including the three newest colors pictured at right: Eclipse, Lunar, and Sky.

You can learn more about Sparrow by visiting our blog right here. And if you love the idea of summery linen, but are hoping for a thicker gauge, we've also got Quince's Kestrel.

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Kestrel

4/6/2016

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Kestrel, by Quince & Co.

Last month, we had a look at Quince's fingering weight linen, Sparrow.

Kestrel is a new take on a simple linen yarn. The folks at Quince took the same Belgium-grown organic linen that they use in their little Sparrow and spun it this time in a ribbon structure. Kestrel knits up quickly at 3½ to 4 stitches to the inch. Its flat surface adds a slight texture to simple knit and purl stitches, and it has incredible drape.

Like all things linen, woven or knitted, Kestrel only gets better as you wash and wear it.

We've enjoyed Kestrel so much we've made not one but two samples with it this season.
Below, the tee "Flex" surprisingly flips the pattern 90º in a criss-cross shape. Our version's on the left with Quince's own on the right. Following is the "Hudson" cowl, a decorative, light to the touch, summer scarf.

Some may enjoy the rustic look of linen but wonder, is it really going to be soft enough?

Here baby Zoë gives it the seal of approval, romping in a "Sweet Pleat" Kestrel dress knitted for her by a friend of ours.

It keeps the sun out, but lets the cool breezes in; perfect for summer.

Now let's have a look at patterns designed specifically for Kestrel by Quince & Co.'s own design team, including founder Pam Allen:
First up is "Adelaide." A delicate lace panel on the front of the body is the centerpiece to this gorgeous raglan pullover. Next, two tanks: "Togue Pond" includes decorative ribbing, and "Aster" is an airy tank whose darts in the back provide a nice silhouette. And lastly is "Hibiscus," shown in the bright, refreshing color "rosehip."

Though Kestrel has the cool breathability of linen, its aran weight construction lends it to a substantial fabric in summer pullovers and cardis.
From left is "Yarrow," which switches intriguingly from garter to stockinette. "Hamlin Peak" is a free-flowing cardigan. "Jessamin" features a sweetly simple garter mesh lace border in the body and sleeve cuffs, and garter trim at cardigan fronts. And loose, swingy "Bridie" is a cocoon that’s meant to be thrown on and lived in.

Want to see more? Check out all of Quince's Kestrel patterns right here.

The Stats:
Kestrel, by Quince & Co.
100% organic linen
heavy worsted weight
76yd [70m] / 50g
4 sts / inch on size US 8 [5 mm] needles
3.5 sts / inch on size US 10.5 [6.5 mm] needles
All photos except the first are © Quince & Co.

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Willet

3/22/2016

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Willet, by Quince & Co.

Willet is Quince & Co.'s light, summery bird, sourced from high-quality, responsibly grown Cleaner Cotton™.

Made in the USA, this fiber's long staple length yields a deliciously soft yarn with a hint of pretty sheen. At 6 sts / inch, it works both as a sport and dk weight.

Says Quince: "In Willet's neat little stitches, we see potential for sweet baby things, cool tanks and tees, pillow covers and summer throws, shawls, and more. Try it in a pretty lace pattern or a well-defined knit/purl texture."

Below is an adorable child's sweater Esther just finished using Willet, in Hannah Fettig's pattern "Cradle Cardigan."
She loved working with it, and I wish I could convey how wonderfully soft it feels.
Plus, this is Quince's first yarn that can go in a washing machine!

Here's a couple of charming patterns from Quince's own design team specially for Willet:
On the left is Baby Kelpie, a one-skein wonder by Quince founder Pam Allen. And on the right is Dawn Catanzaro's baby cardigan "Little Willet," both in the color "Windlass."
In May, they'll be releasing a whole beautiful new pattern collection starring Willet.

Quince has also gathered a selection of patterns that will pair well with Willet without too much in the way of modifications—scarves, lightweight tops and cardigans, baby items.
These will use approximately the same needle size to achieve gauge needed, and with about the same yardage as the original yarn.

Check it out here to learn more.

What's the idea of "Cleaner Cotton?"

Well, long known for being a water-thirsty crop, cotton growing has also been plagued by the use of toxic pesticides. But Willet is made from American cotton grown in a healthier, cleaner way.

Produced by a collective of family owned and operated farms, these partners of the Sustainable Cotton Project have pledged to shun toxic chemicals, reduce environmentally harmful practices, and be conscientious of their water consumption.

You can learn more about this fascinating project and Quince's involvement on their own blog here.

As Quince & Co.'s flagship store for New York City, we at Argyle are proud and delighted to stock Willet, this wonderful, warm-weather yarn.

We look forward to seeing what inspiration you've come up with!

The Stats:
Willet, by Quince & Co.
100% Cleaner Cotton
DK/Sport weight
50g/160yd
6 sts / inch on size US 5 [3.75 mm] needles
Machine wash. Lay flat to dry.

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Sparrow

3/6/2016

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Sparrow, by Quince & Co.

At Argyle, we're proud to be the New York City stockist for the beautiful yarns of Quince & Co.
Let's have a look at Sparrow, Quince's fingering weight, 100% organically grown linen yarn.

Here's what the good folks over at Quince & Co. have to say about Sparrow:

"Sparrow is a plain little yarn, beautiful in its simplicity. Its clean, smooth hand is crisp as you knit it. But after washing and wearing it becomes handkerchief-soft and drapey. It’s spun in Italy from organic linen grown in Belgium. Knit Sparrow on a variety of needle sizes—we’ve used needles from size US 2 to size 6 [2.75 to 4mm] —depending on the drape and feel you want in your project."

Below we have photos provided by Quince of many of their beautiful patterns, all of which were designed just for Sparrow.

Let's start with some summery tees, whose construction lends a cool, breathable air flow.
First up is the chic cowl neck "Surrounding Tank," followed by short sleeved "Kathryn," and the intricate lace work of the "Shoals Tank" and the "Nyanen Tee."

Sparrow is a natural in lace patterns, yielding crisp, clear yarn overs. Create your own little patch of leafy shade with cool, lightweight linen shawl.
Featured below are "Leaves," the "Lamassu," the "Emily" scarf, and the "Lida" shawl. These last two have been so popular at Argyle, our instructor has taught several students how to make them during our "Next Step Beginner" class. (You can learn more about our classes here.)

A thin linen sweater? Is that an oxymoron?
Well, think about how frequently in summertime we feel like we just can't win when it comes to layers. Step in from a scorching sidewalk and then someone's set the office AC to make it feel like an ice box. Or you feel perfect until sunset, when suddenly the air temp plunges.
Try out the just-right, light, cool texture of a linen top that will let you breathe freely during the day and still be enough to keep out the evening breezes.
Below are shown the top-down cardigan "Aria," the lacey "Scarborough," shrug, the A-line pullover "Perkins Cove," and the draping, flowing "Dubro."

Sparrow's strength and structure also makes it a lovely choice for bags and other household items.
It's easy to dismiss how frequently we have an "it'll do" market bag strapped to our shoulder. Why not make it a market bag that's stylish and that you can take pride in?
Below are the two-color "Artichoke," the "Highmoor" bag, "Le Petit Sac," and the "Rue Mouffetard" bag.

Want to see more? Check out all of Quince's Sparrow patterns right here.
Have you made something with Sparrow yourself? Please share with us by posting it on Argyle's "Finished Objects" forum on Ravelry!

The Stats:
Sparrow, by Quince & Co.
100% organic linen
fingering weight
168yd [155m] / 50g
6 sts /inch on size US 3 [3.25 mm] needles
All photos except the first are © Quince & Co.

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Linen and cotton from Quince & Co.

Quince & Co. Sparrow Show

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