Quince & CO is a US company that sells american wool, sourced and spun in the US (except for some plant fibers like linen that they source from Belgium). I have made 3 projects this year using 3 Quince & Co bases and I thought it was time I shared my feelings and opinion of it.
The 3 projects you can see here are the Schwimmen hat, the Whispering Pines shawl and the Warble cowl, respectively made with their worsted base Lark, their fingering weight Finch and their sport weight base Chickadee. All three are 100% american wool and come in the same (very wide) range of colors. I won't talk much about their dyeing techniques other than to say it apparently uses low impact dyes. If you want to learn more about it (and also superwash and yarn in general), i would highly suggest you listen to episode 5 of the Knit.fm podcast.
About the colors though, like you can probably tell from the photos, Quince & Co 100% wool bases come in solid tones (rather than variegated in brands like Malabrigo or Madeline Tosh for instance) but the colors maintain a very earthy feel and by that I mean that you can select one of their yarn and then be able to think of a plant or flower that remind you of this specific color. In other words, it doesn't look too chemical too me (if that makes sense). They add new colorways quite frequently so you should easily find the perfect one for your project, if solid is what you are looking for obviously. They also have other yarn lines, such as linen or tweedy base like Owl that comes in different colors than the 100% wool ones.
Texture wise, I would say their pure wool bases is a mix of rustic and smooth, with a very modern feeling. The yarn is very solid and resistant like a rustic yarn would yet is soft enough than I don't have any trouble having it sit next to my skin. Their thinnest bases like Finch have enough drape that it works well for shawl with textures, but I wouldn't use it for pure lace for instance. The stitch definition however is amazing. I mean look at that hat! It's not even blocked by the way. Definitely my favorite thing about the Quince & Co yarn. The softness factor doesn't compare to many other yarns though, like Knit by Numbers, Malabrigo, Madeline Tosh... It does come with its own advantage though because unlike the yarns I just mention, I can tell my Quince & Co projects will resist and age very well. I've had no peeling issues so far. So clearly at the end of the day it all comes back to what you are looking for in a yarn and the type of projects you have in mind. I would definitely use it again for hats and maybe even sweaters (I really want to try their Tern base, which is a 75% wool 25% silk fingering!).
Have you made anything using Quince & Co yarns? What did you think? Obviously the opinions expressed here are only my own and thus engage only me :)
The colors are gorgeous and vibrant, but every wool yarn I have ever touched still feels scratchy. Even the "softer" wools, they're still scratchy. My skin and that texture just do not get along. Is this yarn something that you think could combat that?
ReplyDeleteprobably not. you should go toward something even softer like Madeline Tosh or even a blend that has more than just wool in it, like an MCN blend (that stands for merino cashmere nylon)
DeleteI have never used this yarn but love what you create. Your knits are all just so beautiful, that hat especially! I am in awe.
ReplyDeleteIts one of my favorite yarns!
ReplyDeleteI was once gifted Q&C Finch by a blogger and I knit mitts and used it in a Fair Isle hat. I was very pleased with how the yarn knits up. I love all your projects in this post!
ReplyDeleteI've used Quince and Co. a few times now, and I love it! Lark and Puffin bases are the only ones I've tried thus far, and they feel so good in my fingers while I'm knitting. It created things that are pretty soft, but still hold their structure well. And the COLORS! It's so hard to choose, because they're all gorgeous. Your projects turned out beautifully!!!
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