HRYC

I had to laugh when Shelley sent her review, below, through. We had a fairly quick conversation about needle size when we started with the Kestrel, and several comments followed about Shelley's....shall we say, regret, about choosing 4.5mm needles. We had rather different experiences with knitting this yarn, although it seems to have won Shelley over in the end. Which just goes to show how important needle size is in relation to your yarn choices.

Now, Shelley:

Quince & Co Kestrel 

Swatch knitted on 4.5mm needles (recommended needle size is 5 – 6.5mm)

Tension: 4” square = 17 stitches x 28 rows

(washed and vigorously blocked several times before a wash and relaxed block).

I love knitting with linen. I adore the drape and sheen and that it get softer with every wear. So I was mildly excited about swatching the Kestrel. My issue with it turned out to be the tape ply construction. Granted, the recommended needle size is on the larger side, the tape should sit flat and create a lovely, drape and smooth stitch definition in the fabric.

I’m always fascinated to see how the heavier yarns knit up on smaller needles. I want to see how dense the fabric is, and how its definition changes (if at all). So for this sample, I decided to knit it up on 4.5mm needles. Not too much smaller than the recommended 5, but with the patterns on Ravelry recommending closer to a 6 or 6.5mm needle, I thought I could get honesty out of this one. And I did.

You need to be careful if your needles are a little on the sharp end, because you will snag the tape ply. It was a little crunchy to knit with, but linen always is, and there wasn’t much in the way of drape (being knitted on smaller needles, I didn’t expect there to be). The fabric on the smaller needle is substantial. Tape, however, not being plied, did twist quite a bit and created unevenness in the stitch definition.

So I decided on some washing and brutal blocking. I washed the swatch several times – both on a normal cycle and wool wash. Every time I put a load on, the swatch went in. Follow by a severe blocking and a steam-set. This settled the stitched into something more uniform, and softened it up. I washed it again, let it dry, and gave it a gentle set with the iron, for the measurements above. Putting it through the wash several times has done wonders for the drape and the feel of the fabric. I don’t have a drier at home, but I suspect that it would really come into its own after a tumble through the machine.

Having grumbled through knitting the Kestrel on smaller needles [and she really did grumble – tash], I started to really appreciate it after the washing and blocking.

I would consider it for cardigans or heavy t-shirt sort of patterns, such as:

Jane Richmond’s Gemini out of the Knitty Spring + Summer 2012 (watch the tension, but this could totally work);

or Olga Buraya-Kefelian’s Francis (written for 10ply silk, but again, would be elegant in linen);

Beautia Dew’s Petrie out of the Knitty Spring + Summer 2010 for an retro boat neck top,

or Louisa Harding’s Miss Kitty (although there are sizing limitations).

My outside favourite, and something I would consider knitting in Kestrel, is actually Jennifer Miller’s Pixie Vest (above) – the pattern is simple and flattering, and the linen would suit the stitch definition without growth being a problem.

My swatch has taken a beating, and it still looks good. I’m quite impressed with it.

Following our yarn review of Quince & Co Kestrel yesterday, here's a few ideas of what to make with a bit of the luscious linen:

Sweet Pleat by Hannah Fettig

Togue Pond by Pam Allen

Tolt Folded Bag by Veronika Jobe 

Quince & Co Kestrel is relatively new to our shelves, and being an interesting wee yarn that is unusual in this neck of the woods, it made sense to do a yarn review for it. 

The yarn: 

Quince & Co Kestrel

Composition: 100% organic linen

Structure: chain plied to a tape-like finish

Weight: 10ply / aran

Presented in: 50g / 70m skeins

Recommended needle: 5.5mm - 6mm

I'm up first, and a post from Shelley will follow.

Obsessed with every yarn that has even a whisper of linen, Kestrel was always going to be an interesting knit. We don't often get our hands on linen yarns in New Zealand, so there was no way I could resist the call of Kestrel. 

I opted for a larger needle size than Shelley, so my swatch is on 6mm tips which gives a gloriously holey fabric. The aim with this swatch was to embrace the drape, and investigate how the fabric moved with a bit more space within the stitches. As suspected, it was a very interesting yarn to knit with. While Sparrow, Kestrel's 4ply cousin feels quite hard in the hand, Kestrel's tape construction made for a much more pleasant knitting experience. The flatness of the yarn took a bit of getting used to - not in a bad way. It felt different to any other yarn which tends to have a roundness to it; despite being a heavy 10ply it slipped through my fingers like something much lighter.

Then, after knitting with it, I had a whole lot of fun. I boiled it*, washed it, rubbed it, threw it around, put it in the washing machine with a pair of shoes (which needed washing, it isn't that weird). Generally speaking, I gave it a pounding. 

It isn't particularly forgiving to discrepancies in gauge or stitch oddities, however after all the hardship I put it through these started to even out.  

Wibbly bits before.

And the drape, after. 

With linen, the more it is handled and washed, the softer it gets. This swatch certainly is a whole lot softer thanks to the multitude of washes it went through, and look how gloriously it drapes! 

Heading into summer, Kestrel would be great for light garments and accessories that also keep you covered when it cools off at the end of the day. Tomorrow i'll post some pattern ideas, for now, i'm going to throw the swatch around some more.

*Why boil it? Well I'd heard tell that it would help break down the linen fibres. Another way of doing this is to throw linen in the drier for a while, or wash it multiple times. I was curious about the boiling idea, and figured there wouldn't be much harm in trying.

After a long hiatus, yesterday the Happy Sock came out of the WIP bag and back into action. I spent the day at Semi Permanent Wellington, hearing a whole lot of thought-provoking talks from some incredible designers. 

One of the reasons I was really excited about it was the chance to hear Jessica Hische speak again. A few years ago she spoke at Webstock (which I help out at) and her thoughts on 'procrastiworking' really struck a chord. 

This time was no exception, and at the end of the day my mind was buzzing with all sorts of thoughts about being creative and why we do what we do as makers. 

 As I listened, I knit the happy sock. And thought about how ridiculous it is. 

Whenever it takes my fancy, I break the yarn and start a new colour. Or start the new colour for a couple of random stripes before breaking off the old one. 

It makes for a some fairly interesting sock innards.

Surrounded by people having babies? Same!

Fancy knitting something resembling instant gratification? Same!

Never quite get things done in time to gift when the baby is still small? Same!

Need some inspiration? Here's some bigger-than-baby-size patterns:

Children's Cardigan Eivor is cuteness in a cardigan. Using 4ply yarn and a sweet mix of cables, lace and plain panels. 

Chickadee by Ysolda is an adorable mini version of her adult's Chickadee cardi pattern. 

Plain Cardigan by Anna and Heidi Pickles will knit up in snap thanks to using 8ply yarn.

Although I think this cardigan needs to be cast on immediately:

Where the Wild Sheep Roam by Pinneguri. 

As per usual, so many things to knit, not enough time. At least knits for kids are small are therefore faster. Or that's the idea. The trouble is not being distracted by other projects...