kestrel news
Happy Spring! Linen month continues, and with the Sparrow 2018 collection out in the world earlier in March, we're turning to our worsted weight linen, Kestrel.
Often considered a linen yarn for knitters who do not especially care for working with linen, Kestrel's tape construction is a bit kinder on hands, having a little more give than your typical spun flax, which is by nature inelastic. The flattened knitted "tube" of Kestrel also gives an interesting texture to the finished fabric.
Like a tray of well-tended seedlings, our newest collection is nearly ready to begin unfurling next week (sign up for our e-letter to get first news as they launch). We're so excited to send this crop out into the world—these newest patterns take Kestrel in unique and different directions with a focus on keeping things simple, and we think they'll be a welcome expansion to the popular classics for Kestrel.
I asked Jerusha to pick some of her personal favs from years past; read on about her picks below.
above, left to right: Togue Pond, Aster, Tamsin
tank top favorites
Pam Allen’s Togue Pond (shown in Cove), from our first Kestrel collection in 2014, is a classic tank, with short row shaping near the hem for a little more fabric at the back, and armhole shaping well in from the edges, creating a nice curve toward the graceful scoop neck.
Dawn Catanzaro’s Aster (shown in Senza) from Kestrel 2015 has a pretty scoop in the front neck and racerback shaping at the back. Back darts give this piece a nice fit in the body. And on large needles, it’s so quick to knit.
Tamsin, Dawn’s meditative garter tank in pretty Anemone, from Kestrel 2016, is knitted in four pieces and seamed, and it features a sweet v-neck. An excellent choice for those of us (a few hands raised here) who delight in the art of finishing.
above, left to right: Jessamin, Adelaide, Deschain
lace favorites
Jessamin, Melissa LaBarre’s open cardigan from Kestrel 2016, is a classic raglan with garter trim, and features a sweet mesh lace at cuffs and hem. Shown here in gray-green Turtle.
Also from Kestrel 2016, Cecily Glowik MacDonald’s Adelaide (shown in Aegean) features a pretty lace panel down the center front that shows how well Kestrel does with an open fabric.
From last year’s Linen Noir collection, Leila Raabe’s show-stopping Deschain paired a cropped, boxy shape and fitted sleeves with a stunning take on the classic feather and fan: The insertion of dropped stitches adds just the right drama to the gentle undulation of the motif, and frames the neckline perfectly.
above, left to right: Davis, Hamlin Peak, Bragita
pam allen favorites
And here are some of our favorites from Quince & Co's founder! We love Davis (Kestrel 2014) for its wide scoop neck, easy fit, and fitted sleeves, making it so easy to throw over anything in a summer wardrobe. Here it is in Urchin, a gray-green we can arguably call one of Pam’s favorite colors.
Pam’s Hamlin Peak (Kestrel 2014) is super swingy and fitted where it counts, with pretty eyelet shaping at the raglan lines and front edges. In grayed-out Pebble, again we salute Pam’s love for neutral shades.
There’s so much movement in a Kestrel piece. In Bragita, Pam accentuates Kestrel’s kinetic properties by adding godets that maybe make you want to bounce around a little bit when wearing it. And the wide, deep scoop neck is so flattering. Shown in Pebble.
And that barely scratches the surface of our Kestrel pattern library—browse them all here.
See you next week with our newest additions for 2018! For now, here's a peek:
