what happened at quince in april?

Hello, Friends!

This past month has seen another whirlwind of activity for our small but mighty team—and we thought it only right to share what we’ve been up to in a new series we’re calling “What Happened at Quince?” April was yet another full month for me, as I became better acquainted with our local mill in Maine, toured our dyehouse in North Carolina, worked on some big plans with the team, and knitted my way through some more scrumptious yarns (of course!).

Scroll down to hear all about it!

On Tour

I had the pleasure of visiting our local mill in Maine—enjoying a tour of the entire facility! My favorite part: all the old machinery. Everything has leather belts and worn wood, with the oldest piece of equipment dating back to 1917 (see below)!

Next stop: visiting our dyehouse in North Carolina. Teammate Jenni and I saw the entire dye process, from mixing color to the drying of the yarn and packaging it. Next, we stopped at an amazing little farm in Rutherfordton called Cherry Mountain Farm, where we visited the Cuny Cuny pigs and Angora Goats—aren’t they fantastic?

Back in Maine

Every time I’m on a call with the team, or am visiting our office in Maine, I’m almost always guaranteed to learn something new, usually about life in Maine. This past month was no exception, below are a couple highlights:

• I learned about ‘mud season,’ which led to purchasing my fancy new raincoat and matching bag. And I was delighted to witness some of the first spring blooms of crocus and snowdrops popping up. What a treat to finally see pops of color return!

• At the team’s recommendation, I made my way over to Paper Tiger, and now I can’t wait to return for a Private Punch Party! 

Looking Ahead

Last month we finalized plans to move our administrative office from downtown Portland to Biddeford to be closer to our warehouse in Saco. Thankfully, it all went according to plan and we’re busy getting settled into our new space—and thrilled to finally be able to gather together more easily. In case you missed it, we’re celebrating this milestone with a free pattern giveaway of Saco Stripes. Add it to your cart and use promo code HELLOSACO to get it for free!

In addition to the move, the team and I planned our first-ever knit sample sale, featuring tons of knits by Quince & Co. founder Pam Allen—they’re all so good! Be on the lookout for the launch of this sale, coming very soon this month!

Last but not least, we celebrated all things Corriedale with our sister company Stone Wool and learned all about the iconic Corriedale sheep breed—check out this fun and informative podcast they launched to kick off their celebration. And, because I can’t resist trying out a new yarn, I I cast on my first Corriedale project; and the yarn is so beautiful to work with.

On My Needles

In my goal to become a proficient knitter, I’ve been wracking up a list of WIP’s! Here are just a few of the projects I’m working on or have newly completed:

• Bayberry in scrumptious Owl in the following colorways: Chamomile, Cranberry, Tawny (undyed), Elf (undyed), and Papuan (undyed). 

• Hanstholm by PetiteKnits - Knitting in Stone Wool Corriedale in Sorrel 03 for my son. This is my first try at short rows and I had to tear them out 3 times before I got it right. I love the double-thick color on this sweater, and am loving the bouncy and wooly Corriedale yarn.

• Ramona by Elizabeth Smith in Osprey color Nasturtium. I’m proud to say this is my first, somewhat successful, cardigan. I just need sleeves, but I'm distracted by Bayberry and Hanstholm at the moment!

• Finished a custom raglan in Kestrel for my husband, also somewhat successful.

• Finished the Broken Rib Hat in dreamy Ibis (new to me!)

Thanks for following along! Let us know what you’d like to hear more about in the comments below!

Until next time,

Michelle