SPARROW 2016 from Quince & Co
CONTENTS in tro. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 5 aila . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 - 9 amalia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 - 1 3 . zara. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 - 1 7 pippa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 - 2 1 de sign er bios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 - 2 5
Sparrow is our little linen bird, stalwart and pretty. Organic, of course.
Like all things linen, whether woven or knitted, a piece worked in Sparrow relaxes over time, gathering drape and softness with each laundering. In this collection of Sparrow sweaters, Isabell Kraemer shows off how nicely the yarn knits up in lace patterns. Her timeless sleeveless top, bordered at the hem by an openwork diamond motif, is the quintessential summer piece. Easy knit, easy fit. We tried various styling ideas, but we ended with the simplest solution—nothing but our favorite gray jeans. Like those well-loved pants, Isabell’s top is something you’d put on when you want to feel at home in your clothes, confident and happy. Melissa LaBarre, too, has used a panel of lace in Pippa, but in an unusual manner. Instead of working a lace border, she’s added a horizontal lace panel along the top of the back. An otherwise simple, square-neck, easy tank reveals a surprise when you turn your back. Dianna Walla uses a strong, graphic windowpane pattern in her cropped pullover (opposite), an easy layer to live in. I love the combination of Maize on Moon, but how pretty this would be, too, in other combinations. I can easily see Sans on Paprika, Little Fern on Pigeon, or Venice on Blue Spruce. Finally, because I love all things garter stitch, my Amalia top is worked with a garter-stitch border sculpted with easyto-make gussets. I love the way the border forms graceful points front and back. That’s it. Everything else is clean and simple. I like it as a single color in Maize, but it would be interesting to work the bottom border in another color. Just for fun.
Pam Allen
4
5
Aila Isabell Kraemer yarn: sparrow color: birch
6
7
8
9
Amalia
Pam Allen
10
yarn: sparrow color: maize
yarn: owl color: cinnamon
11
12
13
Zara Dianna Walla
yarn: sparrow colors: moon maize 14
15
16
17
Pippa
Melissa LaBarre
yarn: sparrow color: nannyberry
18
19
20
21
22
Sparrow in 26 colors
23
Isabell Kraemer describes herself as “chaotic, sometimes nerve-wracking, tiny, cluttered with laughter lines, all-loving, creative, with never enough time to get all the ideas out of my head, always sketching, and a lover of all things related to fashion.” She lives in a small, medieval town in south-west Germany. Her aim is to design everyday items for modern knitters—casual with a little twist. She’s addicted to stripes and seamless construction. She doesn’t mind seaming, but likes the fit-as-you-go aspect of top-down knitting. website: owlsisters.blogspot.com ravelry: lilalu instagram: lilalu72
Pam Allen has worked as a knitwear designer, editor at Interweave Knits, and creative director at Classic Elite Yarns. In 2010 she launched Quince & Co with the idea of sourcing fiber and spinning yarns in the US. The company began with four classic wool yarns in 37 colors. Today the ‘basics’ line comes in 55 colors and Quince now makes and sells eleven yarns originating in the US and two organic linen yarns from Italy. And there’s always a new idea in the works. website: quinceandco.com ravelry: pamallen instagram: quinceandco
24
Dianna Walla is a knitwear designer and linguist currently based in northern Norway. She is passionate about Nordic textile history and loves blending traditional elements with modern pieces. website: paper-tiger.net ravelry: diannawalla instagram: cakeandvikings
Melissa LaBarre is a freelance knitwear designer and coauthor of the books New England Knits and Weekend Hats, as well as a third book, due out in 2016. Her designs have appeared in several magazines and yarn company design collections, including the Wool series for Quince and Co. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and daughters. website: knittingschooldropout.com ravelry: knittingdropout instagram: knittingschooldropout
25