Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Quince & Company. In Pam's words:
"We're a company that sells hand-knitting yarn. We source our wool from the US and have it spun in the Northeast. With a few other people, we recently opened a commercial dye house in an old mill in Biddeford, Maine. Our goal is to be a competitive mid- scale commercial yarn company--selling a yarn made in the US. We also source and import from Italy an organic linen yarn. We mostly sell on-line so we can be competitive with imports. But this year we're working with a number of stores who will carry our yarn on their shelves. We think shops that teach and support the craft are so important.
On our blog, we talk about the challenges and delights of producing a yarn product in this country, the challenges of maintaining a strong and predictable supply chain, and the joys of opening a dye house! Also, we preview and talk about new patterns, designers, etc."
SouleMama: Tell us what you envision and dream for the future of your business.
Pam : I'd love to see our business develop enough that we could employ more people in this area in both a mill and the dye house. I'd also very much like to source some special yarns from specific farms who raise sheep (or other animals) for fiber. This spring we'll introduce a lightweight alpaca/wool yarn made with American fiber and a mohair/wool blend, the fiber sourced from Texas merino sheep and mohair goats. The textile industry is almost extinct in this country. More and more plants close and their equipment and more importantly the expertise of the people who work there is lost. I'd love to hold onto some of that industry and help it to thrive. Anyone wanting to start a textile business, call me!
SouleMama: How do you come up with new designs and ideas?
Pam: We work a lot with independent designers. We collaborate on projects, usually small books of their designs. We supply the yarn, they supply the designs. But we're ready to focus more on our own design work. We miss having dedicated Quince collections. So there'll me more of that in the upcoming year. Sweater trends cycle around. Nothing could be more inspiring, still, than traditional Fair Isle and Bohus patterns. But, drapey cardigans cut at strange angles are fun to think about, too. You can come at sweater design from many angles-- history, color, surface texture, fashion, etc.
SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?
Pam: Something my mother always said, "It's not what happens to you in life that matters, it's what you do with it." So applicable to anything. A car accident or a basket of yarns--some things are just a given. What to do with them. That's what makes all parts of life creative.
SouleMama: Tell us about your customers.
Pam : Everyone! We sell yarn all over the world--to women in their 80's who know how to use a computer to kids in high school. They live in places as varied as Beijing, Ireland, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Korea, Tazmania, and Thomaston, Maine.
SouleMama: How are your children incorporated into your business?Pam: My son, now 28, works for us. He's not a knitter, but he has much needed business expertise and a great eye--hope he'll assemble a collection of knits for men. We have a lot of guy customers. Really.
For today's giveaway, Quince & Company is generously offering the following gifts to THREE winners:
~ Winner #1: pattern and yarn for any of the projects in our Sparrow collection~ Winner #2 & 3: pattern and yarn for the High St Cap. (in your color choice)
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************ Apologies for the error this weekend in the discount code! It IS working now! **************
To
enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person,
please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00am EST on Sunday, and
announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are:
I don't think I've ever knit with something so nice! I'd love to win
Posted by: Sarah
I've heard about this yarn for so long and would LOVE a chance to finally try it out!
Posted by: Christina
Pattern and yarn oh my!
Posted by: almentzer
Thank you, Quince & Company!
