When you receive this post I’ll be traveling the highways with my event coordinator, Cindy. We’ll head east from Colorado to Wisconsin, where I teach for a couple of days at the Milwaukee Knitter’s Guild (you can find them on Facebook at Greater Milwaukee Knitting Guild). This road trip will be in part a revisit of my childhood when my parents would pack all four of us kids and the family dog in the station wagon to visit our grandparents in Madison. The most memorable trips were the time we were stuck in Nebraska waiting out a tornado while listening to the weather report on a transistor radio, and the time the family dog got into some garbage at a rest stop and some miles later had uncontrollable diarrhea. I was sitting in the back of the car with the suitcases and the miserable dog. I don’t remember much beyond screaming at my father to stop the car and let me out. My fingers are crossed for clear weather and good health.

After teaching in Milwaukee, we’ll head to beautiful Door County for the sold-out Knit For Fun Retreat in Sturgeon Bay. Years ago my parents took a bicycle tour of Door County and raved about the beautiful scenery. These were people who routinely biked in Germany and Switzerland and were no strangers to breathtaking scenery. Their enthusiasm prompted me to schedule a retreat in the area. The timing should be right for crisp air, blue skies, and fall colors.

I’ll write a recap of the fun when I return. In the meantime, you can read about Knit For Fun Retreats on my website. I invite you to join the future fun!

Get ready for my Knit For Fun Retreat, which will return to the award-winning Harraseeket Inn located in downtown Freeport, Maine from May 2 to May 5, 2019.

Registration opens at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on July 23. That’s today!

The retreat begins Thursday afternoon with check-in (nametag, room assignment, and a swag bag filled with fun surprises), followed by opening-night festivities.

Classes will be held in three-hour sessions in the mornings and afternoons of Friday and Saturday and will be limited to 24 students each. Your package will include three classes—one with each instructor. You’ll also get one free three-hour period for relaxing, exploring, shopping, or just having fun. For those of you who are “class junkies,” there may be an option to purchase an extra class in lieu of the free period, provided space is available.

An optional full-day (six-hour) intensive class will also be available from each instructor before official check-in on the first day of the retreat.

A marketplace will be open at least one evening of the retreat where you’ll find yarn and other knitting “necessities.”

Lodging, meals (including vegetarian and gluten-free options), beverages, and snacks will be provided throughout the retreat. In other words, you’ll be fully taken care of.

The instructors for this retreat include (from left to right)  Kate Atherley, Isabell Kraemer, and Mary Jane Mucklestone .

Kate will teach:

Introduction to Garment Alterations—Make it Your Own: Participate in a detailed discussion of garment fit and how to adjust that fit. This is not a class on how to custom-fit a given pattern; rather, it’s a discussion of how to choose the right garment to simplify the alterations, how to identify the alterations required, and how to approach the pattern adjustments.

Soxpertise—Improve Your Sock Knitting: In this class, you’ll explore a wide range of sock topics, including fit, reinforcement, different constructions and different ways to work them, and yarn choice. You’ll also learn Kate’s fail-proof method for picking up gusset stitches to prevent holes from forming in top-down heel flap socks.

Fearless Finishing—A Perfect Ending: Let Kate guide you through the key finishing skills, including seaming, blocking, weaving in ends, working the Kitchener stitch, and picking up stitches. Through hands-on practice, you’ll leave confident in finishing your next project. If you suffer from “finishing-itis”, this class is for you!

Smart Strategies for Garment Knitting—Make the Most of Your Knitting Time: This full-day class takes a deep dive into garment knitting, beginning with how to choose a style that suits your body type and how to choose the most flattering size. You’ll also learn how to choose appropriate yarn and how to get gauge, and you’ll leave prepared to tweak the fit with your own alterations and adjustments.

Isabell will teach:

Short-Rows—When and Why: Short-rows have become a shaping staple for many knitwear designers. In this class, you’ll learn several different techniques for using short-rows and where to use them. You’ll learn how to add shaping to a neckline worked in the round and how to shape shoulders, bust darts, and hem lines. Techniques will be illustrated through a variety of Isabell’s designs that use this versatile technique.

Seamless Set-In Sleeves—Look Ma, No Seams!: Ever wanted to get the tailored look of a classic set-in sleeve garment without sewing? This workshop will guide you through the techniques needed to work a set-in sleeve seamlessly from the top down. You may never knit a sleeve from the bottom up again!

Shawl Shapes—So Many Choices: Shawls are knitted in a wide range of shapes. This class will help you understand how the shapes are created by increases or decreases to form triangular (both symmetric and asymmetric), circular, semi-circular, and square shawls. You’ll learn different ways to increase, how to add color and texture, and how to combine different yarn weights.

Top-Down Sweater Design—Make it Great from the Top: Geared toward the adventurous knitter, this full-day class will lead you in designing your own top-down sweater. We’ll begin with a brief overview of different top-down constructions and how to choose the one that best suits your design ideas. We’ll work through all the steps necessary to bring your ideas to life, from taking measurements and adding ease to the effect of stitch patterns.

Mary Jane will teach:

Scandinavian Colorwork—Examine a Tradition: Through knitting a headband or hat, explore color choices and the classic motifs used in Scandinavian stranded knitting. Learn techniques for tacking down extra-long floats, how to Norwegian purl, and a nifty way to execute garter stitch in the round. Along the way, you’ll explore ideas for combining motifs and adding colorwork to liven up any project.

Two-Color Knitting—Let’s Begin: Through knitting a headband or hat, learn the basics of two-color knitting, including several methods to hold yarns, reading charts, yarn dominance, how to introduce new colors, prevent yarns from tangling, and weave in ends. This class is for those new to stranded knitting and those looking to brush up on their techniques.

Making It Up—The Fair Isle Hat: Begin designing with Fair Isle motifs by starting your own hat. Through Mary Jane’s guidance and lots of individual attention, you’ll experiment will color and pattern to create your own design. You’ll leave class inspired to complete your hat and generate other colorwork projects!

Andean Accents—An Exploration of Decorative Edges: Learn to make both the checkerboard and scalloped edgings used in traditional chullos (Andean earflap hats), as well as “instant” popcorns (bobbles) while knitting a fun pair of wristlets. You many never knit a “plain” edge again!

Fresh Fair Isle—Liven Up Your Knitting: Learn the basics of color theory and how to use its principles to guide color choices while knitting a simple stranded wristlet or fingerless glove during this full-day class. Examine the use of color in traditional Fair Isle knitting and move beyond into developing your own personal color schemes. You’ll also learn to analyze how different color combinations can completely change the look of a motif.

I’ll fill in as the Knit Doctor to help whatever ails your knitting. You can sign up for a free one-on-one consultation when you register and I’ll do my best to send you off with a clear diagnosis and a complete remedy.

I’ll also teach my very popular full-day class on Thursday:

A Skirt for All Seasons—Design a Custom-Fit “Pleated” Skirt

Knitted skirts are becoming wardrobe staples—and they’re a lot easier to knit than you might think (they require just three to four skeins of sock yarn)! Learn how to take proper waist and hip measurements and combine them with your gauge to create a “pleated” skirt with a perfect fit, no matter your size. You’ll leave with a personalized skirt pattern for your yarn and gauge.

Space is limited to 90 participants. Register now to secure your spot!