Retreats

Last weekend found me in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the first-ever Loops Retreat. Loops owner Shelley Brander (far left in the teacher photo below) is a genius at creating community among knitters (and everyone else, I suspect). The teachers were Romi Hill, who taught lace techniques and surgery, Andrea Mowry, who taught brioche and shawls, and Carson Demers, who taught knitting ergonomics. I filled in as the Knit Doctor. As much as I enjoy teaching, I thoroughly enjoyed spending one-on-one time with the attendees!

To ensure that everyone was comfortable, at ease, and fully taken care of, Shelley hired my Knit For Fun Retreats event coordinator Cindy Hallam to manage the weekend. It worked because I only saw smiles from registration on Thursday to the closing brunch on Sunday.

The retreat was held within walking distance of the Loops store, which is a mecca of fine yarns. If you’re in the Tulsa area, it’s worth a trip. If not, you can shop online by clicking on the link above.

A highlight of the event was the special yarn brought in just for the weekend. Dye For Knitting even dyed a special colorway for each of the teachers! “My” colorway, shown at right is called Loops Loves Ann. Wow! I want to design something special with it!

I say it often and it’s worth saying again–knitting retreats are the best way to meet up with other knitters and learn new things!

The wait is over! Registration for my second Knit For Fun Retreat in Edmonton, Canada, is now open. Once again, this Canadian retreat will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton, West Edmonton where warm woolies are welcome most of the year! The event will take place from Thursday, October 25 through brunch on Sunday, October 28.

The regular retreat classes will be scheduled during four class periods: Friday morning, Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon. Registration includes three classes, one class with each of the three teachers: ergonomic specialist Carson Demers, prolific knitwear designer Bristol Ivy, and Poland’s star Justyna Lorkowska. Attendees will also get the opportunity to schedule an appointment with the Knit Doctor (that’s me!). Additional classes can be purchased, provided space is available.

Carson will teach 

• Swatch Buckling—Swatching for Improved Posture, Comfort, and Efficiency Bring improved ergonomics to life in your knitting technique by examining yarn-tensioning techniques, all phases of stitch formation from simple to challenging stitches, and ways to add movement to avoid stiffness and injuries caused by disuse.
• Socks Unraveled—Risks and Remediation for Sock Knitting Making socks should be as comfortable as wearing them. But many sock knitters experience aches and pains while creating their fantastic footwear. Fear not! This class will teach you ergonomic basics for injury prevention and explore risks and remediation for knitting socks. A little knowledge and some simple changes will help make your body happy from head to toe.
• Knitting Happily Ever After—An Overview of Ergonomics for Knitters In this class, you’ll learn how your knitting technique impacts your efficiency and productivity. A risk-of-injury assessment will show you how knitting contributes to aches and pains throughout your body. More importantly, you’ll learn how to reduce the discomfort. A little knowledge and some simple changes can keep you knitting comfortably and safely ever after.

Bristol will teach

• Short-Row Techniques—Shaping Made Simple  Short-rows are a handy way to add shaping to your knitting in both conventional and unexpected ways. Use them to turn a heel on a sock, better tailor a garment to your shape, or add unexpected twists and turns to accessories. In this class, you’ll learn the mechanics of short-rows, try out different techniques, and explore when and where to use them.
• Introduction to Brioche—Find Love in Squishy Fabric Brioche is an easy stitch that creates a lush, drapey, warm fabric. In this class we’ll learn the basic principles of working brioche flat and in the round, increasing and decreasing in pattern, and get started knitting Bristol’s Hey, Little Songbird pattern.
• Knitting Outside the Box—Bringing Inspiration to Fruition In this class, we’ll talk about different forms of inspiration and different ways of thinking about knitting, then explore methods and theory to bring those ideas to reality. This is a great class if you’re interested in designing or just want to experiment with the vast possibilities knitting has to offer.

Justyna will teach

• Shawl Shapes—Explore the Possibilities Shawls are the hottest projects in the knitting world right now. They’re the perfect way to explore new techniques or use just a few skeins of precious yarn for something lovely. We’ll look at how to create triangular to crescent shapes and discuss how to add stitch patterns and how to play with unconventional shaping.
• Knitted-On Borders—A Perfect Finish They can be simple or intricate, lacy or cabled—your choice—one thing is sure: knitted-on borders give a unique touch to a shawl. This class will focus on how to attach knitted-on borders to a variety of shawl types (and garments!), how to create your own border pattern, and how to determine the amount of yarn you’ll need. You’ll leave this class able to knit your own one-of-a-kind shawl.
• Color Play—Getting Comfortable with Possibilities Are you afraid to play with colors? Is your yarn stash very colorful and you have no idea of what to cast on? In this workshop, we’ll focus on color play and step out of our comfort zones by learning basic principles of color mixing, finding inspiration, thinking outside the box, and how to translate color preferences into knitting.

I’ll set up shop as the Knit Doctor, offering one-on-one sessions of 20 minutes each on a first-come, first-serve basis (you’ll sign up for a slot when you register). I’ll help you with anything that ails your knitting, from taking measurements and choosing yarn to finding your place in a piece gone wrong to fixing mistakes. With more than 40 years’ knitting experience, I’ve seen (and corrected) almost everything.

For those wanting a bit more, each teacher will offer an optional full-day class the day of registration (Thursday, October 25).

• Carson Demers will teach an extended version of Knitting Happily Ever After
• Bristol Ivy will teach an extended version of Brioche Stitch–The Basics and Beyond
• Justyna Lorkowska will teach Knit to Fit–Take the Guesswork Out of Your Next Garment
• Ann Budd (that’s me) will teach A Skirt for All Seasons–Design a Custom-Fit “Pleated” Skirt

As for the Canadian Knit For Fun Retreat in 2017, this retreat will be held in partnership with River City Yarns of Edmonton. Owners Barb and Cynthia will spearhead the Canadian-themed marketplace. You’re guaranteed to find lots of fabulous Canadian yarns and notions, many of which are not easily available in the U.S.!

Last year’s Canadian retreat filled in a manner of days. Click here to secure your spot!