A couple of weeks ago I held my Knit For Fun Retreat in the beautiful historic district of Savannah, Georgia. Getting there was a little tough with 6 bags, all weighing 50 lbs, between my event coordinator Cindy Hallam and me. Those bags were filled with swag, which we then transferred to the retreat tote bags. It was like a huge birthday party when the attendees received their loot!
We were extremely fortunate to have classes by Sivia Harding, Meghan Fernandes, and Joji Locatelli. Sivia taught about mobius shapes, beads, and decorative mending; Meghan taught about special stitches and warm weather knits; Joji taught about her Boxy Sweater, as well and working with color and designing a crescent shawl. I filled in as the Knit Doctor to help attendees with any questions about their knitting, choosing yarn, taking measurements, and anything else that came up.
The retreat was great, of course, but my mind keeps returning to the beauty of the city. The spring flowers were in bloom, the trees dripped Spanish moss, and the sun shined brightly every day.
I didn’t take nearly enough photos but I’ll share a few that I have.
Last week I returned from a three-week trip to Scotland. For two of those three weeks I was on the inaugural Lambs On The Run excursion, sponsored by Colorado yarn shops LambShoppe and Longmont Yarn Shoppe. The other week I explored Edinburgh with my event coordinator Cindy Hallam.
The Lambs On The Run trip began with three days at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, followed by a spectacular bus tour of the country.
In addition to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, trip highlights included:
A couple of days to explore Edinburgh and the Royal Mile (I did my best to stimulate the local economy!)
A tour of Roslin Chapel (featured in Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code)
High tea at the historic Balmoral Hotel
A tour of Stirling Castle (aka, Castle Leoc of the Outlander book and movie fame)
A visit (and tasting) with world-renowned chocolatier Iain Burnett (his truffles have won best in the world)
A couple distillery tours (I do love a good whiskey!)
Colloden House (where Bonnie Prince Charlie waited in vain to be recognized as King of Scotland)
The Colloden Battle Field (the battle ended the Highland way of life)
Clava Cairns (“magical” stones, such as those featured in the Outlander books and movies)
A drive around the breathtakingly beautiful Isle of Skye
A sheep dog demonstration by Neil, one of the few shepherds left
A sheep shearing demonstration, also by Neil
The historic New Lanark Mill, which is still in operation
A whole lot of Scotish foods and brews
Visits to a number of yarn shops featuring yarns that aren’t easily available in the U.S.
I’ve included a collage of photos below, in no particular order. If it looks mostly cold and damp, it was. But when the sun came out, did it ever shine!
Next spring Lambs On The Run will tour Italy. Florence, here I come!
Last weekend found me in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the first-ever Loops Retreat. Loopsowner 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!
I’m excited to announce that his weekend I’ll be attending the Loops Retreat 2018 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The retreat will take place February 1 – 4 at the Doubletree Warren Place Hotel in Tulsa, just across the street from Loops Yarn shop.
While Andrea Mowry, Romi Hill, and Carson Demers teach classes, on brioche, lace, cables, and knitting happily ever after, I’ll hold clinic hours as the Knit Doctor. Participants can sign up for 20-minute one-on-one sessions for any type of knitting consultation from taking measurements and choosing yarn to finding your place on a piece gone wrong and fixing mistakes to choosing the right yarn for a project.
All brave patients will be rewarded with a lollipop!
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!
In the I-can’t-believe-it’s-true category, I’ve been invited to be one of two teachers at the Lambs on the Run trip to Scotland this coming March!
The two-week trip, co-sponsored by Colorado shops LambShoppe and Longmont Yarn Shoppe, takes place March 14-28. It begins with three days at the Edinburgh Wool Festival, followed by tour of the country led by a Scottish tour guide. This trip-of-a-lifetime includes:
In addition to the excursions, co-teacher Jennifer Miller (Theodora’s Purls) and I will teach short classes, host a special knit-along, and enjoy seeing men in skirts!
Wednesday I returned from a trip to the Pacific Northwest where I held my Knit For Fun Retreat in Vancouver, Washington, then spent a few days in Vancouver, British Columbia, for the Knit City Fibre Festival. I left with my share of yarn.
Now I’m home long enough to unpack and repack, then I’m heading to Columbus, Ohio, where I’ll teach two days (Tuesday, October 17 and Wednesday, October 18) at 614 Knit Studio.
At 614 Knit Studio I’m scheduled to teach Matching Cast-Ons And Bind-Offs, Intarsia In The Round, Conquering Kitchener Stitch, and Intro To Sweater Design. There may still be a few spots left in each class. I’d love to meet up with you there!
From Columbus, I head to Hamilton, Ohio, to teach at Lambikin’s Hideaway Friday, October 20 (Reading Your Knitting and Charts), and Saturday, October 21 (Knitting Steeks And Inserting Zippers and Custom Socks At Any Gauge). Call the shop at 513-895-5648 to sign up. Nothing beats a day knitting with friends!
In November, I’ll be in Billings, Montana, because everyone wants to go North in November (wink). Honestly, I’m looking forward to sweater weather. You’ll find me and color expert Jennifer Miller at Off the Needles’ first-ever knitting retreat November 18 and 19. I’ll teach Knitting Steeks And Inserting Zippers, Intro To Sweater Design, Fixing Mistakes, and Custom Socks At Any Gauge. You get two classes with each teacher and a VIP dinner and fashion show. What a great place to show off your handknits!
I’m over-the-top excited to announce that two of the hottest podcasters in North America, The Grocery Girls (Tracy on the left and Jodi on the right), have accepted an invitation to join my Knit For Fun Retreat in Vancouver, Washington, this fall (September 21 – 24). I can promise you that you’ll enjoy every minute you spend with these smart, witty, energetic, fun-loving, and spontaneous sisters!
In addition to attending classes with the other retreat-ers, Tracy and Jodie host the special Friday night (September 22) event during which they will interview the three teachers–Carson Demers, Lorilee Beltman, and me. Carson has agreed to assess the Grocery Girls on their knitting styles with a special focus on ergonomics and ways to prevent stress and injury as described his new book Knitting Comfortably. It’s bound to be a learning experience for all of us, and a ton of fun, too!
The event, which includes dinner, is included in the retreat registration fee. Click here to secure a seat.
Tomorrow I head east to Maine, where I’ll teach Design Your Own Pleated Skirt at KnitWits in Portland on Saturday, August 27. Then I’ll head to Bath, where I’ll teach at Halycon Yarn on Sunday, August 28 (Intro to Sweater Design; Fixing Mistakes), and Monday, August 29 (Socks At Any Gauge; Shadow Knitting). I believe there are still spots in some of the classes if you happen to be in the neighborhood.
After that, I’m going to head up the coast for a week of relaxation. Bring. It. On.
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.
