Reasons to Retreat!
Keeley Richardson
Founder and Chief Fiber officer
This past weekend I had my annual fiber adventure with some of my knitting besties. This was the second fiber retreat that we had been on together. The first took place last October in Montana with Farmers Daughter Fibers, this one took us to Pender Island, Canada, with fiber super stars, Mary Jane Mucklestone and Andrea Rangel. It was organized by Amanda and Fiona of Knit Social and they brought all the yarny joy to the event.
Both retreats were different, but I came home after both feeling relaxed, fulfilled and rejuvenated. On my journey home yesterday, my thoughts turned to why a knitting retreat is such a wonderful idea for us fiber enthusiasts and why I would recommend this immersive experience to anyone. Here are my top five reasons to retreat:
- Meet your fiber heroes and discover new ones.
Most knitting events, retreats or vacations will feature one or two of those special fiber people that we admire and learn from online, or through books and magazines. To date, meeting my fiber heroes has brought nothing but happiness and reassurance that they are the lovely people I believe them to be. It’s a privilege to be able to ask those questions face to face, get to know a bit more about where they came from, their plans for the future and to feel that your fiber world has been enriched a little bit more through spending time with them.
At this year’s retreat Mary Jane and Andrea were incredibly generous with their time – joining us for meals, entertaining with a Q&A session, and always ready to give helpful advice if you had a question when bumping into them around Poets Cove Resort.
I also found a new fiber hero on Pender Island – Hanahlie Beise, of Hinterland Yarn. We were treated to a talk by Hanahlie and learned so much about sheep breeds and their fleece. It was a joy for me to discover her yarn and knit with it in Andrea’s color work class. If you have a chance to knit with any of the Hinterland yarns, I highly recommend it.
2. Find your people/Be with your people!
You know how it is when you knit with friends; conversation flows, relaxation follows, and you have a jolly good time. Now, imagine that with 30 other people – so much fun! One thing I have found is that when you put a group of knitters together, friendship follows. Although I have traveled to knitting retreats with my fab friends, I would absolutely consider taking a solo trip. It was wonderful to meet people from across the continent, all of us with a shared interest. All it takes is a simple “I love your sweater/hat/shawl”, and conversations start, friendships are formed, and new fiber adventures begin.
3. Explore the (Fiber) World
During one class this weekend, I sat next to a lovely lady who had been on a fiber cruise to Alaska, a retreat at Bazaar Girls in Port Townsend and was heading to Mexico for a fiber vacation next year. I spoke to another who had recently been to Whistler for a weekend with an event organized by her LYS in Vancouver. These days knitting and crochet really do give you the opportunity to see the world – such a great way to combine your favorite hobby with a visit to a dream destination.
To me, October seems like a perfect time for a fiber getaway. Fall colors and a dip in temperature bring all the cozy feels and sharing the beginning of sweater weather with other fiber lovers feels so right. We even had snow in Montana last October giving us the perfect excuse to sit by a roaring log fire and relax. However, fiber focused vacations take place all year round and when you have a project to work on, any time is a good time for fiber arts!
4. Learn new skills.
Friday at the Knit Social retreat was all about color work classes – we were lucky to have Mary Jane and Andrea as our instructors. They were incredibly generous with their time, knowledge and guidance. I have been knitting color work for some time and teach a beginner’s class at The Nifty Knitter Shop, but I know there is always more to learn. I came away feeling reassured about my approach to color work, but of course, I picked up lots of new ideas and skills throughout the day (I’m going to reassess my approach to trapping floats), for which I am thankful.
Last year in Montana we got to experiment with color dyeing techniques, thanks to Candice and her fabulous team at FDF, and had a fascinating afternoon in her dye studio. Many retreats offer an educational element, but if you are looking for something less “hands on”, there are plenty that are all about the relaxation only. These days, there really is something for everyone when it comes to knitting/crochet travel.
5. Find Inspiration.
When you have 30 plus fiber lovers in a room, you are going to see so many beautiful sweaters, shawls and accessories to inspire and fall in love with. Expect to give compliments and receive them. Be prepared to have strangers asking to reach out and touch your clothes, ask what they are made from, and which pattern you used. You will want to do the same, trust me. I came home with a list of pattern ideas to add to my already very large “saved patterns” section on Ravelry.
Discovering new yarns is another inspiring feature of a retreat. You may be taken on yarn store visits, meet small batch producers on their farms or have a visit from an indie dyer with a trunk show. On Saturday afternoon we were treated to a wonderful marketplace with six local yarn stores and farms bringing their yarns for us to squish and purchase. I came home with some lovely souvenir skeins that will remind me of a truly great weekend when I knit with them.
So, if you decide that the idea of a knitting retreat appeals, how do you go about finding the right one for you? As always, it’s important to do your research and think about the kind of adventure you are looking for.
If you are looking for something longer than a weekend away, it’s worth doing an online search for knitting vacations. Many companies offer regional tours that take you on travels with a fiber focus across many fascinating parts of the globe – think Iceland or Scotland. There are companies that offer weekend retreats if you are not looking for a whole week away- my weekend in Canada was organized by Knit Social, a Canadian company who have offerings across Canada and America.
For any of these travel opportunities, my best advice is to add your name to mailing lists, so that you will be assured of knowing what’s coming up ahead of time. Most events are promoted on social media, but you are not always guaranteed to see the post. Designers, yarn stores, and yarn companies all send out email newsletters, so it’s a great idea to sign up for these. Be aware that many events sell out within minutes so it’s important to be prepared, have your credit card at the ready and be on it as soon as online booking opens. Trying to reserve a spot can be stressful, but it is so worth it!
My fiber travels are over for this year, and I have made so many happy memories to cherish, but already I am thinking about 2025 and asking myself “where to next?”
