Of all the things I love about my job (and there are many many things I love about my job), our annual retreats have to be right up at the top of the list.

They’re an oasis in time, not only for the attendees, but for us as well. Because something special happens when a whole bunch of kindness of knitters come together: We let the rest of the world go, and soak up gorgeous surroundings, beautiful materials, and the inspiration of being around 80 other people who are our people.
We learn. We try new things and new ideas. I’ve felt privileged to be a part of that for the retreats we’ve run on the coast of Maine these past two years. At the same time, I understand that coastal Maine is just too far for some to travel, even for knitting.
So there was really only one thing for it: I knew we needed to add a retreat to our list in 2015, on the West Coast, in another beautiful coastal location I was lucky enough to call home, once: Pacific Grove, CA.

We hope you’ll join us at the first make. wear. love retreat: west coast edition. It will be held on May 1 – 4, 2015, at the Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds.
The festivities will begin with dinner on Friday, followed by an evening welcome reception. The rest of your time will be a combination of traditional classes, intimate focus sessions, personal consultations, lectures, a curated marketplace… …and of course, quiet downtime to knit with friends old and new.
We’re very lucky to have three special teachers joining me to be your knitting guides for the weekend:

(Fiona Ellis, Clara Parkes, and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.)
Excited? We sure are. Stephanie, Fiona, and Clara represent an incredible powerhouse of knitting information and are wonderful teachers, all. (Not to mention the fact that they’re awesome people, and fantastic to spend the weekend with!) Combined with an exciting – but not exhausting – curriculum in a stunning setting with tons of great yarn near at hand?
A heady thought, for sure. Get more specifics by downloading our brochure, and here’s a quick timeline:
- Registration will open at 12pm Eastern on Monday, November 10. We’ll link to a google form here on the blog. At that time, you’ll need to give us basic information like your name and email, tell us which classes you’d most like to take, and tell us a little bit about your knitting skill level. (Are you a newsletter subscriber? Check your mail, because subscribers will receive advanced access to the sign-up form starting at 9am Eastern.)
- Attendance confirmation, class assignments, and schedule will be sent on Wednesday, November 19. A non-refundable deposit of $250 will be due at this time (we’ll send you a Paypal invoice when we send your confirmation).
- In mid-January, we’ll finalize the remaining details of your retreat weekend (including meal preferences and personal consults) – and start counting down the days to the beach bonfire!
We hope you can join us. We can’t wait to pull up a chair in one of the most gorgeous places on earth, and dive into all things sweater.