make, wear, love retreat: west coast edition

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.


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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.


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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:


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(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.

16 thoughts on “make, wear, love retreat: west coast edition

  1. OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!! I want to be there!!!!
    Fingers crossed for good karma/luck on Monday!

  2. What an awesome mix of teachers! Any chance for a non-coastal retreat some day? Not that I could go anyway – even without plane tickets, the cost is a month’s income at retail wages.

    1. Hi Sylvie-

      We don’t have plans for a non-coastal retreat right now, but we only have our schedule set for the next year. It’s good to know that there’s interest!

      I’m sorry you can’t join us this time, but between my online classes and my other teaching travel, I hope we’ll meet someday. 🙂

      Warmly-

      -Amy

  3. Whoopie! I am already in line 🙂

    (You lived in California? I thought you were 100% East Coast and had always been. Always a nice surprise to learn something new about you, given what a major delight it is to see any new sweater you conjure!)

  4. Sob. I lived the first 57 years of my life on the west coast. A year ago I moved to the Denver area and NOW you have an event in CA. Seriously though, what a wonderful spot for a retreat. Pacific Grove is gorgeous. It will be magical! Have a wonderful time and consider the Rockies for your next stop.

  5. Oh I really hope this means there will be an East Coast Edition!

    1. Hi Mandie-

      Yep! We’ll be back in coastal Maine next fall for sure. 🙂

  6. Would you please verify that 12 p Eastern time is the same as 9 am Pacific time? I just want to make sure that I don’t miss the registration opportunity because I can’t tell time!

    Thanks,
    Mary

    1. Hi Mary-

      You have it exactly right. 🙂 Thanks so much!

    2. Yes, you have that right!

  7. woo hoo! I’m in love with that area — My favorite lys is there!
    yes!

  8. I’d love a Midwest Retreat.

  9. So Excited!! My friend Karen and I signed up early this morning along with 2 other friends and I so hope we all get in. We’re new to the make, wear, love retreats but it looks like so much fun! Being from NV, WY and CA, we’re so close that it would be a shame to miss it. Fingers crossed!!

  10. I am missing where the link is to sign up? Can you help?

  11. Boohoo . . . I have a 15 day cruise planned for April 15 – 29 and my daughter is expecting twins on May 1 in Idaho. I was so excited that you were holding a west coast retreat. It’s close enough from me to drive from Salt Lake City. Hopefully, you’ll do it again???

  12. Dying to know – how is registration going? I screwed up the time, and slept until nearly 6:45am Pacific…so I didn’t get my registration form in until nearly an hour after it opened. I’m sure (I’m hoping) that doesn’t make a difference.

    Also a friend from my knitting circle was thinking of signing up. I told her to try!

    (can you tell I’m excited for this retreat?)

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