Knit Away: A Knitting Retreat for All Knitters
In the fall of 2008, I boarded a pre-dawn flight, and many hours and a couple of connections later, landed at the tiny Portland, Maine, airport. There, a friendly stranger approached me, asking for me by name, no doubt recognizing me by my head-to-toe handknitted garments. This was my first knitting retreat, and I enthusiastically confirmed my identity. Patty ushered me to a nearby van, where several others like me were waiting. We took a two-hour drive through small towns to ocean’s edge. And then we hopped on a tiny ferry, heading to Monhegan Island, twelve miles off the coast. Our common goal: to spend a week knitting with like-minded enthusiasts far from the demands of work and family that otherwise interfere with dreams of constant knitting.
– Spike Gillespie, Writer & Knitter
Retreat to Your Happy Place
We know what it’s like to have life interfere with best laid plans. You thought you might have wiggle room to get away from it all at some point, and as the year progresses, you realize that the window of opportunity is narrowing. Even a short weekend with friends – maybe a staycation that you have conceived of only in your imagination – can be hard to plan. As far as knitting retreats go – will you ever get to experience one? And if you are hoping to say yes to that, when will you be able to make it happen?
This is where Interweave Escapes enters the picture. We’ve already pulled off an event in Lake Tahoe, where happy knitters joined Lisa Shroyer and other professionals for a some knitting immersion therapy. Coming up in the fall, we’ve got an Oregon knitting retreat happening that is very close to sold out. And just to be sure that our friends from the Eastern Seaboard have their chance, we’ve scheduled a getaway in beautiful Camden, Maine.
The Camden event is positioned just prior to the holidays, from November 30, 2017 to December 3, 2017. This is the knitting retreat that will have you buckling down on holiday gifts. You will emerge from the wilds of Maine with more finished objects to give, more skills in your knitting arsenal, and more knitting friends in your inner circle.
Will an Interweave Knitting Retreat Be Your First?
The staff at Interweave loves being a part of your day-to-day inspiration. It is what gets us out of bed in the morning. We show up so that you can keep knitting up new projects and memories. One of the tangible, satisfying returns of being a crafter is creating for others. In doing so, you share your passion, but you also share a part of yourself – the kind and crafty part of what makes you, you.
Being in a room with like-minded individuals for multiple days at a time is going to give you the charge you need to get through the gift-making season. Your new friends in Camden will be there to keep you going, their needles moving along with yours, providing creative reassurance and a spark of motivation that can only come with intensive making.
The retreat in Camden is a few months away, but already some of our staff members are harboring a tiny slice of jealousy for those of you that can make it:
I’ve never made the time (or allocated the money) to attend a knitting retreat, but every time I hear about one, I feel a deep pang in my soul. I spend a lot of time knitting, but as anyone who’s ever put needles to yarn knows, no amount of time is ever enough. I love the idea of setting aside a period of time dedicated specifically to my knitting practice, especially in a gorgeous setting. If you, like me, have that itch that can only be scratched by retreating into a peaceful setting with your knitting, Camden is definitely for you. The chance that you may see a moose during your visit should only make you want to do it more.
– Andrea Lotz, Interweave Social Media Manager
Our Lake Tahoe retreat was a sell-out, and there are only a couple of spots left for the upcoming Oregon event. With that in mind, start making plans for Camden, Maine now. This coastal village will act as a retreat in the truest sense of the word. Getting away from the daily grind to make new friends in a stunning, picturesque seaside town? This should be the gift you give yourself for the holidays. We are guessing that you are going to need it, just as much as your loved ones will need those handmade items to make their holidays complete.
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