Come and enjoy a relaxing three night knitting retreat based at St Cuthbert’s House in Seahouses.
Nestled on the inspiring and beautiful north Northumberland coast, in the company of tutor Judith Goodfellow of Fine Fettle Fibres. Using local yarn from Whistlebare, and the locally inspired pattern, St Oswald’s Thistle, from Northumbrian designer Stella Ackroyd, we will explore the stitches and techniques needed to create an exquisite lace scarf.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- 3 nights accommodation at award winning B&B St.Cuthberts House, all lunches with one evening meal included
- Expert tuition in group knitting sessions with one to one help where required
- Meet knitwear and pattern designer Stella Ackroyd
- A visit to Whistlebare Farm to meet yarn producer Alice Elsworth and see her Wensleydale sheep and Angora goats!
- A trip to Bamburgh where you can visit Bamburgh Castle, the Grace Darling Museum, walk on the beautiful beach and do a little shopping
- Knitting session in a local teashop with coffee and cakes
- Evening entertainment by a local storyteller on yarn-inspired tales
PRICE:
- Single workshop participant occupying a Superking room: £540.40
- Two workshop participants sharing a Twin room: £375.50 (EACH)
- Single workshop participant sharing a Double or Twin room with a non-participant partner: £581.00
The project for this retreat is suitable for knitters already comfortable with casting on and off, knit and purl stitches and basic increasing and decreasing. It is not suitable for complete beginners.
PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME:
THURSDAY:
Arrival time for your retreat will be between 4-6pm on the Thursday evening.
A warm Northumbrian welcome awaits with a home cooked dinner followed by the chance to relax and unwind in the company of fellow guests in the comfortable lounge.
You will meet Alice's Wensleydale sheep and pedigree Angora goats!
FRIDAY:
After a hearty Northumbrian breakfast, we will travel about half an hour north to the small family farm at Whistlebare where Alice Elsworth rears her pedigree Angora goats and Wensleydale sheep for yarn production. After meeting the flock, Alice will tell us about her experience as a yarn producer and introduce us to the yarn we will be using for our project. In her cosy workshop room, around the log-burning stove, we will have our first session, getting to grips with the decorative cast on and the different stitches used in our weekend’s project. Alice will provide us with a delicious lunch of local produce as we work. We will return to St Cuthbert’s in good time for a rest and aperitif before visiting a local restaurant for our evening meal.
SATURDAY:
After breakfast we will have our second session at St Cuthbert’s, tackling the techniques that will be needed when the time comes to cast off and finish the project. We will unravel the mysteries of blocking lace in order to bring out the full beauty of all that hard work!
There will be time to visit beautiful Bamburgh Castle
In the afternoon we will visit Bamburgh. There will be free time to explore beautiful Bamburgh Castle, the Grace Darling museum, take an optional guided tour of the local church and hear the history of this lovely village, or just enjoy the sea air with a walk on the beautiful beach - followed by a comfortable knit over a cup of tea in one of the village’s teashops.
We will dine a little earlier at a local eatery and return to St Cuthbert’s for a fascinating evening in the company of Angela, a local lady with a passion for the history of the local fishermen’s ganseys. Angela has knitted them for many years, and is an entertaining speaker in revealing the hidden stories and history woven into them.
SUNDAY:
On our last morning, we will develop our understanding of lace knitting a step further. We will be joined at St Cuthbert’s House by knitting pattern designer Stella Ackroyd as we look at the way that different types of lace shawls and scarves are constructed. This is an excellent opportunity to work with a professional designer and increase confidence around lace knitting for the future!
Our retreat will finish with a light home-cooked lunch at St Cuthbert’s before we head for home.
If you want to chat more about this wonderful opportunity to indulge your passion in beautiful and inspiring surroundings, please contact me, Judith, at judith@finefettlefibres.uk or by phone 01670 600001.
To book you place, please contact St.Cuthberts directly, on 01665 720456 or visit their website www.stcuthbertshouse.com
St Cuthbert’s House Award winning Northumbrian Bed and Breakfast Seahouses, Northumberland.