Happy New Year!

The long awaited (for me) New Year of Knitting is finally here. I am full of hope and anticipation for this year. It started with a literal bang for me in the magical Hogmanay of Edinburgh with champagne and fireworks and all the good things and I returned ready to dive into the new months!

First and foremost, I am buoyed by the support and enouragement of the knitting community that surrounds me. I know it’s said a lot, but the ability of relationships and connections in the yarn world to hold steadfast and elevate is exceptional. And I am so grateful for it. Thank you all for being engaged in this craft that we love.

Pacific Knitting Retreats has found a local studio home base. I have joined the community workspace and event center “The Indie Alley” in Fairfax (my home village). This collectively organized co-working space will support our classes and events - and I am so excited to be building skills and hosting in this charming and supportive space. I look forward to seeing you there. Regular classes are happily underway and a calendar of special events and field trips is developing.

Special Events kick off on January 20th - A Day in Napa with Brooke Sinnes of Sincere Sheep and Sloane Rosenthal of Tightly Knit Designs. Final details are being refined and there are only two seats left at the table, so if you were on the fence, now is the time to commit to this lovely opportunity. For those attending, we are going to have a very good time! Look for an email with directions and needles and notions to pack in the next week.

The first of the two Seasonal Knitalongs begins on February 16. If you are interested in joining in on the first series, please let me know. Choose a project that will facilitate you learning the skills you aspire to! We will select pattern and yarn together that inspires you to extend yourself - and then over three months we will meet once a month as a group (and in between as needed!) to bring your project to life. The idea is that this is not necessarily social knitting, but rather an opportunity to create with lots of support.

Stitches West February 21-24, 2019 has become a fulcrum for western knitters. Yarn producers and designers continue to make this event a destination show where they bring all their wares, new designs and major displays for us lucky knitters. I will be there and would love to meet you! If you are interested in my ‘Do Not Miss List’, just email me. There are so many yarns that you simply cannot touch or appreciate in all their glory unless you attend, so take pictures while you are there and make notes of everything you love. That way you will have your own personal database for these independent fibre artists and yarn companies when you plan your projects.

Bookings are open for our exclusive Norah Gaughan Returns Retreat in August. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about this amazing program.

I will continue to update activities, news and events as they are scheduled for this New Year of Knitting - a year filled with inspiration and promise. I look forward to enjoying it with you!

Home Base at The Indie Alley!