Why you should come to the Norah Gaughan Retreat
Emily’s extraordinary knitwear design
Nature’s classroom
Norah’s peerless style at Loop of London
Work with Brooklyn Tweed Peerie and Arbor yarns
The curriculum that Norah and Emily have designed for this Retreat is a unique experience you really cannot find anywhere else. It sounds hyperbolic —- but it is absolutely true.
Norah Gaughan is an icon in our craft. She has thirty years of innovation in design under her belt and continues to present us with fresh and entertaining perspectives in her patterns with Brooklyn Tweed and many yarn producers, as well as the most influential publications in the business. As an author, she has challenged and supported us to look anew at shapes and textures and to strike out on our ‘own’ to use cables in every possible imaginings. I think we all can agree that regardless of whether you are compelled to knit every idea she shows us (do we have more than one lifetime?!), we are always arrested by the image of a Norah Gaughan design. Add to that the depth of her teaching experience and you can be sure that you will be in a master class.
Emily O’Neil offers us the opportunity to work with a designer who brings a delicate and powerfully feminine aesthetic to multiple media … including knitwear. She and Norah worked together at Berrocco and developed a conversation about how nature inspires design. This is the first time that they will share their ideas together with knitters. The curriculum they have developed will explore the ways nature informs shapes and colours - how to ‘see’ these and use them …. and a chance to observe two extraordinary designers ‘think’ and share with us these influences in developing their art. Not only will we enjoy this hands on design exploration, but we will learn knitting techniques that will refine our work and inform our individual crafting.
As if that were not enough, we will be on the eastern shore of Tomales Bay, overlooking the intersection of two tectonic plates and the Point Reyes National Seashore. This place represents a particular topography of marine and land uniquely rich in nature’s colours and shapes in a spectacular way. Being at Marconi State Park offers us the chance to share this learning in a space that is both rich in inspiration - and tranquillity. There is nothing to distract from the overwhelming natural beauty our two instructors will use as our window into design. A small group of like-minded knitters and days of engagement mean you will emerge refreshed and uplifted, as well as enjoying having your thoughts provoked in creative ways. Mild weather and the area’s natural agricultural bounty mean that this is a restoring Retreat truly like no other. You want to be part of it. All the details are here to explore.
I hope you will sign up now.