Knitting on the Coast 2024 Retreat

A retreat at St Dorothy's Rest in Camp Meeker, California:

Friday, March 8 to 11, 2024 REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

For the 2024 Knitting on the Coast Retreat, we're stripping away all the folderol and getting to the heart of the matter: An ongoing good old fashioned stitching social where you can work on any project you like while enjoying the company of other stitchers. No classes—except any peer-to-peer classes that participants opt to teach, no set schedule (except the dinner bell!), no goodie bags or other fluff. Just stitching among the redwoods by the California coast and enjoying hearty food and company that's smart, fun, and fabulous.

As usual, the retreat will offer opportunities for participants to swap tips with other knitters and see some birds—but this year you'll have even more downtime to stroll among the redwoods, read a book, or do whatever you please. We hope you'll join us this March!

 

EXTRAS

Nature Walk

Join us as we take another mellow hike to explore nearby woods or coastline from with a knitter's eye. You may find inspiration for future projects in a bird's plummage or the landscape's palette, but you'll surely find it a treat for the eyes and the body.

Massage

For several years now, we've had any crunchy necks, backs, arms, and hands soothed by the ministrations of masseur extraordinaire Aidan Sheehan. His chair massages, offered during one of our Saturday evening stitching social, cost $33 for 15 minutes or $38 for 20 minutes, directly payable to Aidan on site, by cash, check, or Venmo.

THE SCHEDULE

Friday, March 8

3:30 pm	Arrival at St Dorothy’s Rest
5:30-6:00 pm	Orientation and introductions
6:00-7:00 pm	Dinner
7:00-9:00 pm	STITCH ‘N BITCH: SHOW AND TELL. Bring a crafted item for show and tell, a cultural recommendation (book, movie, TV show, exhibition, etc), and a brief story about something you learned this past year.

Saturday, March 9

8:00-9:00 am	Breakfast
12:00-1:00 pm	Lunch
6:00-7:00 pm	Dinner
7:00-9:00 pm	STITCH ‘N BITCH: YARN WHISPERING! Bring your lonely skeins with no plans, and collectively we'll help you devise plans for it. The optional extra: A chair massage!

Sunday, March 10

8:00-9:00 am	Breakfast
9:15-12:15 pm	Nature walk
12:30-1:30 pm	Lunch
6:00-7:00 pm	Dinner
7:00-9:00 pm	STITCH ‘N BITCH: SWAP! Bring something to swap—yarn, patterns, tools, whatever!
9:00-10:00 pm	S’mores under the stars

Monday, March 11

8:00-9:00 am	Breakfast
9:00-9:30 am	Group photo
Noon-1:00 pm	Lunch and goodbyes
Afterward	Nearby yarn shops. Some LYSs worth checking out on the way to or from the retreat or during your downtime (check the hours before you go!) include: Cast Away in Santa Rosa, Black Mountain Artisans/Bo-Rage Yarns in Point Reyes Station, Fiber Circle Studio in Petaluma, and Purls of Joy in Healdsburg (all in the North Bay) and, farther south, Avenue Yarns in Albany, Black Squirrel in Berkeley, A Verb for Keeping Warm and Piedmont Yarn in Oakland, ImagiKnit and Firebird Yarns in San Francisco, and Royal Bee Yarn in Pacifica.

 

THE SETTING

The 2024 retreat will be the twelfth at the beautiful St. Dorothy’s Rest, situated among the cool beautiful redwoods between the Russian River and Occidental in Camp Meeker, 1-1/2 hours north of San Francisco. We'll be staying in Lydia House, where students will have the choice of a private or shared room.
Beautiful Lydia House	...with its charming living room
Light-filled porch	...and interior- and exterior-facing bedrooms
All rooms exude simple Arts and Crafts charm and share clean, tidy baths. Those students who do not choose a roommate will have one selected for them. We will be treated to delicious, seasonal, locally sourced meals from Friday's dinner through Monday's lunch. During your copious free time, go on the nature hike, take a stroll in the woods, pop into Occidental, Freestone, or Duncan Mills to browse the cute shops, or just hang out and chat with fellow knitters. Lots of interesting knitters in a cozy and beautiful setting. What more could you want on a lovely winter weekend?

 

THE ORGANIZER

The founder of Knitting on the Coast, Thea Gray has been leading a stitching social at BookShop West Portal in San Francisco since the early 2000s (migrating to Zoom at the start of the COVID pandemic). The stitching social and her knitting retreats were an outgrowth of the beginning and intermediate knitting classes that she held at the bookshop. Thea first began to knit in third grade and has barely stopped since, even flying 6000 miles in a weekend to polish her couture techniques. Known for bountiful patience, she loves sharing the joys of knitting. You can find her on Ravelry as knitOrama.   Thea creates a warm, welcoming environment, in which I feel very comfortable asking for clarification or repetition. She's a great listener, and creatively adjusts her teaching style to the needs of her students, depending on their level of experience. — Jenny, designer Not only is Thea a patient and thorough teacher, she's enthusiastic and skilled in many different knitting techniques. She's helped me go beyond merely following patterns. — Rachella, writer and editor

A sampling of feedback from recent retreats:

• The workshops were really informative. I loved every single one. I especially found the color theory lesson challenging and rewarding and learned a lot in how to choose colors for colorwork. The whole retreat was really great.
• All classes and the group of people were really nice. I think it was the best retreat that I've attended.
• A lovely time indeed! I loved the variety and the addition of a jewelry class! The teachers put so much preparation and thought into the classes and it showed. Thank you.
• I want to thank you again for a fabulous time!
• Excellent teaching. Restored my interest in taking classes, after a couple of bad experiences. Also loved the relaxing location.
• Thank you thank you thank you.
• The location was beautiful, food was great, teaching was great!
• I loved everything. I appreciate so much all the energy put into the retreat. I loved all the classes and teachers.
• Thank you so much for putting it all together, it was magical.
• Had a fantastic time. Thank you!
• I had such a great time! Thanks for all the hard work you put into such a fun weekend.
• I am definitely interested in all your retreats. You really are a fabulous teacher.

…and a few photos from the 2010 retreat and from the 2009 retreat.