2015 Knitter's Review Retreat
November 12-15
Inn on the Lake
Canandaigua, NY

Sorry, registration is now full.

Please join us in the bucolic lakeside town of Canandaigua, New York, at the Inn on the Lake, for our 14th year of friendship, relaxation, and inspiration.

Begun in 2002, the Knitter's Review Retreat is a special kind of gathering that mixes inspiration, learning, play, and a good dose of low-stress downtime with your peers. I take great care in stitching together the right blend of people, vendors, and activities to create a weekend that leaves you feeling relaxed, inspired, nourished, and welcomed as part of a community.

This year's workshops provide a mix of essential and exciting techniques, garment fundamentals, and design brainstorming. You'll also find our usual healthy dose of storytelling and silliness. Our esteemed guests include Lorilee Beltman, Amy Herzog, Bristol Ivy, and Nancy Marchant, who is joining us all the way from Amsterdam.

How It Works
The heart of the event is the Weekend Retreat, which runs from November 13-15 and includes a workshop, evening programs, unfettered access to the stash lounge, equally unfettered access to the Saturday afternoon marketplace, participation in our Sunday morning program, plus copious freshly prepared meals, a steady flow of tea and coffee, and a comfortable bed on which to rest your head every night.

For those who wish to arrive early and enjoy a full extra day of activities, including an additional workshop, we also offer the Thursday Extension that begins November 12th.

Please note that no part of the event, from Thursday to Sunday afternoon, is open to the public.

Thursday Extension
For those who wish to make a long weekend out of it, our Thursday Extension fits the bill. This smaller gathering begins with a reception on Thursday afternoon, followed by dinner and a special presentation on Thursday night, followed by in-depth workshops running Friday morning and into the early afternoon.

Choose from one of four classes:

• Pick Your Knits and Purls: An Introduction to Continental Knitting In knitting there are various ways to get the job done. If you have a method that you like, that is the right way for you to do it. But if you're curious about the Continental style of knitting, or have tried it and failed, then Lorilee Beltman wants to help. In class we will focus on minimizing your hand motions for a more comfortable and perhaps speedier way to knit. You'll practice the knit stitch then move on to purl, increases, decreases, and ribbing, where efficiency really pays off. You'll even get to try lace, cables, and two-handed colorwork. Skills: This class is ideal for knitters of all levels.


• Sweater Construction Deconstructed In this fabulously geeky sweater class, Amy Herzog explains everything you need to know about drop shoulder, raglan, and yoke construction, along with side-to-side and other funkier constructions. For each construction, she delves into how to make that style work as clothing, from fabric and fit to math and sizing—all in the context of plenty of samples, as usual. Skills: This class is ideal for those who may already have a sweater or three under their belts and want to go further, or for adventurous knitters of all skill levels.


• Knitting Outside the Box: The Extended Session Want to take your knitting even further outside the box? Designer and Brooklyn Tweed alum Bristol Ivy leads the way with an extended, more hands-on version of her inspiring, intermediate-level workshop. You'll brainstorm surprising new shapes, directions, approaches, and combinations of elements. Bristol will walk you through various exercises before learning how to break down your ideas into actual, knittable projects. This extended workshop is a great class if you're interested in design, or just want more time to experiment with all the possibilities knitting has to offer. Skills: This class is appropriate for students who are comfortable with basic knit and purl stitches, increases, decreases, shaping, and stitch patterns.


• Two-Color Brioche and Beyond Learn to work gorgeous two-color brioche with Nancy Marchant, then add increases and decreases to create graceful undulating motifs. You'll experiment with syncopated brioche, brioche crossed stitches, and cables. You'll leave with a sample of entirely new brioche stitch techniques, along with an understanding of how to choose yarns and create your own variations of these motifs. You will leave the class inspired and ready to design your own brioche knitted projects. Skills: Intermediate. Must be comfortable with long-tail cast-on, working in the round, and reading charts.

How Much Does it Cost?

Weekend Retreat:
$650 single
$540 double (per person)
$490 per person *triple/three people
$470 per person *quad/four people
*These options are most suitable for friends only, as the rooms have two double beds.

I'm happy to match you with a roommate, or you can specify a roommate on your registration form. Please make sure your intended roommate sends in his/her form at the same time as yours—I am unable to hold rooms for missing roommates.

This rate covers everything: all classes and activities, two nights' lodging, all your meals from Friday dinner through Sunday lunch, plus snacks and beverages throughout the weekend, and all taxes and gratuities.

Thursday Extension:
An additional $320 single
An additional $240 double
An additional $220 triple/three people
An additional $200 quad/four people

If sharing a room, both roommates will need to be registered for the extension. The fee covers everything—meals and snacks, lodging, and all programming.

Rooms feature complementary high-speed wireless Internet, a coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board (for last-minute blocking, perhaps?), and an in-room safe if you want to hide your cashmere from me. The inn also offers a limited number of lakeview rooms for an additional $40 per night, including tax.

Bringing Family
Non-knitting partners, spouses, friends, or children are welcome as long as they promise not to interfere with your fun—and are willing to entertain themselves except at mealtime. Knitting partners, spouses, friends, and children are also quite welcome as attendees.

We regret we are not able to accommodate children under 12 without a non-participating adult caregiver, as childcare is not available at the inn. Well-behaved nursing babies are always welcome, but once the child is a toddler, it will need a non-participating caregiver.

The cost for adult non-knitting companions sharing a room with a participant is $400 for the weekend, or $580 with the Thursday extension. This includes lodging, meals, snacks, all taxes and gratuities, and the distinct pleasure of staying in a hotel that's packed with knitters. (However, it does not include the pleasure of participating in the evening activities, marketplace, Sunday morning program, or the stash lounge.)

How to Register
Sorry, registration is now full.

Download the above registration form (it's a PDF) and you can fax (888-653-5558) or email it (retreat@knittersreview.com) back to us. If emailing, you must choose PayPal as your payment option, as credit card information is not secure.

Space is limited and fills in a matter of minutes. If you know you'd like to come, take a moment now to familiarize yourself with the class offerings. We're almost always able to accommodate your first or second class choice, but it's helpful if you mark the workshops in order of preference (1 highest, 4 lowest). If you mark only one choice and that class is full, I'll move on to the next registration form.

Getting the Form to Us
You can scan and email your form to retreat@knittersreview.com or FAX your form to us at 888-653-5558. Note: If emailing your registration, choose "Paypal" as your payment option and do not email any credit card information to us. It will not be secure.

What Happens Next?
When I receive your fax or email, I'll send you a quick email. Please note that this is not a confirmation of attendance, only a confirmation that your form was received. This is your cue to sit tight and think good thoughts.

Space is assigned based not only on when your registration form was received but which workshop(s) you requested, and, in the case of shared rooms with a specified roommate, whether or not I am able to accommodate your roommate as well. To keep the group well-balanced, I also apply a quota for returning attendees and newcomers and make the final selection by lottery, if necessary.

Confirmation
By August 28 you will receive a confirmation of your registration status. If you secured a spot at the retreat, your confirmation email will also indicate which class you'll be taking. If you're on the waiting list, do not despair. Cancellations have happened and will likely happen again.

Once your space has been confirmed, your credit card will be charged for the full registration fee. If you're on the waiting list, your credit card will not be charged, or Paypal account invoiced, until your space has been confirmed.

Cancellation
Cancellations are fully refundable until September 15, 2015, at which point they will be subject to a $100 cancellation fee. After October 1, 2015, we regret that all cancellations are non-refundable.

Getting There
The nearest airport is the Greater Rochester International Airport, served by all major airlines including Jet Blue. From Rochester, our inn is a very easy 40-minute drive to the hotel. Albany is three-and-a-half hours away, New York City just a little over five-and-a-half hours—or 27 minutes by plane.

What to Do Nearby
Canandaigua is in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Region. In fact, right next to the inn is the New York Wine and Culinary Center, with a Tasting Room that offers samplings of New York's top wines. And for those who like to get out and stretch their legs each day, there's a paved walking trail that runs along a good length of the lake.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope to see you this fall!

Clara

Got Goodies?
P.S. - Do you make knitting-related products that you'd like to place in the hands of more than 100 avid and discerning knitters? We have goodie bags and would love to talk! Email retreat AT knittersreview DOT com and we'll be in touch. Thank you!