Needlers' Retreat 2024 - Nov. 1 - 3, 2024

Nov. 1 - 3, 2024

The Glen House Resort (off the Thousand Island Parkway)

Registration Fee: $360.00

The Glen House costs (payable at registration and before Sept. 1):

$567.86 (single),
$474.55 (double) and
$399.90 (triple).

BOOKING YOUR ROOM - Please call The Glen House ( 1-800-268-4536 or 613-659-2204) to book and pay for your room in full after you have registered successfully with Sheeps Ahoy. All Glen House fees must be paid before Sept. 1, 2024. The Glen House requires 30 days notice for cancellations. If a room is cancelled more than 30 days in advance, a credit voucher less a $50 cancellation fee will be issued.

SHEEPS AHOY CANCELLATION POLICY - The $360 registration fee is non-refundable from Oct 18 onward. Before Oct 18 your fee minus $30 will be refunded only if your spot can be filled from our waiting list.

All prices are in Canadian dollars and include tax and gratuity, if applicable.

Registration are available online here. Payment can be online or via eTransfer.

Check-in time is 4pm Fri. Nov. 1 and check-out time is 11:00am Sun. Nov. 3.

We will start our retreat at 5pm on Friday, November 1 with a social gathering and wrap up on Sunday, November 3 with lunch. We will fill every minute between with knitting fun and merriment. Our full itinerary can be found at the bottom of this page.

We are gathering at The Glen House Resort on the St. Lawrence River in Gananoque, Ontario (off the Thousand Island Parkway). Check out their website at smugglersglen.com if you want to see what this resort is like.

Our instructors for this year are Kim McBrien Evans, Julie Nandorfy and Anja Krebber.

There are 3 workshops and each participant will have the opportunity to attend all 3 workshops over the course of the weekend.

Kim McBrien Evans - The Sweater Map - Understanding Body Shape and Sweaters

A Sweater Map is a personal schematic that uses your measurements and shape to assist you with sweater fit. Armed with your Sweater Map and a pattern with a schematic, you’ll be better able to choose a size or combination of sizes for your next sweater. You’ll also have a greater understanding of basic modifications you’ll need to make for yourself.

By the end of this class, you will have:

a body map of yourself
an understanding of what ease is and how to apply it your sweaters
a plan for using the sweater map alongside other patterns to create sweaters that fit you well.

Materials:

Graph paper (large enough squares for you to count) OR a tablet with a drawing program that has a grid. NOTE - Sheeps Ahoy will supply the graph paper unless you wish to have your own.
paper option (I use Graphic for my iPad in class)
Ruler and tape measure
Pencil and at least 2 pens/fine point markers in at least 2 different colours OR writing/drawing tool for tablet
Your measurement sheet, filled out as much as possible (we will be reviewing some measurements in class)

Homework:

Fill out the measurement sheet on page 2 of your handout, adding measurements in bold text only. It is essential that you have these measurements ready in class. A link to the handout was emailed to participants on Oct 16/24. Hard copies will be available in class.

Julie Nandorfy - Ladderback Jacquard

Ladderback jacquard or invisible stranding is a technique for managing long floats in colourwork knitting. It can be used in stranded knitting and also intarsia. It uses an aspect of double knitting and allows you to knit over a vast expanse of stitches without having to twist the yarns on the back (which usually shows through and reduces the stretchiness of your fabric).

Materials:

worsted weight or thicker yarn in 2 colours
appropriate sized needles (preferably circular, but whatever you want to do knitting in the round)
you will be working from a chart, so hi-liter tape or post-it notes or ruler to mark your spot in the chart
standard knitting kit (stitch markers, scissors, etc.)

Homework:

cast on a multiple of 15 stitches that can be comfortably worked in the round on your needle
join in the round, being careful not to incorporate a twist and place a marker at the beginning / end of the round
work 5 rounds of garter stitch as follows:

Round 1: purl
Round 2: knit
Round 3: purl
Round 4: knit
Round 5: purl

knit 2 rounds

Anja Krebber - Hooked on Knitting

You think crochet hooks are only for crocheters?
Ha! Think again.
"Oh, wait!" I hear you say. "I've used a hook to rescue a dropped stitch."
Not bad. Keep 'em coming.
"I've hooked a provisional cast-on."
Excellent. But still, think some more.

Think easy bind-offs, think fancy bind-offs, think embellishments, and button loops, and borders. Think assembling motifs, or flat-knit garments, think adding patch pockets. Think -- Drumroll! --installing zippers.

The crochet hook and the knitting needle are fantastic tools each on their own, but, like a map and compass, when used together, they can open up shining new horizons.

Materials:

2 skeins (50g skeins are plenty) of worsted weight wool (or wool blend - with a little give, and good stitch definition) in contrasting colours. Not too dark, so you can easily see your stitches.
4mm knitting needles
4mm crochet hook, any style, though the metal hooks without a hand grip work best for this, or an interchangeable hook (bonus points if it fits on your knitting cables). I'll bring extra hooks to borrow, but don't have that many 4mm.
(Should you choose to work with a different yarn weight, please adjust your needle/hook sizes accordingly.)

Homework:

Knit 2 rectangles 30 sts, 30 rows as follows:

No. 1:

plain stockinette for the first 14 rows
Row 15 (WS): k
Row 16 (RS) : k
Keep going in stockinette, but slip the first stitch of every row
Leave sts on needle or move to stitch holder Break yarn

No. 2:

all stockinette, stripe in your contrast colours at will. (I did 4-2-2 repeats, but the number of rows per colour is not critical)
Leave sts on needle or move to stitch holder
Do not break yarn

The cost to register for the weekend will be $360.00, payable to Sheeps Ahoy. This reserves your place at the retreat, and covers the costs of running the event – meeting room rentals, coffee breaks, opening reception, and workshops. This fee is non-refundable from Oct 18 onward. Before Oct 18 your fee minus $30 will be refunded only if your spot can be filled from our waiting list.

The remaining cost for accommodation and meals is payable to the Glen House Resort before Sept 1, 2024: $567.86 for a single room, $474.55 for a double room, and $399.90 for a triple. There are 4 cabins available on a first come, first served basis. Each cabin has a common room with kitchenette, two bedrooms with 2 beds each, and 2 full bathrooms. Please contact The Glen House to inquire about booking a cabin.

The only extra costs are the ones you incur at our Vendors’ Night on Saturday evening.

If you need to contact us, please phone 613-823-2469 or 1-877-740-2469 or e-mail us at deb@sheepsahoy.com.

If you would like to be a vendor at our Vendors’ Night, please contact us so we know how many tables to set up.

If you have specific issues (e.g. dietary, mobility, etc.) or will be arriving early or staying late, please make arrangements directly with the Glen House. They can be reached at 1-800-268-4536 or 613-659-2204.

Please, if you can, get both the flu shot and any COVID vaccines before you come to the retreat. It helps all of us.

Our full itinerary for the weekend is as follows:

Fri. Nov. 1:

5 - 6 pm - Welcome Reception in Smuggler's Lounge

6 pm - Dinner in the Dining Room

after dinner - Show and Tell for everyone in the Admiralty Room

Sat. Nov. 2:

7:30 - 8:30 am - Breakfast in the Dining Room

9 - 12 noon - Classes in the Navy or Lake Fleet Room. Admiralty Room is available.

12 noon - Lunch in the Dining Room

1:30 - 4:30 pm - Classes in the Navy or Lake Fleet Room.

4:30 - 6:00 pm - VENDORS ONLY - setup in the Admiralty Room

6pm - Dinner in the Dining Room

after dinner - Vendors Market in the Admiralty Room

Sun. Nov 3:

7:30 - 8:30 am - Breakfast in the Dining Room

9 - 12 noon - Classes in the Navy or Lake Fleet Room. Admiralty Room is available.

11 am - check out time

12 noon - Lunch in the Dining Room

Stay well my knitterly friends. Get the vaccine. But, most of all, be kind.

Sheeps Ahoy