 |
| JOG - a place or an activity? |
So here's what happened on the recent three night knitting retreat I attended in John O'Groats, at the most northerly tip of the Scottish mainland, in the company of other listeners to The Caithness Craft Collective podcast. This is podcast host and retreat organiser, the lovely Louise Hunt.
Louise arranged accommodation for us at Natural Retreats. Here's The Inn at Natural Retreats with its eye catching scandi-style extension.
We were staying in the lodges, situated just behind The Inn. According to the blurb they are luxurious three bed lodges with stunning open plan living and extensive glass frontage showcasing the spectacular views. Well, that describes them to a tee, so comfy, so cosy, so chic - oh, is that knitting on the table?
Louise's theme for the retreat was 'sharing is caring' and she kindly provided a goody bag for everyone which included a handmade notions pouch she'd sewn for each of us, a hand-stitched name badge and contributions from other attendees including lip balm, sheepy brooch, local greetings card, hat pattern and shells collected by her children from the local beach. I've hung my beachy bauble on the tree of hearts in my craft room.
My own contribution to the goody bag was a print I commissioned my daughter, Eilidh, to draw. The brief I gave her was all wool is yarn, but not all yarn is wool. I love her illustration with a yak, an alpaca, a mohair goat, and an angora rabbit, as well as a sheep, all sporting their knitwear!
We assembled for a group meal on our first evening for delicious lasagnes cooked by Ella. Her shortbread too is legendary amongst yarn festival goers. Retreat attendees were not only treated to shortbread, she also kindly shared her recipe with us.
In return for this generosity, Ella suggested attendees might knit some hats for premature babies for her to donate to the Neonatal Unit at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. More than 100 hats were collected, some kindly donated by those unable to come to the retreat this year. I love the cheery ones made with stripey sock yarn.
The table of unrequirement was another treat at the retreat.
Attendees were encouraged to bring along yarn and craft items they no longer needed and we were equally encouraged to help ourselves to anything on the table that we wanted! What remained at the end of the retreat was donated to a local charity. More caring, more sharing.
Throughout the retreat we were encouraged to share. We shared stories of our knitted garments in a show and tell session and we shared our skills. Everyone was generous with her talents - I joined in when Kim showed us gyrokinesis one morning to open up our energy pathways, a bit like yoga. Hannah taught me about Instagram stories and Rhiannon showed me how to enhance photos for the blog. Suzanne showed me how use the Addi Crazy Trio knitting needles I'd never had out of the packet. In turn, I offered to teach a little needle felting and six of the attendees joined me for a gentle hour of creativity and laughter. From this emerged six wee needle felted robin brooches!
Of course we did do lots of knitting, all the while chatting and enjoying each others company.
Oh, and did I mention cake? We shared lots of cake and sweet treats, baked and brought by the retreaters. Since I was the only attendee from Aberdeenshire, I took along some butteries so everyone could taste these regional breakfast delicacies which look a bit like dense, squashed croissants. The Americans particularly loved them, warm from the oven and smothered in my homemade blackcurrant jam!
Louise organised a sewing workshop one morning and we made lavender pouches from this gorgeous bird fabric.
Nic, who has her own one-woman business in Cheshire, Yarns From The Plain, brought her beautiful hand-dyed yarns, fleece and kits and set up a wonderfully colourful mini market. Some purchasing may have occurred - no idea why I was drawn to this gorgeous yarn!
The weather was predictably unpredictable...
... and in between showers on one of the days, I took myself off for a walk along the beach.
All too soon it was time for our final meal together, at Stacks Bistro, a short stroll from the Natural Retreat chalets, with its interesting menu and quirky decor.
And bid farewell to new-found friends, including Buchaille, Louise's lovely doggy.
So, eye rollers, has this opened your eyes to what goes on at a knitting retreat and let you see just what a thoroughly enjoyable experience a knitting retreat can be? Here's my original premise:
Such holidays are often set in beautiful locations, attendees share a common interest,
meals my be provided and activities and excursions are part of the deal.
There's a chance to be with others or be by yourself.
It's an opportunity to re-balance, away from day to day life,
and treat yourself to the holiday you really want.
It's a time to indulge yourself without being selfish, connect with like-minded souls
and participate in something you truly enjoy.
Caithness Craft Retreat 2019 fits that bill pretty perfectly I'd say :)
