Friday 11 May 2012

Wakefield Knitting Retreat


On the weekend I went to a knitting retreat that was held in a converted barn in Wakefield, Quebechttp://the-barn.ca/.  It was used as a summer home by a family and is now rented out for retreats.  As you enter the barn there are all kinds of textiles hanging from the walls as art.  You are immediately enveloped by the warmth of comfy chairs , old beams and bookcases in every room.
The living room had a  turquoise  tiled fireplace that was shipped from Europe.

The organizershttp://threecrazyknitters.wordpress.com were Kathryn Drysdale, of Riverside Studio, who is an artist and and indie dyer. She gave a dying workshop that was fun and informative.  It gave me a real appreciation for the work that she does to acheive those rich and beautiful colours that she makes....
Julie taught us short rows,& double knitting ( which I loved and plan to make a scarf ) She is such a great teacher, extemely knowledgeable  and loads of fun.

Maureen
Kathryn and Julie
our hand painted yarns drying in the sun
a reading nook outside the bedroom
there's that fireplace!
Julie's daughter ,who is a baker in Maine, made these cookies  as a  gift.
Julie , Kathryn and \Maureen , 3 Crazy Knitters
all of us wearing our hand painted skeins
the 2 skeins to the left are the ones I dyed and the  2  to the right are  Riverside Studio
Maureen Marcotte is a gentle spirit and did most of the cooking for the retreat.  Every morsel was tastier than the last, she is an amazing cook. It would be a daunting task for me , but she had everything under control with the help of her two beautiful daughters.  Maureen is not only a knitter but a potterhttp://www.mckenziemarcotte.ca/en/artists/maureen_marcotte.html by trade.  Her and her husband have a gallery in Wakefield called McKenzie Marcotte Gallery. Her work is calm and serene with a touch of Japanese esthetic.

It was a wonderful weekend. Thank you  to the 3 Crazy Knitters!

the purple and yellow one is the one i was working on  :)


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