Welsh Knitting Retreat

14 May & 4 October 2023

5 days from £995pp

Discover the colourful history of the Welsh textile industry on this tour, which takes a closer look at Welsh wool and quilting in the picturesque villages of the valleys.

Knitting workshops with Sasha Kagan
Discover the story of the Welsh woollen Industry at the National Wool Museum
Spend time at the Welsh Quilt Centre
Stay at a lovely hotel, tucked in the Welsh hillside, with views over the world famous Gower and Carmarthenshire coastline

Welsh Knitting Retreat

Welsh wool and the Welsh textile manufacturing industry was historically one of the most important industries throughout Wales. However, it was in the Teifi valley and the surrounding areas that the wool industry was at its most prolific. We’ll follow the story of this industry at the National Wool Museum and learn more about Welsh quilts and blankets at the Welsh Quilt Centre. Two full day knitting workshops with Sasha Kagan complete this knitting retreat.

I am delighted to be teaching on Stitchtopia's first Welsh Knitting retreat and to share my love of the Welsh countryside and textile heritage with you. Our project is a patchwork cushion made up from 4 intarsia flower motif squares for the front and a moss stitch stripe fabric for the back plus 4 pom-poms as embellishments.

Our first workshop features my version of the intarsia technique. You will learn how to carry colours in your R and L hands and weave the background yarn along behind the motifs, how to read colourwork charts successfully, make bobbins and gain confidence.

Drawing on my 45 years experience as a knitwear designer our second session will be my "Design from Nature" workshop where you will learn how to design your own motifs using flowers and leaves as inspiration. These squares can be made into unique home textiles, heritage blankets, cushions coasters etc

DAY 1: Arrival
Make your own way to Llanelli. Your room will be available for check-in from 2pm. Get to know Sasha, your Arena Travel Tour Manager and your fellow guests in our afternoon Knit & Natter session, or over dinner this evening.
DAY 2: Knitting Workshop
Full day knitting workshop with Sasha. Lunch is included today, and tea/coffee will be served morning and afternoon.
DAY 3: Teifi valley
The National Wool Museum tells the story of the Welsh woollen Industry through working machinery, archive material, hands-on displays and a textile gallery. The museum is housed in the historic former Cambrian Mills which made shirts and shawls, blankets and bedcovers, woollen stockings and socks sold throughout the world. The picturesque village of Dre-fach Felindre in the beautiful Teifi valley was once the centre of the thriving woollen industry, earning the nickname 'The Huddersfield of Wales'. We’ll follow the process from Fleece to Fabric and visit the sympathetically restored listed mill buildings.

Since its official opening in 2010 by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall the Welsh Quilt Centre has become an exceptional venue in the heart of the Teifi Valley. The idea to open a centre to celebrate and promote a wider understanding of the Welsh quilt came from Jen Jones, whose obsession with collecting Welsh quilts, blankets and textiles has spanned over forty years. In Lampeter’s historic Town Hall we’ll have the opportunity to learn about the ancient art of Welsh quilts and blankets as well as enjoying other work by local and international artists.
DAY 4: Knitting Workshop
Full day knitting workshop with Sasha. Lunch is included today, and tea/coffee will be served morning and afternoon.
DAY 5: Departure
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before checking out at 11am.

Intarsia Flower Cushion with Sasha Kagan

"Our project is a patchwork cushion made up from 4 intarsia flower motif squares for the front and a moss stitch stripe fabric for the back plus 4 pom-poms as embellishments.

Our first workshop features my version of the intarsia technique. You will learn how to carry colours in your R and L hands and weave the background yarn along behind the motifs, how to read colourwork charts successfully, make bobbins and gain confidence.

Drawing on my 45 years experience as a knitwear designer our second session will be my "Design from Nature" workshop where you will learn how to design your own motifs using flowers and leaves as inspiration. These squares can be made into unique home textiles, heritage blankets, cushions coasters etc."

Sasha Kagan

Sasha Kagan is a well known knitwear designer who chose textiles as her medium of expression after completing a Master of Arts degree at the Royal College of Art. Her first publication "The Sasha Kagan Sweater Book" helped start the Knitwear Revolution in the 1980's and she has continued ever since to promote hand knitting as a textile art. She exhibits regularly at Made London, Wonderwool Wales, craft centers and The Knitting and Stitching shows. In 2000 she had an exhibition at The Victoria and Albert Museum which has helped to elevate the humble craft of hand knitting. Author of 7 design books, Sasha is an experienced workshop tutor and has taught extensively in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan. She has designed for Rowan Yarns since their first magazine, Vogue Knitting Magazine, Interweave Knits, The Knitter and Woman's Weekly. Sasha's passion for beautiful yarns and textiles leads her to teach knitters how to design for themselves so that they can enjoy the process as much as she does!