I was so excited when Stefanie asked me to write a guest blog post about the Makerie, and equally excited that she is teaching two workshops for our inaugural event!

She wanted me to share with you a bit more about creative retreats and what inspired me to start the Makerie. I am so happy to have the chance to do this! Creative retreats are oh so many things ~ taking time out of our busy lives to play for a few days, being inspired by new forms of creativity, and spending a few days in a like-minded community.

Often knitters are really creative in other areas too, and a retreat like this one not only offers wonderful workshops to improve your yarn skills, but provides the opportunity to delve into other crafty classes too, which can inspire your knitting in new wonderful ways. The mornings begin with yoga or hiking (or just sleeping in!), meals are eaten together, inspiring evening activities are planned, and rumor has it even some late night knitting gatherings are being concocted (which might even include wine!). The easiest way to describe it is like being back at summer camp ~ but for us!

I attended my first creative retreat in the summer of 2009 and it was hands down, one the best experiences I ever had. I learned:

* how important it is to honor who you are and what you love to do

* the power of being in a like-minded community

* how honoring and exploring your creative side brings out the best in everyone

* to listen to your heart

When I came home, I shared this magical experience with all my friends and family, and they loved what it was all about. I researched and researched to find a similar retreat in Colorado (a little closer to home) so I could take all my friends. When I couldn’t find anything like it in our majestic Rocky Mountains, I began to think how neat it would be to bring this to our community, and how much I wanted to provide a place for other people to have the opportunity to experience what I did.

I wanted to provide a place where people could step out of their fast-paced, everyday lives, leave technology behind for a few days and reconnect with themselves in a space to simply play and feel like a kid again. (It does wonders, let me tell you!) I still carry around the magic I felt from my first retreat, and am eternally grateful to Elizabeth and the courage she had to create Squam Art Workshops. It truly changed my life.

This journey has just begun, and I have cherished the input and support from so many amazing people already and feel the greatest power in creating the Makerie is the warm and wonderful community it seems to be bringing together. I would love to see the Makerie become an event that inspires people in various ways and encourages them to follow their heart. I also hope that everyone involved in the retreat in any way, shape or form will feel a part of the Makerie family.

From the beginning, I had a wish to find a way to offer a scholarship for our first year, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that we are able to do so with the generous support of two fantastic local companies ~ Common Threads and Old Glory Antiques. If you know of anyone who is deserving of a creative weekend away (maybe even you!), please send us your nomination! You can read the scholarship application details here.

Thank you so much for letting me share a bit more about the Makerie! I hope it was helpful and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have questions, thoughts or suggestions. I do believe the Makerie is something we are all creating together!

xo,
Ali

Last weekend, I taught two classes at Loops yarn store in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’d never been to Tulsa, but my friends all told me how lush and green it is, and how friendly the people are.

WOW. Tulsa is a beautiful city, but the people really make it shine!

Olive and I were welcomed at the airport by Shelley Brander, the owner of TWO Loops knitting shops in Tulsa. Olive is still nursing, so she came along. Some shop owners might have said, “UH…no thanks!” But Shelley was wonderful! She even hired a babysitter (Hi Hallie!) for the weekend!!

Oh, we loved our trip! Look at this beautiful, soothing shop:

I taught “How to Shape Your Knits” and “Converting Flat Patterns into Circular Knits.” Both of these classes teach the basics of knitting pattern math and how to add shaping to circular garments. The Flat –> circular class goes a step further to show how to do just what the title says and knit any garment in the round, either by creating a yoke from the armscye / sleeve cap OR by knitting the front and back separately and then adding on an in-the-round sleeve. (I also teach both classes on line, and signups for fall are open now.)

The students were awesome. Everyone seemed to “get it” and already had uses worked out in their own knitting for all of the things we learned.

Shelley has a great selection of yarn in her shops! Too great! I was able to pick up lots of yarns that I’d heard a lot about but hadn’t had the chance to work with. Most yarn companies will supply the yarns that I use in my patterns, but it’s nice to have a few “sweater quantities” of yarn to design with just for fun and with no pressure.

We had a great time, but we needed to cuddle our Mazie LOTS when we got home: