Programme for Knitting workshop at Chateau St Julien June 2011

We still have a couple of spaces available for this wonderful knitting holiday in France with Rowan tutors Carol Meldrum and Nicole Wilson. BOOK HERE or see the programme below for a taste of the workshops on offer. For further details for September 2012 email sueculligan@gmail.com

Bedroom at Chateau St Julien

Sunday 12th June - Arrive Poitiers. Transfer to Château de St Julien l’Ars (20-30 minutes).

Meet your tutors and fellow guests for aperitifs followed by dinner.

Monday 13th June
Morning Workshop - An introduction to the workshop.
• Techniques
• Mood boards
• Colour palettes

Afternoon Workshop – Gathering inspiration around and about the grounds of Chateau. Using sketches or photographs learn how to -
• Create texture
• Repeat patterns
• Shapes and details

Evening workshop – Technical class
• Different cast on’s and off’s – where and when to use them
• Button holes
• Add in or take out rows in a pattern

Tuesday 14th June
Full day workshop – working from source material gathered the previous day. Looking at how to interpret them into a knitted fabric through colour work (intarsia/ Fairisle)
Choosing yarns and colour palettes
What pattern works best with the yarn you have chosen
• Lace / open work / texture
• Fairisle / intarsia

Evening workshop – Technical class
• How to improve your tension
• How to improve your fabric edges
• Increasing and decreasing

Wednesday 15th June
Full day Workshop – Building on previous day’s workshop, looking at how to plot design onto graph paper, how to add texture and relief into your design.
• Creating swatches
• Choosing techniques

Thursday 16th June
Half Day Workshop – Beaded Knitting
• Plotting beaded pattern on to graph paper from source material
• How to knit with beads

Free afternoon - optional outing to Chauvigny or Poitiers

Evening Workshop – How to introduce crochet into your knitting, trims edgings and embellishments.

Friday 17th June
Free morning - optional outing to Chauvigny or Poitiers

Half Day Workshop – This workshop will be used to work through remaining design ideas.

Evening review of the week, certificates for all the guests, prize giving and aperitifs followed by dinner.

Saturday 18th June Depart for Poitiers

In addition to the Workshop programme there will be plenty of time for relaxing, eating, drinking and of course knitting! Plus a little retail therapy in Poitiers, or sightseeing in Chauvigny. We have the Chateau entirely to ourselves and access to the 56 acres of beautiful parkland.