Late booking offer - knitting and crochet workshop

9th - 16th September 2017
We have spaces available for this fantastic week of workshops with tutor Carol Meldru at the special offer price of £695. The price includes a single room with shared bathroom, full board with wine, 2 full day and 4 half day workshops, materials, outings for shopping and sightseeing and transfers from Bordeaux airport. All you have to do is get yourself to France and we do the rest.

The workshop is open to all skill levels. Carol has designed a gorgeous project that can be worked in either knitting or crochet or a combination of the two. The design will include texture and some colour work.

The venue is a luxurious converted barn in rural France, with a heated swimming pool and comfortable accommodation. Visit our website here for further details.

Learn to knit workshop in France

Knitting and crochet retreat
with knitting workshops tutored by Sue Culligan

2nd - 7th July 2015

at le Logis de la Courade

Le logis de la Courade

The 5-night holiday includes daily workshops on basic knitting techniques, suitable for new knitters or those who need a little reminder. Experienced knitters are also very welcome to join us on this relaxing holiday, just bring your own knitting or crochet project and enjoy the facilities at le Logis. For further details visit the le Logis website here.

Knitting holidays in France

A new year and there is lots happening at La Verderie! We still have just a few spaces available for the 2015 knitting holidays in May, September and October, see further details here 

I am tutoring a residential workshop in July for 'Basic knitting techniques' at a beautiful new venue here in France. Le Logis de la Courade is not far from La Verderie and is the perfect place for a luxurious and relaxing holiday. The workshops are aimed at beginner knitters or those who need a little reminder,  however, more experienced knitters are very welcome to come along with their own projects just to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Visit the Le Logis website here for further details.

The new KnitKits website is up and running, I am still adding stock on a daily basis but Culli's yarn bowls are flying out.

Mystery Blanket workshop - the last day

Friday started with a wet walk for me with BeBop & Buddy, followed by a morning workshop.

The group have done amazingly well, with a total of 68 blanket squares knitted between the 9 members, plus 2 bags and one and a half mobile cosies knitted by Pat and Shelley, what a result!

It was Tracy's birthday, so we had a few renditions of 'Happy Birthday' and two cakes, a yummy lemon sponge cake which Annabel made and one of my banana breads.

Culli has been busy making yarn bowls and they are selling quickly.
After lunch of potato and onion tortilla and thai chicken salad, the sun came out and we went into St Jean d'Angely for the final shopping trip.

Starting at the sweet shop, filled with mouthwatering chocolates and sweets displayed in vintage glass jars, then on to a couple of dress shops and the kitchen shop, where everyone weakened, but Debbie still managed to outshop us all.

After hot chocolates at the fun bar we stopped off at the supermarket and then home for a final knitting session, kir royale and supper of antipasto, provencal pork and creamy croissant and honey bake.
The girls gave Debbie and I a really beautiful Missoni scarf each and a bottle of whisky for Culli. It has been another great week with a lovely group, lots of laughs, lots of eating and lots of knitting.
Most of us had to be up at the crack of dawn, so an early night was needed.
On Saturday morning I dropped Pat off at Bordeaux airport for an early flight and took Debbie, Shelley, Alan and Laraine into Bordeaux. We started with breakfast at the bargain price of 3 euros each, then stumbled across the most amazing button shop that had walls lined from floor to ceiling with boxes of every type of button and fastening you can imagine.

On to the book shop, Desigual and then La Droguerie. A quick sandwich by the fountain and then a mad dash to get them back to the airport in time for their flights.

Mystery Blanket workshop - days 3 & 4

Yesterday morning we went to Cognac, first stop was Tissus Bonnet the lovely fabric and yarn shop for fabric remnants printed with colourful macaroons and cupcakes, gorgeous ribbons and trimmings and yarn with pompoms.

Fabric remnants and ribbon from Tissus Bonnet

We had a coffee in the square, then wandered back through the town via some of the clothes shops to the indoor market and home for lunch.

 a hoopoe in the garden at La Nougerée

In the afternoon workshop Debbie went through horizontal and vertical mattress stitch and swiss darning, the main bug bear on the Mystery Blanket still seems to be thistles!

Supper was fresh asparagus wrapped in parma ham for starters, followed by fish pie and then peaches cooked in Pineau and brown sugar. Another evening of laughter and knitting in front of the fire.

Brizambourg brocante

Today is a public holiday in France, so although the shops were shut we still managed to spend some money at the little brocante in Brizambourg.

There were more stalls than usual, but the best one by far had heaps of old cotton and linen sheets, pillowcases, crochet and lace.

There was a shopping frenzy with Annabel, Felicity, Debbie and me grabbing pieces of fabric and lace, all amazingly cheap. Usually at the brocantes you pay a fortune for the old fabrics but it was our lucky day! We all came away with bags of goodies, they now have the problem of getting it all home!

After lunch of salads and cheese everyone moved into the garden to enjoy the sunshine.

Mystery Blanket workshop - day 2

The second day of the Mystery Blanket workshop and the sun has vanished, as we had a full day workshop planned no-one minded (except Debbie who has only brought along her summer wardrobe and nothing else.....). I spent the morning in the kitchen, while Debbie went through Japanese short row shaping with the group. Every time someone completes a square there is a loud cheer, but Elizabeth has just admitted that she has unravelled more than she has knitted today. Perhaps we could have a workshop on unravelling!

In the afternoon the sun comes out again and it is warm enough to move outside for more hysterical conversation, knitting and a bit of unravelling.

                     Some of the lovely buttons I bought at the market in Saintes yesterday morning

Mystery blanket square

Early in the evening we take some of the group around to Egreteau our local Cognac producer for a tour of the distillery and a few tasters of pineau and cognac, it was a good session for Pappy the owner with lots of purchases, we merrily set off for La Nougerée and supper of lamb tagine and tart tatin. 

Cognac tasting

Pappy horrified at his prize Cognac being called brandy

The hardened knitters continue with their squares, Andrea working by torch light as it gets dark, the rest of us are happy to sit by the fire and relax.

Knitting and Crochet holidays in France

The dates for the next two knitting and crochet retreats at La Verderie are -

Thursday 20th - Tuesday 25th March 2014

and 

Thursday 27th March - Tuesday 1st April 2014

Cost for 5 nights: £325 per head (based on two people sharing a twin room) and £395 per head for a single room.

For further details email Sue

Come and join designer Sue Culligan at her home in the Charente-Maritime for a relaxing holiday, in some (hopefully!) warm spring weather.

The cost of the holidays includes transfers from Angouleme or La Rochelle to La Verderie, (£20 supplement for transfers from Bordeaux), full board, wine with meals, optional workshops and outings to local towns. All you pay for is your travel to France and any expenses incurred on outings.

You are welcomed into Sue and Culli's home as house guests, the comfortable old farmhouse can provide accommodation for up to 5 guests at a time in three single rooms and one twin room. There is a light and airy studio for workshops, a courtyard garden for enjoying the sunshine and comfortable old sofas to relax on in front of an open fire.

The delicious home cooked meals use fresh local produce and dietary requirements can be catered for.

The holiday is open to all skill levels, workshops are optional but if there is a particular technique you would like to learn or improve it is a good opportunity to try it out. Sue has a large library of knitting and crochet books and a stash of yarn oddments to play around with. If you are already competent at knitting and crochet you can share your skill and ideas with other guests. If you have a problem with a project bring it along for some help and advice.

Itinerary (can be changed to suit guests requirements)

Thursday - arrival

Friday - workshop on chosen subject in the morning, shopping and sightseeing trip to Saintes or Cognac in the afternoon

Saturday - visit to the market at St Jean d'Angely in the morning, optional workshop in the afternoon or just relax with your knitting and crochet project

Sunday - visit to a Brocante in the morning and a bit of sightseeing, optional workshop in the afternoon

Monday - day to finish off projects and go over any final techniques

Tuesday - departure

relaxing in the garden at La Verderie

the river at Saintes

Paella supper

the yarn shop in Royan

knitting and crochet sample