Knitting and crochet workshop in France with tutor Carol Meldrum - final day

We finish the final day with a visit to Egreteau, our local Cognac producer for a little sampling session of their Cognac and Pineau and a few purchases.

It has been another wonderful week with some lovely ladies who have all produced amazing work.

It has been a busy few months, I now have 10 weeks before the next retreat in September. Time to plan the knitting and crochet holidays for next year, launch the new website for KnitKits and do some much needed decorating and repairs to the house!

Knitting and crochet workshop in France with tutor Carol Meldrum

The week continues with warm, sunny weather. Three of us are up early every morning, Carol for a cycle ride around the lanes, Cath goes running and I am out walking the dogs. It is lovely and cool first thing in the morning, the first sunflowers are starting to flower and the big combines are out harvesting the crops.

Cath jogging through the sunflowers

Everyone is working hard on their projects, inspired with ideas from the Fil en Fete exhibition and the gorgeous samples that Carol has brought along.

The Cognac Blues Passion Festival is on this week, so on Wednesday we take our knitting and crochet with us and visit Cognac for a bit of free music in the town and park.

Knitting and crochet workshop in France with tutor Carol Meldrum - File en fete

We had four residential guests for Carol's workshop at La Verderie, Jan, Wendy, Sonia and Cath and day girls Gill, Natasha and Lorraine. We started the first day with a morning workshop to find out what everyone wanted to do. For the main project Carol brought along a calico bag for everyone to embellish in their chosen design. In the afternoon we went to St Jean d'Angely for the Fil en Fete exhibition. This amazing exhibition was spread around the town in 9 different venues with displays of old and contemporary patchwork quilts, textile art, beautiful vintage Chinese costumes and a whole building of stalls selling fabric, yarn, needlepoint, X stitch and much more - a great afternoon with masses of inspiration in a riot of colour and texture. Check out these websites to see more of the artists' work SegoLaine Schweitzer, Cosabeth Parriaud, France Brechignac

After a coffee in the square and a demo of Sonia's new i-cord machine we went back home exhausted but brimming with ideas.