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Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday. Show all posts

Saturday, 9 June 2018

May knitting and crochet retreat in France

We had a small select group for this holiday - with four returning guests. The weather was lovely for most of the week, but ended with a spectacular storm on the way back to Bordeaux.
It was a lovely relaxing time, we managed three outings for shopping and plenty of knitting and crochet.

The countryside looks amazing at the moment, very green from all the rain we have had, dotted with bright splashes of colourful red poppies.





Shopping in Cognac for fabric and yarn




Twins Lesley and Angela were both working on the same project - The Rossylyn crochet blanket by Helen Shrimpton




Coffee and a sticky patisserie from our wonderful boulangerie 





And as well as the garter and various other projects Linda was making a gorgeous crochet table cloth


Sunday, 6 August 2017

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.


Monday, 19 January 2015

Learn to knit workshop in France

Knitting and crochet retreat
with knitting workshops tutored by Sue Culligan
2nd - 7th July 2015

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.





Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Spaces available for Knit and Crochet workshop with Debbie Abrahams and Jane Crowfoot

Kaleidoscope knitting and crochet designs by Debbie Abrahams and Jane Crowfoot

As there has been such demand for this workshop (8th - 14th September 2013), I have arranged extra accommodation. We now have three spaces left 2 sharing a twin bedroom (£450 per head) and one in a single room (£525), the cost of the holiday includes, workshops, materials, meals with wine and transfers from La Rochelle or Poitiers, for further details email sueculligan@gmail.com

Chocolate dessert

The workshops will be based around designs from Kaleidoscope, Jane and Debbie's latest book. Guests will have the option to work on a set project or to incorporate their own design ideas using knitting and/or crochet.

Studio and garden at La Verderie

La Roche

La Nougeree

Guests will be accommodated at La Verderie, La Nougeree and La Roche and the workshops and meals will all be at La Nougeree.
www.knittingholidaysinfrance.com

Saturday, 15 June 2013

Knitting and crochet workshop in France - full day workshop

a rainy day in the studio
Thursday morning it was pouring with rain, luckily we had already decided to spend the whole day working on our projects. Sue and I went for a very short and wet walk with BeBop, listening to the rumble of thunder in the distance. After breakfast we all settled in the studio. Jane showed us how to make Dorset buttons and a variety of crochet flowers to use as embellishment.
Christine's dorset buttons

Christine's cushion

Hannah's crochet holder

Sue's dorset button

Hannah's flower embellishments

my birds of life cushion

My flower embellishment to go on a fabric cushion

Sue's cushion cover

Jane's new project
Christine and Sue are making cushions, inspired by Jane and Debbie's book Kaleidoscope, I am making the 'Birds of Life' cushion from Jane's book Homespun Vintage and Hannah is making a roll to store her crochet hooks using some of the techniques from Kaleidoscope and has also started on a pillow cover based on Gabrielle in Homespun Vintage that she is going to embellish with multi-coloured flowers.
Cognac tasting at Egreteau
The rain stopped in the evening so we went on an outing to Egreteau, our local Cognac producer for a tour of the distillery and a little tasting session of Cognac and Pineau, everyone bought some Pineau and Jane and Hannah bought some Cognac for Father's day pressies.


Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Crochet workshop in France with tutor Jane Crowfoot

Sunday morning and Culli has to head off to Bordeaux early to meet the first guest, leaving me to finish making the beds and tidying the house and studio. He arrives back at lunch time with Hannah our first guest, grabs a sandwich and goes back down to Bordeaux to pick up the other three.
Hannah settles down in the sunshine for the afternoon and I get some cooking done and take BeBop out for a quick walk before the others get here.
BeBop with his new pressie from Sue
By 6pm everyone is safely gathered in and sitting in the sun with apero's. We have three guests for this workshop, Hannah, Christine and Sue who is back with us for the second time (I think she has only come back to see BeBop really!) and of course tutor Jane. Jane has given me a copy of her two latest books 'Homespun Vintage' and 'Kaleidoscope', which are gorgeous, both Culli and I were very touched to see the dedication in 'Kaleidoscope', to 'Sue, Culli, Bix and BeBop' and to see that one of the projects was named after BeBop! He is a very happy dog to see Jane and Sue, his most favourite guests, especially as Sue brought him a present!
After supper of roast pork with roasted vegetables and chocolate torte we catch up with each others news and talk about what we are going to do for the week.
Monday is grey, but warm. Sue and I take BeBop for a walk around the lanes before breakfast then


we all settle in for a day of crochet. Jane has suggested that everyone uses ideas from 'Vintage Homespun' and 'Kaleidoscope' as their projects for the week, so we have all made a choice, but everyone is personalising their project by making a few changes to the original pattern (we are not all completely sure what it will end up as, but that is fine!).
The sun comes out in time for an early evening walk through the woods, followed by a glass of GandT or chilled white wine in the courtyard and supper of roasted red peppers, chicken and fennel cassoulet and lemon cheesecake.




Today Sue and I had another brisk and slightly damp walk around the block, after breakfast we went off to Saintes. First stop was Tissus Bonnet the fabric and yarn shop in rue Gambetta, this huge shop has some good deals on remnants, great books and lovely trimmings, then on for the inevitable stop at Maisons du Monde and the yarn shop. The sun made a brief appearance so we drove up to the amphitheatre and sat on the terrace overlooking it drinking coffee.
Maison du Monde
After lunch it was back to the crochet projects which seemed to progress quicker today in just a few hours than over the whole of yesterday.

Sue took BeBop for his afternoon walk, then the four of them, in true British style, sat outside with their drinks willing the sun to appear until supper was ready.

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Painting and woodturning course in France

Pam giving Ann a bit of advice
This two day course with tutors Pamela and Roger Slater has been a great success. We have 4 painters and one woodturner. Ann has chosen to work with oils, having last painted 30 years ago, she is looking forward to having another go. Jen and Pirette are both returning after the course in March for more help from Pam with their watercolours and Jenny is a novice keen to try out acrylics. Woodturner Steven is having a go for the first time and starts with making a spinning top on Saturday and completes a beautiful sycamore bowl on Sunday.
Everyone is exhausted after two days of intensive workshops, but over the moon with the results and so they should be.
The next painting and woodturning workshop at La Verderie is in July, see details here.

Steven sanding his bowl
The finished bowl!

Jenny, Pirette and Jen hard at work