Four Purls Retreat

Radisson Hotel Kalamazoo

July 16 – 19, 2020
Optional add-on July 19 – 22

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center
100 W Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

canceled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions

Four Purls Yarn Shop

We are so excited to bring you to our hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan for our very first knitting retreat! While we’re officially located in Winter Haven, FL we really want to share with you the beautiful city where we retreat each summer. Known for its breweries and art scene you are sure to fall in love as we have. We’ll be joined by knitting rockstars Kate Atherley, Ann Budd, and Melissa Kemmerer for an amazing weekend of learning, knitting and tons of fun! The retreat will be July 16-19, 2020 at the fabulous Radisson Plaza Hotel in the heart of downtown Kalamazoo, walking distance to specialty shopping, breweries, distilleries and coffee roasters as well as world-class dining. With so much to explore we know you might not be ready to go home when the weekend is over. Join us for an epic 4-night add-on where we take you to some of the very best that the city has to offer.

Kalamazoo is so much fun that your non-knitting companion is going to want to tag along! With plenty of shopping, breweries, and museums within walking distance, they are sure to keep busy. We have also arranged transportation for our activities. They will be entertained while you are in class!

Instructors

Kate Atherley

Kate Atherley

Kate Atherley is Knitty.com’s Managing Technical Editor, seasoned designer, and teacher of all things knitterly. She is known for her attention to detail in her patterns and classes. Kate regularly teaches at stores and events across North America, including Interweave YarnFest and Vogue Knitting Live. Her work has appeared in many books and magazines. Kate’s technique classes are a lively mix of discussion, demonstration, and hands-on practice, with individual attention and guidance provided.

Ann Budd

Ann Budd

After rejecting a career as a geologist, Ann Budd turned her focus to her passion, knitting. For over 20 years, she worked as an editor for Interweave Press. Eventually, leaving to become a freelance editor, teacher, and designer. Ann has authored more than a dozen knitting books, including the popular The Knitter’s Handy Book series, Getting Started Knitting Socks, Sock Knitting Master Class, New Directions in Sock Knitting, and many of Interweave’s Style series books. More recently, Ann began her own retreats, aptly called Knit For Fun Retreats. Learn more at Ann’s Blog and in Ann’s Ravelry group Budd’s Buds.

Melissa Kemmerer

Melissa Kemmerer

Knit designer, Melissa Kemmerer is from Upstate New York. She loves to knit sweaters and does not like to sew, a combination brings us in nearly seamless sweater designs. Since 2018, she has been designing for and creating Nomadic Knits magazine along with her best fiber friend, Becky Beagull. Melissa travels the country looking for indie dyers and designers to feature in the pages of Nomadic Knits. She loves to explore the local knitting culture wherever she goes and is ridiculously excited to share her finds with the world.

Retreat Class Offering

Each class is three hours. You will be able to select three different courses as part of your retreat package. You can also add an additional class.

Classes with Kate

Two Socks At Once: The War & Peace Method

Using a variation of double knitting, this class teaches how to work two socks at the same time, one inside the other.
Materials: 4-5mm/US #6-8 needles in your preferred configuration for sock knitting; two colors of medium-weight yarn

Make-or-Break Garment Skills

Discussion and demonstrations to answer garment-knitting FAQs: placing and working shaping (“increase 1 st at each end”), c creating smooth shoulder steps, picking up stitches for necklines and collars, and key finishing tasks like blocking and seaming.  Homework will be emailed separately.

The Pi Shawl

How it works, how to create your own or customize an existing pattern. Techniques for the start, edgings and binding off, blocking. The class provides patterns for two full Pi shawls, 2 half-Pi shawls, and a template for designing one’s own. Students leave with a shawl project underway.
Materials: 1000m-1200m of yarn, DPNs and a 16-inch circular needle to match: for sock/fingering weight, bring 3.75mm/US #5 needles, for DK weight, bring 5mm/US #8 needles; students can bring lace stitch patterns they wish to use or adapt; it’s also helpful to have waste yarn in a heavier weight and DPNs to match, and stitch markers

Classes with Ann

Happy Heels—Explore Three Heel Variations

Because the heels of socks are typically worked on half of the leg stitches, it’s easy to make substitutions. In this class, we’ll explore three types of heel to expand your sock-knitting repertoire.
Experience level: Advanced beginner to expert. Must be comfortable knitting small circumferences in the round.
Materials: About 30 grams (1/3 ball) of worsted-weight wool yarn; size U.S. 7 or 8 (5.5 or 5 mm) double-pointed needles (you may substitute two circular needles or the magic-loop method if you prefer); stitch marker; tapestry needle.

Two-Layer Mittens

Mittens are a necessity in cold climates and high elevations. Learn how to add a luxurious lining to turn ordinary mittens into heavenly hand warmers! We’ll start by knitting the cuff and into the gusset of the outer mitten (if there’s time), then pick up stitches with a contrasting (luxury) yarn and work the lining in the opposite direction. The same technique can be used to line hats, too.
Experience level: Advanced beginner; must be comfortable knitting small circumferences in the round.
Materials: About 20 grams (1/5 of 100-gram ball) worsted-weight yarn and 15 grams (l/3 of 50-gram ball) of soft sportweight yarn (alpaca or alpaca blends are great); U.S. sizes 6 (4 mm) and 2 (2.75 mm) double-pointed needles (you may substitute two circular needles or the magic-loop method if you prefer); smooth cotton waste yarn; size F/5 or G/6 (3.75 or 4.00 mm) crochet hook; stitch markers; waste yarn holder for thumb gusset stitches; tapestry needle.

Fixing Mistakes

Practice fixing common mistakes, including ripping out, picking up dropped stitches (even edge stitches!), reversing the direction of a cable turn, and correcting a snag that breaks the yarn.
Experience level: Advanced beginner; must know how to cast-on, bind-off, knit, purl and turn a cable
Materials: One partial ball of your choice of yarn (tightly twisted worsted-weight wool or wool blend in a solid light recommended); knitting needles in a size appropriate for your yarn; cable needle; crochet hook.
Homework required and will be emailed separately

Classes with Melissa

Beyond the Basics

This class will start with the basic skills of casting on, increasing, decreasing, and binding off. We will explore several cast-on and bind-off techniques, as well as how to choose which ones to use when. A variety of increases and decreases will be taught as we swatch, and you’ll learn which ones are invisible in Garter and Stockinette stitch. At the end, we’ll use the swatches knitted during class to demonstrate how to accurately measure gauge.
Experience level:  Beginner to Intermediate
Materials: At least 50 yards of plied dk or worsted weight yarn in a light color, 10 yards of the same weight yarn in a darker color, at least 3 needles in a range of sizes appropriate for your choice of yarn (for example, US 6 – 8), stitch markers, and a tape measure.

Inside Nomadic Knits

This is a relaxed question and answer forum, where you can learn all about Nomadic Knits magazine and the ladies behind it. Melissa and Becky will describe their journey from idea to creation, and you’ll have the opportunity to ask them anything. They will share blooper photos (there are some really good ones!) and sneak peeks from upcoming issues. Learn about their cocktail inspirations (and fails), and their creative process. We hope to have lots of laughs and make lots of friends in this not-really-a-class class.
Experience level: No experience required
Materials:A current project to work on while we chat and a mug of your favorite beverage (there’s no Prohibition here, we are Pro-whatever you love, so feel free to explore Michigan’s intense craft beer scene prior to class, or mix up a Nomadic Knits cocktail, especially if this is an afternoon session).

Knits that Fit

Using the sweater design from Nomadic Knits Issue 7: Michigan as a starting point, Melissa will explore different ways to customize raglan-style sweaters to fit your measurements and exercise your creativity. Starting with standard industry measurements of 28-60” bust, you will learn how to take proper body measurements. Those measurements will be the basis for not only selecting a proper size to knit but also for making adjustments to the pattern so it will fit your body shape properly. From there, you will learn a myriad of small design elements to add flair and pizazz to your sweaters, making each garment truly your own.
Experience level: Advanced Beginner; Ability to knit in the round, increase/decrease, cast on/bind off. Some experience with sweater knitting recommended.
Materials – Tape measure, dk weight yarn if you would like to cast on the Michigan sweater in class, and a project to knit to keep your hands busy during the class.

The Marketplace

The team at Four Purls has already been hard at work seeking out Michigan makers and wonderful things for the specially curated marketplace! Need help picking out the perfect yarn for a project or deciding exactly what colors to put together? As part of your retreat ticket, you can schedule a 30-minute one-on-one shopping session with Laura, Aspen or Emma. This service is free, just choose it on the form when you register.

Companion Itinerary

Companions welcome!
Kalamazoo is so much fun that your non-knitting companion is going to want to tag along! The Radisson is located in the heart of downtown, walking distance to many things including the awarding-winning library, climb Kalamazoo, and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. We have also arranged transportation to the following activities to keep them entertained while you are in class!

The companion fee of $501 includes a meal ticket, all transportation fees to the excursions, and drink tickets for the special book launch. Note: You are responsible for fees for excursions of your choice.

Friday

Gilmore Car Museum Gilmore Car Museum is North America’s largest car museum is located on a 90-acre historic campus, 30 minutes from downtown Kalamazoo. Visitors can walk a collection of nearly 400 vintage automobiles, motorcycles, and memories (including Rolls-Royce). Transportation leaves the hotel at 9 a.m. and returns at 4 p.m. Lunch and transportation included. $15 entrance fee.

Saturday Morning

Play 9 holes at one of the local courses. Transportation included, greens fees $20-$35, rental clubs are available for an additional $10 fee.

Saturday afternoon

beer samplerTour the second production facility of Bell’s Beer. See where the number one craft beer in America, Two-Hearted Ale, is brewed! Designed to allow visitors a first-hand look at the brewing process, fermentation and packaging, tours also include complimentary samples. Most tours last about an hour.
To reserve a spot please e-mail cindyhallamevents@gmail.com.

Four Day Add-on

You are not going to want the fun to end without seeing the city so we’ve planned a 4-day add-on! Join JD and Laura as they take you to some of their favorite places around the city.

Sunday, July 19

After we say goodbye to our new knitting friends you’ll be free to Discover Kalamazoo! Shop at artist’s galleries and boutiques along the walking mall adjacent to the hotel, make a custom candle at the Kalamazoo candle company, visit a brewery, distillery or wine tasting room.  You will be given a full guide of things to do.

Monday, July 20

Make your own one-of-a-kind yarn creations in a dye workshop with Aspen and Emma of Emma’s Yarn before boarding the luxury West Michigan Brew Bus. Our first stop is awarding winning Green Door Distillery for a tour and tasting. We’ll also have tours and tastings at two other fabulous breweries. Cider, mead and or wine will be available for some of the tastings for those who do not drink beer. Our day will end with an optional group dinner at the Wine Loft restaurant, which is walking distance from the hotel. The cost of dinner is not included in the package.

Tuesday, July 21

Henderson Castle, photo by GeekChristianTake a stroll through downtown and the beautiful Bronson Park on our way to the Kalamazoo Institute of Art. Enjoy a tour of the exhibits with works from African, East Asian, and American artists such as Alexander Calder, Janet Fish, Helen Frankenthaler, Franz Kline, and Andy Warhol. From KIA, we’ll head to Henderson Castle. We will enjoy high tea, an architectural tour, and a wine tasting. We will stay for dinner at the awarding-winning H Prime Chophouse owned by world-famous chef Francois Louis Moyet. The cost of dinner is not included in the package.

Wednesday, July 22

In the morning, we will walk to the Parks Trade building for a paper class at the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center. After class, you can eat lunch on your own at one of the many fabulous eateries in town. We will regroup in the evening for a cooking class at the Chefs table at Zazios located in the Raddison Plaza hotel ( dinner is included).

Flight and transportation

Fly into Kalamazoo (airport code AZO). The hotel shuttle will pick you up at no additional charge.
Or fly into Grand Rapids (airport code GRR). Shuttle service, Uber, or rideshares can be arranged for a fee.

Cost

The following rates cover the following: three 3-hour classes (one with each instructor); a great swag bag; three nights; lodging; three breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners; and a special book release party; all taxes and gratuities.

Basic Package + Single Occupancy: $1,662
security deposit of $554
Basic Package + Double Occupancy: $1,410
security deposit of $470
Commuter Rate (no lodging): $1,179
security deposit of $393

Additional Three-Hour Class (space-available basis): $100
Companion fee (a meal ticket, all transportation fees to the excursions, and drink tickets for the special book launch): $501

Four Day Add-on

Costs for the Add-on for four nights and all of the above excursions.
Single Occupancy: $1,440
security deposit $480
Double Occupancy: $1,149
security deposit $383
Double Occupancy with your companion: $2,298
security deposit $766

Payment Options

Payment may be made in full at time of registration.
Through February 1, 2020, you can use your Paypal Account to make a deposit of 1/3 of your registration total. At payment, you’ll be prompted to log in or create a Paypal account. Subsequent payments of 1/3 the total will be collected monthly for 2 more months, a total of 3 payments.
Contact Cindy at cindyhallamevents@gmail.com if you’d like to make special payment arrangements.

Participant Cancellation Policy

A $150 fee will be charged for cancellations before January 31, 2020.

No refund will be given after February 1, 2020; we will, however, send the fabulous swag bag to you after the event.

Contact

Contact Cindy at cindyhallamevents@gmail.com if you have questions or concerns.

presented by Cindy Hallam Events