Find out what a week-long knitting retreat is like, with our guest posts by Olivia Gordon who is reporting live from Le Vieux Monastère. Sponsored by the Yarn Barn, the event is packed with workshops taught by Sasha Kagan and Tracy Chapman.

I’m 24 hours into the French Treats knitting holiday, where around 20 avid knitters – from as far afield as San Diego, Sweden and, of course, the UK – have converged on Le Vieux Monastère, a beautiful and remote stone house with gîtes. Set among rolling cornfields near La Rochelle, in south west France, this is the stunning place where we’re looking forward to soaking up the wisdom of knitting designers Sasha Kagan and Rowan design consultant, Tracy Chapman.

Last night, we all got to know one another over vin blanc and a delicious boeuf bourguignon cooked by Christine Dove, who runs Le Vieux Monastère with her husband Graham. Many of the ladies had their needles and projects out well in advance even of the first class of the week this morning, on Sasha’s weaving-in intarsia technique.


Choosing colours.

We had access to a wealth of yarns in a rainbow of colours, and we each drew up our own nature-inspired motif on graph paper – I opted for a bright yellow dandelion head on a grassy green background – and then set about knitting it up, which was wonderfully empowering.

This year, we’re all going to try to piece together the practice squares we’re doing in sessions to make a cushion cover or bag body. Sasha showed us her beautiful one, adding ‘this is just something I put together on the plane’.


Start with graph paper when designing intarsia.

Sasha taught us some advanced weaving techniques, and I quickly realised I am the dunce of the class: my coursemates are truly expert and lifelong knitters one and all, and have as many as 60 years’ solid knitting experience on me! Although not a total beginnerm I struggled to keep up but I have already learned from Sasha how to hold my needles to work faster, and I’m looking forward to the‘knit and natter’ session after dinner this evening when my helpful teachers have promised to help me get my head around my intarsia project.

This afternoon we all went to soak up more aesthetic inspiration from the beautiful nearby 17th century country manor, Chateau de la Roche Courbon and its gardens. I was impressed by the dedication of my coursemate Nicky from Leamington Spa, who sat down and crocheted cotton by the edge of the Chateau’s elegant lake.


Chateau de la Roche Courbon, with Nicky crocheting

Just as you change your clothes to suit the season, you'll probably want to change your knitting style too. Here are our 10 top tips for successful summer knitting.

1. Choose the right fibre
While the Great British Summer kindly allows us plenty of days when a lap full of wool is comforting rather than stifling, if you're going abroad or enjoying a sunny spell, you'll probably want to choose a different fibre – and not just because cotton, linen, soya, bamboo and the like are cooler on the hands.

Pure wool is famous for its tendency to felt when subject to heat, water and friction, so if your hands start to sweat while you're knitting, you may find your yarn isn't quite as fluffy as it started out! Stick to machine washable fibres for really hot days. Rubbing surgical spirit on your palms can help reduce sweating without leaving a residue on your knitting.

2. Knit in public
Take your knitting outside so you can enjoy the sunshine and your favourite hobby at the same time. Keep your projects simple and easy to tidy away so that you can chat with a friend while you knit and easily move on to the next activity – or run inside when the rain starts!

3. Make the most of rainy days
You'll probably have a rough idea of how long it takes you to finish a cardigan or a pair of socks, so if there's a project you'd really like to wear this winter, why not take advantage of gloomy, rainy days to cast it on?

4. Check your stash
All this sun is great for plants and people, but can fade yarn! Make sure your stash isn't stored in direct sunlight.

5. Knit for yourself
The big winter holidays are ages away, so take the opportunity to knit something purely for yourself.

6. Knit lace
Take advantage of the excellent natural light and knit a complex project which requires careful chart reading and deep concentration. Sit in the shade on a really sunny day to avoid the glare.

7. Try something new
Many summer yarns are made from unusual plant fibres like soy, corn or pine branches, so this is a great time to try a new yarn – or to break out of your sensible-cardigan rut and cast on a sparkly summer top!

8. Small projects are ideal
Socks, baby garments and toys are great summer projects: clear light makes it easy to see fine stitches, you can tuck the whole lot in your bag and they're quick to finish, which is a great boost when the dog days of August slow you down.

If you're not sure what to cast on next, why not have a look at your gift list and see if there are any small items you could get ahead on – even if there's nothing specific, it's always useful to have a few spare pairs of baby socks or a pair of mittens ready in your gift drawer.

9. Care for your knits
It's ideal drying weather for delicate items which need to be hand washed. It's also a good time to make sure your winter knits are stored well, away from insects and damp.

10. Take care of yourself
Last and most important of all, don't forget to take care of yourself while you're enjoying the warm weather. Suncream, shade and plenty of cool drinks are a must – sunburn or sunstroke will put a real crimp in your knitting time!