Statement from Jennie and Zoë regarding our current plans for the Stratford Retreat in June and the COVID-19 pandemic.

As things stand, we have no plans to cancel the retreat and we would only do so on government advice. We are a relatively small group of fewer than fifty people and therefore less likely to be affected by mandatory limits on public gatherings.

We will be monitoring all updates from central government and Public Health England/Wales and will keep you informed about any changes that would affect the retreat.

Clearly the hotel management will also play a role in determining if we are able to continue and we will be liaising with them to make sure that we are aware of their current policies.

Hopefully you will all have purchased travel insurance (as recommended in the terms and conditions!). Please check to see whether this would cover you for any expenses which you have already incurred.

We hope that you have enough stash to get you through any periods of self-isolation, and that you stay healthy! Don’t forget to wash your hands (and needles!).

And another retreat is over! Once more we had a fabulous weekend. The weather was kind to us, drying up just in time for everyone to be able to move a couple of tables outside and enjoy the warm Welsh autumn sun. Our attendees were all really friendly and a joy to be around, and both of us thoroughly enjoyed meeting old friends and making new ones.

Zoë recorded her traditional vlog, which I’ve embedded into this blog post. You’ll also find it on our YouTube channel and Zoe’s Pins and Needles Podcast YouTube channel. Also, lots of pictures were posted (both by us and by our attendees) on Instagram, so pop over there and have a look. Good hashtags to search are #theknittearetreat and #knittearetreat. We also had a mention in a few vlogs and podcasts, including Yarn ‘n’ Yarns, East London Knits and Calon Yarns.

And the fun doesn’t stop here! We’re already diving headlong into planning the 2020 retreats. We will be returning to both Stratford-upon-Avon and Cardiff, and we have some fabulous things lined up for you!

Tickets for Stratford-upon-Avon (June 13-15 2020) will go on sale next Saturday, 9th November at midday for those of you who are signed up to our mailing list. Any remaining tickets will be made available to the public on Sunday 10th November at midday, via this website. We will be uploading information about the June retreat over the coming days to its designated page on this site, but also to Instagram. We have planned a fabulous Saturday evening event and we’re excited to tell you more about that over the coming days!

Cardiff 2020 (23-25 October) will go on sale in the new year. We are thrilled with our line up of tutors and can’t wait to tell you about them! Once more, priority will be given to our newsletter subscribers, so if you haven’t already signed up, do it now!

Here’s our final podcast before the inaugural Cardiff Knit-Tea Retreat! We’re getting pretty excited!

Find us @theknittearetreat on IG / FB / Ravelry / Twitter
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Friday 19th October evening get together
Beverley Hotel & Inkeepers Lodge, 75-77 Cathedral Road, CF11 9PG
https://www.thebeverleyhotelcardiff.c…
Jennie & I will be there from 6-9.30pm or later, and will be eating. Come and go as you please! We have reserved 2 areas at the back of the pub. Check website for menu and details of allergies etc. Parking is tight round there so car share, walk or catch a taxi / bus if you can. There’s a thread in the Ravelry group for this meet-up so head over there to sort details and chat.

Saturday 20th evening event
We’ll be staying at Insole Court for the Saturday night shenanigans. We will provide lots of take-away menus for you to order from. Please try and remember to bring cash as you will be ordering and sorting out payments yourselves. There’s a thread in the Ravelry Group.

Sunday 21st October evening get together
Toby Carvery, 21 Tyn-y-Parc Road, CF14 6BH. Attached to the Travelodge in Whitchurch.
https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/restaur…
Table is booked for 20 from 7.30pm, we have about 5 spare seats so far, but we can book more if needed. Jennie and I will be there asap after tidying up at Insole Court. There’s a thread in the group for this as well. Plenty of parking on site.

Lunches at the Retreat
Feel free to bring your own, but you won’t be able to put anything in a fridge.
We’ve arranged for the on-site cafe, The Potting Shed, to offer lunches. Please see the menu options in the thread in the Ravelry group for details. You can order off the main menu as well but may have to wait longer. You can pre-order with us in the morning and pay on pick up.

General Info
Please arrive promptly at 9am on Saturday and Sunday – there’s some admin to get through like name badges and getting cups of tea!
Don’t forget to bring:
pen and paper
yarn / needles / notions / swatches for workshops
contributions to Bring & Take Table
Finished objects from our KAL’s for extra door prize tickets
lunch if not ordering it
water bottle and travel mug to save on waste
cash and cards