WEBS Fall Knitting Retreat September 23rd - September 26th, 2021

WEBS Knitting Retreat is a weekend of

fiber, friends, food and foliage! We’ll be

welcoming knitters to the beautiful Pioneer

Valley of western Massachusetts for a

weekend of classes, late-night knitting,

after-hours shopping sprees, and more. If

you’ve been waiting to make a pilgrimage

to America’s biggest yarn store, now’s the

time to make your move!

What’s Included?

Lodging at the UMass Hotel and

Conference Center

All of your meals from the Thursday Night

Welcome Dinner through Sunday Brunch with

Keynote Speaker, Norah Gaughan

Late-night knitting get-togethers with snacks,

desserts, and cocktails, plenty of time to meet up

with friends or make new knitting buddies, and

lots of yarn to see, feel, and buy!

Two days of classes on Friday and Saturday with

some of the most talented knitting instructors

Transportation to WEBS for an exclusive

After-Hours Shopping Spree with

Steve and Kathy Elkins on Saturday evening.

Plenty of fun surprises throughout the retreat!

Instructors

We have some of the most

talented instructors sharing their

expertise this weekend!

Alasdair Post-Quinn

Carson Demers

Nina Machlin Dayton

Laura Bryant

Amy Snell

(Team Teaching) Shaina Bilow &

Keith Leonard

Hotel UMass

Enjoy cozy comfort and deluxe

accommodations at Hotel

UMass, our home base for the

weekend. Fabulous, fresh

meals and snacks, nooks for

knitting and a ‘late-night

lounge’ with desserts, drinks,

and a chance to knit and talk

knitting with those who

understand your fiber passion.

Shopping, Sponsors, and Swag

On Saturday night, you’ll enjoy a shopping

spree! You’ll have 2 super-special shopping

Sherpas: Steve and Kathy Elkins of WEBS!

The icing on the cake is that whatever you

buy, you will get FREE SHIPPING!

And in case you can’t make a decision on

Saturday evening, the store will be open to

shoppers on Sunday, and again,

FREE SHIPPING!

Our sponsors will make your weekend as

unique and luxurious as possible starting

with giveaways and sumptuous swag bags.

They will also be on hand Saturday night at

WEBS with trunk shows, reps and designers

ready to show you their most popular yarns

and garments.

Teacher Bios

Alasdair Post-Quinn

Alasdair is a computer technician in the Boston area that spends much of his spare time as a knitwear designer. He is among those on the forefront of innovation in double-knitting. His books, entitled Extreme Double-Knitting and Double or Nothing, document snapshots of his repertoire of esoteric double-knitting techniques (as well as being guides for beginning double-knitters), but he is continuing to develop techniques and apply them to new designs. In addition to designing patterns, he also teaches workshops for all levels of double-knitting experience.

Laura Bryant

Laura Bryant is a fine artist who founded Prism Arts in 1984, specializing in hand-dyed yarns and unique designs. She received a BFA from the University of Michigan concentrating in color and textiles in 1978. She has authored six books on knitting, writes and designs extensively for magazines such as Vogue Knitting, and can be seen on Knitting Daily as a frequent guest (now in re-runs only). She is well known for her energetic teaching of color and design and teaches regularly at national and regional retreats, both in-person and virtually.

Shaina Bilow

Shaina is a passionate knitting instructor and knitwear designer from Northern New Jersey. Her design aesthetic is modern and bold with a nod to classic knitwear with a feminine edge. Her patterns can be found in knitting magazines, as yarn company exclusives, and in her self-published collection. In a class with Shaina, you can expect a patient instructor, inspiring projects, simplification of tricky techniques, and happy knitting. Visit www.ShainaBilow.com to learn more about Shaina and follow her @Shaina.Bilow on Instagram.

Keith Leonard

Keith gained a love for knitting at the age of eleven when he joined a lunchtime knitting program at school in his hometown of Haworth, New Jersey. After working at four major knitting stores in Upstate New York, New Jersey, and New York City, he realized there was no specialized service for knitwear finishing. He took the initiative to start his own business, called Knits All Done, a service for knitters to outsource their knitted items for professional finishing. Keith’s expertise in finishing and knitting then led to requests from yarn shops and knitting guilds to teach his techniques. He now travels the country teaching classes while also selling his own custom Zen Yarn Garden, Three Irish Girls, Malabrigo and Koigu yarns and colors. He is also the American distributor for Soulwool, a hand-dyed Merino yarn from Israel.

Teacher Bios

Carson Demers

Carson is a physical therapist, and the author and publisher of, Knitting Comfortably: The Ergonomics of Handknitting. His passion and experience in fiber arts combine with his expertise in physical therapy and ergonomics to create a unique skill set that he eagerly shares with the fiber community He has taught throughout the US and internationally and is a frequent contributor to several fiber and craft related publications. Visit him online at www.ergoiknit.com.

Nina Machlin Dayton

Nina Machlin Dayton has been knitting and designing, and teaching knitting and design, for over 45 years. Her first professional knitting job was back in the 1980’s when she did hand knitting for couturier designer Joan Vass, and she has never looked back. She is a season 6 Knit Star and leads the team that created and runs the annual Indie Design Gift-A-Long on Ravelry. A native New Yorker, she now lives in the beautiful Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts, with her family and cats, in an old Victorian house stuffed to the rafters with books, yarn, and all things vintage knitting, crochet, dressmaking, and millinery. You can learn more about Nina’s designs at: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/nina-machlin-dayton or follow her on Instragram @ninamachlindayton

Amy Snell

Amy Snell is an instructor and designer with an eye for the unusual or unusually captivating. Her aesthetic focuses on color, contrast, and texture. She loves to explore unusual stitch patterns and clever construction in ways that are challenging but accessible. Her goal is to make complex concepts accessible and approachable for all knitters, while sharing tips that simplify and improve your process, whether you’ve been knitting for several months or several decades! You can find her designs at Morehouse Farm, Lovecrafts, Ravelry and her website.

Keynote Speaker

Norah Gaughan! Norah will preview the Winter issue of Vogue Knitting including behind

the scenes stories, bring fall and winter samples to try on and talk

about the upcoming issues

planned for 2022.

Classes

Alasdair Post-Quinn

Introduction to Double-knitting: In this workshop,

you'll learn my 2-color cast-on for double-knitting, get

comfortable with the techniques involved, then move

into colorwork. At the end of the workshop, you

should have a motif swatch and be confident that you

can tackle a larger standard double-knitting pattern.

Two-Pattern Double-knitting: In this workshop

you’ll learn how to build, follow, and knit a two-

pattern double-knit chart so that you can make letters

readable on either side – or even make two

completely different patterns. You’ll gain a deeper

understanding of the structure of double-knit fabric

and learn the possibilities (and limitations) of two-

pattern double-knitting, along with a very clean

double-knit selvedge and a bind-off that mirrors the

cast-on.

Double-knitting Off The Grid: In this workshop,

you’ll learn a whole host of double-knit increases and

decreases – you can use them for shaping later, but I

prefer to use them to make colorwork that almost

seems to be embroidered onto the fabric. If you

combine this technique with double-knit cables, whole

new worlds will open up before you. As with the other

advanced workshops, you’ll also learn a really clean

double-knit selvedge and a bind-off that mirrors the

cast-on.

Texture in Double-knitting: Add some intrigue with

double-knit textures! Add purls to your reversible

repertoire to expand the possibilities available to you.

In a small swatch, you'll learn a few interesting ways

to add texture to your double-knitting, and the pros

and cons of each. As with most of my other

workshops, you’ll also learn a really clean double-knit

selvedge and a bind-off that mirrors the cast-on.

Keith Leonard and Shaina Bilow (Team Teaching)

Cast On and Bind Off with Shaina and Keith : Shaina

and Keith will guide you through a collection of useful

cast on and bind of techniques. You will cast on with

Keith, knit a few rows, and bind off with Shaina. You

will learn when and why to use certain techniques

over others, plus great tips for the cast ons and bind

offs you are already familiar with.

Increase and Decrease with Shaina and Keith:

Learn the ins and outs of decreasing and increasing in

one wildly fun class with two fantastic instructors.

Learn how to mirror decreases, work alternate

increases when your pattern calls for one you don’t

like, and get expert tips on reading shaping

instructions in your patterns

Sweater Seaming with the Finishing Masters: Join

Shaina and Keith on a Sweater Seaming adventure!

Hundreds of sweaters have passed through the hands

of your instructors. Together, we will cover the three

types of seams you will encounter in every finishing

project and practice weaving in ends. You’ll leave class

ready to seam like a pro!

Crochet for Knitters: If you have always been

interested in learning how to crochet, this is a great

introductory (or refresher!) class. Keith and

Shaina will be going over how to chain, single, half

double, double and triple crochet! Crochet borders

and embellishments can enhance your knitted

projects and we will be working on those, too!

You will LOVE it!

Carson Demers

Swatchbuckling (all-day): Let’s bring improved

ergonomics to life in your knitting technique. We’ll

swatch to improve your posture, comfort, and

efficiency. We’ll examine yarn tensioning techniques,

and all phases of stitch creation first with simple then

more challenging swatches and stitches. We’ll also

look at ways to add movement to knitting to avoid

stiffness and injuries caused by disuse. Class is

appropriate for students who are comfortable with

basic knit purl stitches.

Knitting Happily Ever After – Ergonomics for

Knitters (all-day): Ever know a knitter who hasn’t

said, “Just one more row”? Me neither! I’ll bet they’ve

also complained of aches and pains while knitting. In

this class, you’ll learn how knitting effects the “fabric

that makes the fabric”- your body. By completing a

Risk of Injury assessment in class you’ll learn how

knitting contributes to those aches and pains

throughout your body. But more importantly, you’ll

learn how to reduce them. A little knowledge and

some simple changes can keep you knitting happily

and safely ever after. Students who’ve taken this class

have said that it should be “required learning for all

knitters regardless of experience level!” and, “it’s as

important as the knit and purl stitches!”

Classes

Laura Bryant

Pump it Up! Color Selection for Visual Impact: Using

the color wheel as a starting point, learn how to select

colors that enhance one another rather than compete.

Learn about saturation, value, intensity, and hue;

qualities that must be considered and that can make or

break your color combinations. With such a huge array

of lovely patterns featuring multiple colors, this class

can break you out of defaulting to the model color!

Fibonacci for Graphic Effects: Fibonacci numbers

describe a mathematical sequence that occurs

repeatedly in nature, known as the Golden Ratio.

Humans find this relationship particularly pleasing to

the eye, and artists, builders, and designers have used

the Ratio throughout civilization. Learn the history of

and explore this fascinating tool for designing knitted

stripes, blocks and perfect shading. Lots of hands-on

swatching.

Creating with Chevrons: Master the basics of how

chevron stitches are created, then explore ways to take

them beyond the ordinary. Laura will lead you through

three methods of increasing and three methods of

decreasing, where you will learn how they present

differently, and how different pairings affect the final

fabric. We’ll discuss gauge, design application and color

selection. Your hand-on swatch will be a permanent

record of how each type of chevron appears, so future

project application will be a snap.

Reversible Fabric & Garments: Not double knitting!

Join Laura in exploring truly double-sided fabrics in a

variety of stitches, with an emphasis on two sides that

read very differently. Not brioche, and not double

knitting; there are a few other ways to get similar

results. To ice the cake, we’ll then look at finishing

techniques that allow a garment to be truly reversible,

with no raw seams or pick-up ridges showing.

Nina Machlin Dayton

Design Your Own Hats (All-Day): Together we will design

hats, learning about all aspects of 15 different hat

constructions plus unique alternatives. We will study

different types of brims, learn about different types of

crown decreases (and the math formulas that help create

them), learn how to figure out gauge for hard to measure

patterns, and even touch briefly on how to size our hats

into different sizes in order to make them fit whomever we

want to make them for. Appropriate for those looking to

design knit hats professionally as well as for those just

wanting to design hats for themselves, their friends and

family students will walk out of the class with the

information, techniques and formulas needed to bring all

their hat ideas to fruition, and at least one hat completely

designed on paper and started, plus an understanding of

how to make many more! Students taking this class should

have should be at least Advanced Beginner knitters, with

some experience having knit hats. This is not a class to

learn how to knit your first hat.

Bead Your Knitting: We will learn 4 ways to add beads to

our knitting while knitting a beaded cowl designed

exclusively for this class. We’ll go over the sizes beads come

in, and which yarn weights are appropriate for each size,

learn a Beaded Cast On, 3 ways to add beads to your knit

stitches, and a Beaded Bind Off. You will leave class well on

your way to having a beautiful beaded cowl, and with the

skills to add beads to any knitting project!

Level Up! 5 Intermediate Techniques for Sweater

Knitting : Together we will learn 5 techniques to kick your

sweater knitting up a notch. Nina will cover afterthought

pockets, a sloped shoulder bind off to avoid those stairsteps

that make shoulder seams look less than perfect, turned

hems (both plain and picot) that can be used in so many

places, how to pick up stitches for collars and button bands

so they are reversable without the line of your picked up

stitches showing on the wrong side, and a perfect one-row

buttonhole that holds its shape and won’t stretch out.

Amy Snell

The Magic of Mosaic: Learn to make striking color

patterns in your knitting while working only one color per

row. Mosaic knitting is incredibly popular right now, and

with good reason. It is simple to learn, but once you’ve

mastered the concept, the possibilities for play are

limitless. We’ll cover mosaic knitting both flat and in the

round, and discuss yarn management and color planning.

You’ll leave this class with the skills and inspiration to

tackle any mosaic pattern.

More Mosaic: Exploring Charts and Combined Stitches:

In this class you’ll gain the knowledge to forge confidently

ahead in mosaic knitting! We will unlock the differences

between mosaic charts and other knitting charts; you’ll

learn how to combine stitch patterning into your mosaic

work; and you’ll gain an understanding of the rules of

mosaic design so that you can experiment and design your

own mosaic motifs.

Smooth Sailing: Jogless Stripes in the Round: Do you get

annoyed by the “jog” at the start of each new color when

you knit stripes in the round? In this class, we’ll practice

several different ways to avoid this jog and discuss the

pros and cons of each technique. You’ll also learn

techniques that are applicable to any project worked in the

round, including how to join without twisting and how to

make a smooth, invisible join in your cast-ons and bind-

offs.

Log Cabin Knitting : The concept of Log Cabin knitting is

straightforward — modular knitting that can grow in all

directions — but the execution can range from the simple

to the complex. Learn the basics of Log Cabining, including

different ways to pick up stitches for varying edge effects,

then use the basic building blocks to jump off into fun

constructions that are limited only by your imagination.

Class Schedule

Friday AM: 9:00am-12:00pm

Fibonacci for Graphic Effects Laura Bryant

Swatchbuckling (all day) Carson Demers

Intro to Double Knitting Alasdair Post-Quinn

Design Your Own Hat (all day) Nina Machlin Dayton

Cast On/Bind Off Keith L. and Shaina B.

Magic of Mosaic Amy Snell

Friday PM: 1:30pm-4:30pm

Reversible Fabric and Garments Laura Bryant

Swatchbuckling (cont.) Carson Demers

Two Pattern Double Knitting Alasdair Post-Quinn

Design Your Own Hat (cont.) Nina Machlin Dayton

Increase/Decrease Keith L. and Shaina B.

More Mosaic Amy Snell

Saturday AM: 9:00am-12:00pm

Creating with Chevrons Laura Bryant

Knitting Happily Ever After (all day) Carson Demers

Double Knitting Off the Grid Alasdair Post-Quinn

Level Up Your Sweater Knitting Nina Machlin Dayton

Sweater Seaming Keith L. and Shaina B.

Smooth Sailing - Jogless Stripes Amy Snell

Saturday PM: 1:30pm-4:30pm

Pump It Up! Laura Bryant

Knitting Happily Ever After (cont.) Carson Demers

Texture in Double Knitting Alasdair Post-Quinn

Bead Your Knitting Nina Machlin Dayton

Crochet for Knitters Keith L. and Shaina B.

Log Cabin Knitting Amy Snell

Retreat Schedule

Thursday, September 23rd Check in at UMass hotel and Retreat Registration before 5pm.

6:00pm: Welcome Dinner hosted by Valley Yarns and Steve and Kathy Elkins

8:00pm-9:30pm: Late-night knitting and socializing with cash bar in the late night lounge

Friday, September 24th 8:00am: Breakfast

9:00am–Noon: Morning classes

12:15pm –1:15pm: Lunch with sponsor presentation

1:30pm–4:30pm: Afternoon classes

6:00pm: Dinner with cash bar and sponsor presentation

8:00pm-9:30pm: Late-night knitting and socializing with

cash bar in the late night lounge

Saturday, September 25th

8:00am: Breakfast

9:00am – Noon: Morning Classes

12:15pm – 1:15pm: Lunch with sponsor presentation

1:30pm – 4:30pm: Afternoon classes

4:30pm – 6:00pm: Boxed Dinner

WEBS Shopping Spree with Steve and Kathy Elkins,

featuring trunk shows, special deals and

FREE SHIPPING for purchases.

9:00pm:-10:30pm Lounge area set up with snacks and

cash bar for knitting, socializing, and show and tell.

Sunday, September 26th 9:30am: Brunch with Keynote Speaker Norah Gaughan

11:00am: Check out of hotel.

WEBS will be open from 11:00am until 1:00pm for last minute shoppers!

Make sure you leave extra time before you travel home on Sunday to explore the beautiful downtown

Northampton area. Have a late lunch, browse our many clothing boutiques and local artisan galleries, and leave

with wonderful memories, new friends made, and a resolve to join us for our WEBS Knitting Retreats in 2022!

Retreat Prices

Single Room Package: $1,599

Double (shared) Room Package: $1,409

*Pricing includes food, lodging, and classes*