Knitting in Tuscany

I just returned from an incredible week knitting in Tuscany where I was teaching on a private knitting tour. The theme of our knitting week was “Sweater Weather” and, in addition to designing custom sweaters for each of the knitters, I taught six workshops centered around sweater knitting:

Tips and tricks, sweater finishing, sweater shaping with short rows, and more!  

We visited a natural-dye fiber dyeing mill, "tasted" yarns at the Lana Gatto offices, toured a recycled yarn mill, got to learn about balsamic vinegar production, and watched artisans at work in Florence.

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Before the retreat, I worked with each knitter via email to select a sweater design and discuss yarn options. On our first day in the villa together, I measured their gauge swatches and took their measurements to create a one-of-a-kind sweater design to their specifications. Here are some of the sweater fronts that the knitters made during our week:

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It was a phenomenal week and I'm inspired to repeat the courses on another “Sweater Weather” retreat. Where would you love to travel to do something like that? Let me know in the comments below!