I’ve been crocheting practically my entire life but I’ve only been knitting consistently for the past six months. Last year at this time, my friend Fi hosted her first knitting retreat. I considered going but because I didn’t knit, I didn’t think it would prove very interesting. A short 12 months later, I was graciously invited to join my friends Fi and Andrea (she’s Big A and I’m little A) for the second annual Pines & Needles Knit Retreat.
Two weeks before the retreat, I received an email entitled “Knit-a-square for Africa at Pines and Needles.” Fi wanted to do a yarn bomb at the retreat (street art that uses knitting or crocheted items) but didn’t want to waste perfectly good yarn. Instead, she asked the participants to bring along a square for KAS with the hopes of collecting enough squares for a blanket. She included all of the instructions so the squares would be made properly. I was so touched that she would choose a cause I feel passionate about.
The retreat was from a Friday night to a Sunday afternoon at a beautiful, old hotel north of where I live. The food was amazing, I was away from my family for the first time since having children and I learned how to use a drop spindle, but the most exciting thing that happened was being deluged with squares. Not only did the generous knitters at the retreat make enough squares for one blanket, they made enough squares for almost FOUR blankets! I collected 131 squares from 35 people.
Below are the squares laid out into blankets so we could show everyone what they would look like. I contributed some of my extra squares to make up the difference. Way to go, Pines & Needles knitters!
Andrea Squared 
Well done everyone involved with the retreat – 4 blankets! Hope you ‘boys’ survived without your attention, and, that the house was still in good shape when you returned.
Special thanks from all at Knit-a-Square to Pines & Needles Knit Retreat knitters & crocheters!
That’s great Andrea! Sounds like a fun weekend and what a huge donation of squares from the retreat participants 🙂 Great to see enough squares for 4 new blankets was achieved!
What a great idea! I go on Buddhist retreats, and people often knit. I might have a go at getting them to knit squares.
Those are lovely blankets Andrea. I really like the idea of a retreat….just to have time to crochet and not have to go do something else every 30 minutes!
What a lovely ending to your weekend away Andrea. Not only did you to have a good time yourself but it resulted in more blankets for those needy children.