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Retreat Highlights

Immerse yourself in the heart of New England’s fiber traditions with the Farm & Fiber Knits Retreat—a rare opportunity to experience every step of the journey from sheep to skein. Over four unforgettable days, you’ll watch skilled shearers at work, meet farmers and their flocks, tour historic mills, and create your own custom yarn. Between hands-on classes with renowned instructors, cozy evenings at the historic Grafton Inn, and farm-to-table meals, you’ll connect deeply with the land, the makers, and the materials that inspire your craft.

Itinerary

Over the course of five days, you’ll enjoy a thoughtfully balanced schedule of fiber-filled adventures, hands-on learning, and time to relax in the beauty of New England. Each day blends unique farm and mill visits with meals and experiences that celebrate Vermont’s rich tradition of craft. We’re continuing to fine-tune the itinerary, so there may be a few small updates.

Sunday, April 19

4 pm: Meet at the Grafton Inn, Grafton, Vermont, our home for the next four nights.
Settle into your room, meet your fellow knitters, and enjoy dinner.

Monday, April 20

Meals: Full breakfast at the Grafton Inn, lunch in historic Harrisville, and dinner back at the Grafton Inn.Today’s highlights:

• Visit a beautiful sheep farm in southern New Hampshire on shearing day, and watch shearer Siri Swanson of Yankee Clippers carefully harvest their wool. Siri will share her expertise as a shepherd, shearer, and yarn producer. Learn about different fleeces and how wool is prepared for the mill. We will purchase wool from the farm for our custom-spun yarn.

• Visit Harrisville Designs to take a private tour of the family-owned woolen spinning mill that carries on the tradition of New England’s rich textile past. Enjoy private shopping in the company’s retail store, which includes yarn, knitting and weaving supplies, and equipment.

• Stroll through the streets of the historic landmark village of Harrisville.

• Visit an alpaca farm to learn about the care of these gentle animals and what makes their fiber so luxurious.

Tuesday, April 21

Meals: Full breakfast at the Grafton Inn, lunch on the way to the afternoon’s activities, and dinner back at the Grafton Inn.
Today’s highlights:

• Visit the Green Mountain Spinnery. Tour the mill’s production floor and learn how small-batch yarns are made. Deliver the fleece purchased at Monday’s shearing for custom processing. Green Mountain Spinnery will work with us to design yarn from the wool we’ve selected from the farm. After we depart, the mill will produce skeins of our very own yarn (we’ll send you several skeins to enjoy at home).

• Visit Wing & A Prayer Farm. This small farm in southwestern Vermont features beloved sheep in a variety of breeds, from small Shetlands to Valais Blacknose (“the world’s cutest sheep”). Learn about Farmer Tam’s unique approach to her flock, meet her charming animals, and explore the bespoke, naturally dyed yarns that she creates in partnership with other trusted shepherds. Then enjoy the farm’s new Apothecary, which offers homemade soaps, a variety of yarns, and other unique fiber gifts.

Wednesday, April 22

Meals: Full breakfast at the Grafton Inn. Lunch in downtown Grafton with the chance to explore the town to see covered bridges, walking trails, and even a cheese making factory. The Grafton Inn will prepare a farewell dinner.Today’s highlights: Morning and afternoon knitting classes. Divide into small groups for knitting workshops. Each student will take both three-hour workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

• Mosaic Knitting with Samantha Guerin: Known for her wearable designs that celebrate unique yarns, Samantha loves designing colorful mosaic knitting accessories. Students will begin by learning about reading a mosaic chart and working a two color I-cord edging. Cast on a project in class and explore this method for creating graphic patterns, and discuss how to select yarns for a mosaic project. Before parting, you’ll discuss binding off and blocking.

• A Shepherd’s Yarn Tasting with Kate Larson: Shepherd, handspinner, knitwear designer, and Farm & Fiber Knits editor Kate Larson has extensive knowledge in the theory and practice of making yarn. Sample a variety of yarns that Kate has selected for you to try, and learn how fiber, twist, grist, and processing combine to create the yarns you love. With a new understanding of the properties of yarn, we will make recommendations for the yarn that Green Mountain Spinnery will make for us!

Thursday, April 23

Meals: Full breakfast at the Grafton Inn
Check out of your room before 11 am.

Instructors

Our instructors bring deep expertise, a love of teaching, and a passion for connecting fiber to the land. You’ll learn from shepherds, designers, and makers who are eager to share their skills and stories.

Samantha Guerin

Samantha Guerin is from Connecticut, where she raises her family and steals every minute she can to knit, spin, or just snuggle some skeins in her stash. Her designs always start with inspiration from a particular yarn: unique hand-dyed yarn from indie entrepreneurs, earthly woollen-spun yarn, and everything in between. With a passion for supporting indie dyers, shepherds, farmers, and small-batch mills, her designs use a range of techniques to bring out the best in every yarn. Some of Samantha’s most popular designs use mosaic knitting, the technique she’ll teach in one of our Wednesday classes, to celebrate special yarns in eye-catching patterns.

Kate Larson

Kate Larson is the editor of Farm & Fiber Knits and a beloved fiber arts teacher with deep knowledge of yarn, knitting, spinning, and all things natural fiber. She loves to help others find their paths as makers and forge deeper connections with the landscapes that produce the wool and cotton, flax and silk that they hold in their hands. As an instructor, she’s known for her sold-out classes in color, yarn design, knitting and bandweaving techniques, and creativity. Kate edited Spin Off from 2018–2025 and remains the magazine’s contributing editor and event director. In one of our classes on Wednesday, Kate will lead us on an exploration of fiber, plies, weight, and other factors that make the perfect yarn for your knitting project—the perfect background for our custom yarn design.

When she’s not traveling to teach or attending photo shoots, Kate lives in Indiana, where she spends as much time as she can in the barn having a chat with her beloved Border Leicester sheep.

Siri Swanson

Siri Swanson is a first-generation shepherd and shearer based in Vermont, where she and her partner care for their flock at Yankee Rock Farm and travel the region as Yankee Clippers Shearing. She started shearing at 17 and learned the craft through hands-on experience and mentorship. She now works New England and beyond, shearing thousands of sheep each year and promoting the benefits of wool. On her own farm, Siri raises commercial Cheviot sheep, managing them with a holistic approach to the health of both the flock and the land. At the retreat, Siri will share what she’s learned about shearing as a skill that serves both animals and fiber—and she’ll show how skilled shearing can set the stage for beautiful yarn.

Thanks to our partners:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where will we be staying?
We will be staying at the Grafton Inn, located at 92 Main Street, Grafton, Vermont, 05146. Complimentary parking is available to guests.


What skill level is required?
Monday and Tuesday activities do not require knitting experience. For classes on Wednesday, students should have basic skills such as knitting, purling, basic cast-ons and bind-offs, slipping stitches, and seaming. Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions.


Will this event be accessible for people with disabilities?
This event includes visits to farms, working mills, and historic sites, with transportation provided by bus. These sites may involve steps, uneven terrain, and extended periods of standing. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your specific concerns, as some portions of the event may be challenging. The Grafton Inn does offer some ADA-compliant rooms.


Can my spouse/companion attend?
Spouses/companions must be pre-approved by Long Thread Media before the event to ensure we can accommodate them for meals and lodging, and additional charges will apply. Spouses/companions may not attend classes or activities. Attendees who have approved guests joining them should choose a private ticket type.


I have specific food requirements/restrictions. Can you accommodate me?
We strive to accommodate dietary needs at every meal, provided that you let us know in advance. Please note that some lunches will take place away from the hotel and may have limited options. If you have specific concerns, please contact us at [email protected] so we can do our best to help you prepare. We will send a pre-event survey to capture dietary requirements.


Can I stay at home and commute to the event?
Because the Farm & Fiber Knits Retreat is intended to be an immersive experience, we do not offer tickets without lodging and meals.


What if I need to cancel my reservation?
You may cancel your registration for any reason up to 90 days before the event (January 19, 2026) for a refund. (We charge a 10% processing fee to cover our transaction costs, so you will receive 90% of your payment as a refund.)


What should I pack?
We recommend packing comfortable clothing suitable for outdoor activities. As we will be visiting farms, please bring attire and footwear that you don’t mind getting dirty. April weather in Vermont is unpredictable, so we suggest preparing for both rain and sunshine by bringing layers, a waterproof jacket, and sturdy shoes. We will contact you closer to the event about any knitting notions needed for classes.

Contact Us

Class SuppliesOnce your schedule is confirmed, visit the Classes page for a list of items to bring to class. If any other preparation is required for a class that you’ve selected, you will receive a separate email.

Sunday Check-InSOAR check-in will begin at 4 pm at the Embassy Suites in Loveland, Colorado, on October 12. The hotel's address is 4705 Clydesdale Pkwy, Loveland, CO 80538.The closest major airport is Denver International Airport, which is about a 50-minute drive from Loveland. There are rental car facilities at the airport, Uber and Lyft pickup points, and Groome Transportation offers a shuttle service to and from Northern Colorado from the airport.

HotelAll hotel accommodations are included in your SOAR ticket. We will be staying at the Embassy Suites in Loveland for the entire event. The SOAR team will provide the hotel with the final rooming list. If you plan to arrive early or stay late, you will need to contact the hotel directly and reserve any extra night(s). If for any reason you need to cancel your SOAR ticket, pease contact the SOAR team directly. We ask that you do not call the hotel and cancel your room as it can cause confusion.If you plan on bringing a partner or spouse, please inform SOAR staff ahead of time so we can add their name to the room. There is no charge to add your partner or spouse to your private room. However, any guests who are not paid attendees will need to purchase a meal ticket to participate in meals included in the SOAR program

ParkingThe Embassy Suites in Loveland has paid parking, however we have been provided with a code for complimentary parking for all attendees. That code is listed below:ESLNP

CommunicationThe primary means of communication for SOAR will be emails from [email protected]. We recommend adding this email address to your contacts to ensure that our emails do not end up in your junk or spam folder. These emails are sent through the same platform as all Long Thread Media newsletters, so we ask that you do not mark any emails from Handwoven, Little Looms, Spin Off, Farm & Fiber Knits, or PieceWork as spam. Please reach out to [email protected] at any time if you have a question that isn't answered here.