Life after the retreat

Good evening, and happy Sunday!

This past weekend’s Men’s Knitting Retreat was the best yet. At least I think it was, and during our feedback session at the end of the retreat, I heard similar sentiments from some of the retreat regulars. It was a perfect combination of great weather, a great venue, but most of all, great guys.

On Thursday afternoon, the very first day of the retreat, and before it had even officially started, most of the guys had already arrived and had gathered in the main room of the lodge. We had a great mix of retreat veterans including some who were new to this retreat, as well as a few who had never been to any men’s knitting retreat before.

At past retreats we have done “ice breaker” games to help the group get to know each other but those have been less and less necessary with each retreat, and there was certainly no need for them at all this time. These guys take the spirit of these retreats to heart and needed no help breaking the ice with each other. The welcoming, bonding, and camaraderie happened organically and almost instantly and only grew throughout the weekend.

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This retreat was exactly what I needed and at exactly the right time. I know it had only been a few months since the spring retreat, but the summer was so busy and I did little knitting and no spinning. I won’t lie, the busy summer started with Jade’s arrival in June, and she became the focus of pretty much everything. Mostly because her energy level and need for activities and socialization demanded our focus. Without it, and if left to find her own entertainment, would most certainly have resulted in trouble.

This past week since the fall retreat has been just as hectic as the entire summer. Vehicle issues, house issues, work, and major dental work for Monticello, one of our IG boys, have taken all of my time and attention. Not to mention Jade. I am finally settling in this evening to watch TV, wait for laundry, and continue knitting the sock I started during the retreat.

The yarn is from Dragonfly Fibers and the colorway is called Firecracker. I ordered it with s black/gray variegated with the intention of using them together but I have since changed my mind. I think I found something better in my stash to go with that yarn, and I love how these socks are going to look.

That’s all for tonight. Have a great week!