A wooden sideboard with knitting supplies, yarn, and crafted dolls on top, located in a well-lit room with beige walls and a window.
Friday 4th December Retreat Weekend
from £175.00

Expect a warm welcome, a relaxed atmosphere and plenty of time to enjoy crafts you love. During your stay, you can take part in a changing programme of workshops and activities, share ideas with fellow makers or simply settle into a cosy corner with your knitting or crochet. With comfortable accommodation, delicious food and no pressure to follow a fixed schedule, the weekend is yours to enjoy at your own pace.

Friday 4th December

Arrival - Friday 4th December at 2pm

Departure - Sunday 6th December before 3pm

Ability Level - All Abilities

Accommodation - Two Rooms - Room 1: Double & Single Bed / Room 2: Double Bed

What To Expect

  • Try something new, nurture your creativity, and make a piece you’ll love long after the retreat ends, all from the comfort of our welcoming workshop room with its cosy wood burner! A full itinerary will be emailed to you two weeks before your arrival.

  • We have two welcoming guest rooms: a spacious ground-floor room with a double and single bed plus en-suite, and a cosy upstairs double room with a private bathroom next door. Each room can accommodate single or double occupancy.

  • While our menus change with the seasons, your daily dining schedule will remain the same, with breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner served throughout your stay. A full menu and itinerary will be emailed to you two weeks prior to your retreat.

  • A little bag of woolly supplies and treats to make your retreat extra special.

A backyard scene viewed from under a tree with sunlight filtering through green leaves. There is a grassy field with tall grass, a small tree, and a swimming pool in the distance. In the foreground, there is a wicker table with a drink and a cloth, and a wooden chair.
Sheep grazing in a grassy field with trees, a utility pole, and a cloudy sky in the background.

Accommodation

Guests at The Dorset Yarn Retreat will stay at Moortown Farmhouse, a warm and characterful country home with two comfortable guest rooms. The bedrooms are light and inviting, with comfy bedding, pretty fabrics, traditional furnishings and views through elegant sash windows.

The farmhouse also offers welcoming communal spaces in which to relax and unwind. A dedicated Yarn Room provides a cosy and comfortable setting for group yarn activities, with plenty of space to gather, create and share ideas.

A bedroom with a white metal bed frame, yellow pillows, yellow sheets, and a pink floral quilt, near a window with cream-colored curtains with a star pattern, and a wooden nightstand with a yellow lamp.
A wooden sideboard with knitting supplies, decorative dolls, and colorful buttons in jars, situated near a wall with a window reflection, in a cozy home setting.
A wood-burning stove with a stovepipe, next to a stack of chopped firewood, on a tiled floor, with a wicker basket and a framed black-and-white landscape art above.
A dining table set with bowls, glasses, plates, napkins, and utensils, with a centerpiece of vases and salt and pepper shakers, near a window with a view of green trees.
An armchair with a yellow pillow, a brown pillow, a green and white striped knitted sweater, and a ball of green yarn on it. There is a table with a cream-colored lamp and star-patterned curtains in the background.
A kitchen or laundry area with shelves containing yarn, quilts, and blankets, a window overlooking greenery, a yellow-brown faucet, a soap dish with soap, a sponge, and a cleaning brush.

Room 1

This bright and sunny triple aspect room is on the Ground Floor. It has a stylish ensuite bathroom with a luxury brass rainfall shower. This room can sleep up to three people and we can configure the beds to suit you.

Tea & coffee making facilities are available in this room.

A cozy bedroom with two beds, one with yellow bedding and the other with pink floral bedding, near a window with yellow polka-dot curtains, green trees visible outside, and a small nightstand with a lamp.
A cozy bedroom with two beds, one with a pink floral quilt and the other with a yellow floral quilt, near a window with yellow star-patterned curtains. Yarn balls and crochet projects are on one bed, and a nightstand with a lamp is beside the window.
Modern shower with marble tile walls, gold shower fixtures, a handheld showerhead, and a built-in niche with bottles, alongside a white heated towel rack.
A white pitcher with pink polka dots holding a peach-colored peony flower and green foliage, placed on a white surface with a mirror and beige walls in the background.
A cozy bedroom with a bed, yellow bedding, and a pillow. A bedside table with a beige lamp, a window with cream-colored curtains decorated with gold stars, and a magazine on the bed. There is also a black knitted scarf and yarn balls on the bed.
A window with a half-opened cream curtain with brown star patterns, outside greenery, a brick wall, a beige lampshade on a wooden table.
A modern bathroom sink with beige cabinetry, gold handles, a gold faucet, a brown hand soap dispenser, a large mirror, and a white vase with a pink flower and green leaves on the white countertop.

Room 2

Located on the first floor, this cosy bedroom can sleep up to two people, configured to your preference. Next door is the shower room for your exclusive use. Please note that there are stairs to the first floor, then three steps down to the room. This is an old and quirky house, but we think you will love it.

Tea & coffee making facilities are available in this room.

A window with white frames and red patterned curtains, a blue vase with pink, yellow, and white roses on the windowsill, a clear sunny day with trees and blue sky outside.
A bedroom with a bed covered in a pink and white quilt, four pillows in various patterns, a nightstand with a red lamp, a window with red patterned curtains, and a radiator beneath the window.
A cozy bedroom scene with a window, red curtains, a blue vase with flowers on the windowsill, a red armchair with a yellow pillow and a purple towel, a bedside lamp, and a bed with knitting supplies on top.
A bed with multiple decorative pillows, including a patchwork pillow, a purple patterned pillow, and a red and white velvet pillow, with two plush toys resembling a sheep and a girl hanging on the side.
A cozy bedroom with a neatly made bed, red and floral pillows, a window with red patterned curtains, a small red armchair with a yellow pillow and knitted toys, a vase of flowers on the window sill, and a red lamp beside the bed.
A bedroom with a navy nightstand, a red lamp, colorful pillows, stuffed animals, and a bed with a white and pink quilt.

At The Dorset Yarn Retreat, we welcome Day Guests.

We can recommend nearby accommodation (our top choice is actually next door!) so that you can participate in the retreat, even if our accommodation is full.

Please contact us for more details.

Retreat Activity

Sweet caramels...

Our workshop this retreat is all about using leftover yarn to create sweet treats for last minute friends and family presents and stocking fillers.  Using Petiteknit's free pattern, leftover yarn and our very own Dorset Down fleece as stuffing we will craft a festive chocolate selection box.  All materials provided, stuffing courtesy of Margot and Barbara.

A fluffy sheep standing on a grassy field with trees and a cloudy sky in the background.

Itinerary

Each month's retreat has a variety of workshops, activities and projects, the basic itinerary will be the similar.  Here is an example of what you can expect from your weekend with us at the Dorset Yarn Retreat.

    • Arrive at any time after 2pm.  We want you to have plenty of time to settle in!  When you are ready tea, coffees or soft drinks - as well as some cake and scones - will all be available for you to enjoy wherever you choose.

    • At the Dorset Yarn Retreat things can be a little weather dependent, but there are lots of cosy, or shady, spots for you to relax in.  Friday afternoon is time for you to explore and make yourself at home.  The Dorset yarn Retreat does not provide alcohol however you are very welcome to bring your own which we can chill for you if required.

    • Pre-dinner drinks from 6pm where we will provide soft drinks and nibbles, the dinner is served at 7pm in the dining room.  You can expect two courses - a hearty home cooked main and a sumptuous dessert.  We can cater for all dietary requirements and preferences.  Second helpings are always available at the Dorset Yarn Retreat!

    • After dinner you are free to do as you please; walk in the garden, say hello to the sheep, sit by the fire for knitting and a drink, or get a good night's sleep in preparation for doing whatever you please tomorrow.

    • Breakfast is served at 9am.  You can expect a wide range of fruit, oats and toast as well as cooked breakfast options.  We serve our very own eggs and honey, and seasonal fruit and vegetables at the Dorset Yarn Retreat.  We use locally sourced ingredients wherever we can.

    • At 10:30am we will hold a workshop group activity, or introduce a project we can all have a go at over the weekend.  Tea and biscuits will be available at 11am.

    • Lunch is at 12:30pm.  This will be hearty soups, sandwiches or light quiches, plus a sweet treat to help see you into the afternoon.

    • After lunch we will settle down again to some serious business!  This may involve picking up where you left off in the morning, discussing the projects you have brought with you, finding a quiet spot in which to concentrate on a tricky bit or nattering away over some stockinette... it is up to you, there is no rush.

    • Again, at 6pm it is drinks and nibbles time, with dinner served at 7pm.

    • After dinner is relaxing time.  We might decide to take a stroll, play some games, have a quiz or just simply chat and knit some more.  Or, if my daughter is in charge, watch Sheep Detectives again!  This helps make the Dorset Yarn Retreat so unique - you decide how you want to enjoy your time.

    • Breakfast is served at 9am.

    • At 10:30am we will have the Dorset Yarn Retreat WIP Surgery.  We would like you to bring a project (or projects!) that you have laid down for whatever reason and, as a group, we can work together to motivate you to transform your WIP into a finished object.  Or at the very least, offer tips, guidance and a way forward for those pesky projects holding your creativity back.  

    • Lunch on Sunday will be at 1pm and will be substantial enough to fuel you up for your return home.

    • Departure is by 3:00pm on Sunday - don't forget to say goodbye to our girls in the paddock.  We hope that you will have enjoyed your stay so much that it won't be long until you see them again!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Not at all. We welcome guests of all abilities, from complete beginners to experienced knitters and crocheters. Some workshops may be aimed at particular skill levels, and this will be clearly stated in the retreat details.

  • No. Everything is optional. You can join a workshop, spend time with other guests or simply find a comfortable spot and work quietly on your own project.

  • Your retreat includes comfortable accommodation, delicious meals and access to the scheduled workshops and activities. Full details of what is included will be provided on each retreat page.

  • Please bring your favourite knitting or crochet projects, along with any needles, hooks, yarn and notions you may need. We also recommend comfortable clothing, slippers and something warm for relaxing outside.

  • You can expect generous, comforting meals made to be enjoyed together. Menus may change with the seasons, and further details will be shared before your stay.

  • Our accommodation is comfortable, cosy and designed to help you feel at home. Room arrangements and facilities will be explained on the individual retreat page before you book.

  • This will vary between workshops. Each retreat listing will explain whether materials are included or whether you need to bring anything with you.

  • Travel information, directions and parking details will be sent to you before your stay. Please contact us if you would like advice about travelling by public transport.