West Coast Fibre Art Retreat - November 2025

RETREAT SCHEDULE

Tuesday, November 11th

6 – 8pm: Registration and check in (optional)

Wednesday, November 12th

8:30am – 9:30am: Check-in and morning tea/coffee & knit

9:30am – 12:30pm: Workshop

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Group Lunch at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort

1:30pm – 2pm: Break

2pm – 5pm: Workshop

Evening: Dinner on your own

6pm: Drop-in knitting (optional)

Thursday, November 13th

9:30am – 12:30pm: Workshop

12:30pm – 2pm: Lunch break (your choice)

2pm – 3pm: Guided walk on the Wild Pacific Trail

3pm - 6pm: Break and Dinner (your choice)

6pm – 9pm: Evening Gathering to knit, enjoy wine and dessert, and browse the local vendor marketplace.

Friday, November 14th

9:30am – 12:30pm: Workshop

12:30pm – 1pm: Wrap-up and departure

*Exact times and workshops will be communicated closer to the event*

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS

Cedar Weaving with Rose & Brian Wilson

Learn the art and skill of cedar weaving with Rose and her son Brian Wilson of Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ. Create a cedar craft while hearing about the many aspects of cedar and grass weaving such as how fibres are prepared.

Materials supplied by the instructor: Prepared cedar strips

Materials you bring to class: None

Skill level: No weaving experience required, only a willingness and enthusiasm to learn!

Frost Fern Mittens: A Twisted Stitch Workshop with Faye Kennington

Learn to knit beautiful Frost Fern Mittens with Faye Kennington—soft, warm, and impressively textured using twisted stitches. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll explore the fern-like motif, practice mitten shaping, and gain confidence reading charts. You’ll leave with a strong start on a cozy pair of mittens and new skills for textured knitting and pattern shaping!

Materials supplied by the instructor:

• 1 skein of Sweet Paprika Designs Presto (bulky-weight wool/nylon blend —your choice of colour, subject to availability)
• A printed and digital Frost Fern pattern

Materials you bring to class:

• 5mm and 4.5mm DPNs or equivalent circulars for magic loop
• Stitch markers
• Cable needle
• Scrap yarn
• Tapestry needle

Skill level: Adventurous Beginner to Intermediate

The mittens will not be completed within the time of the class, but all the necessary techniques required to complete them will be included

Sweaters That Fit with Megan Nodecker

Ready to knit sweaters that actually fit—and that you’ll love to wear? Join Megan Nodecker for a 3-hour lecture-style workshop that breaks down the essentials of sweater knitting success. Learn how to take accurate body measurements, understand ease, swatch effectively, choose great-fitting patterns, and explore different sweater styles. You’ll leave with your own set of measurements, practical tips and tricks, and the confidence to cast on sweaters you’ll reach for time and time again.

Materials supplied by the instructor:

• Printed resource guide for ongoing reference

Materials you bring to class:

• Pens/pencils and a highlighter
• Flexible measuring tape
• Notebook (optional)
• A knitting project to work on during the lecture (optional)

Skill level: Suitable for new sweater knitters or anyone wanting better-fitting results

Natural Dyeing Workshop with Robin Richardson from Sooke Yarn & Fibre

Join Robin, owner of Sooke Yarn & Fibre, as she leads you through a beginner-friendly introduction to eco-printing. Eco-printing is a natural dyeing technique where unique flowers and leaves are used to create beautiful patterns on fabrics.

In this workshop, you will learn to design your very own silk scarf with flowers and leaves grown in Robin's dye garden, and local foliage collected from Ucluelet. No previous experience needed.

Materials supplied by the instructor: One 22" x 22" silk scarf and all the materials needed to create your unique masterpiece.

Materials you bring to class: None (optional, knitting project while you wait)

Skills Required: None

INSTRUCTOR BIOS

Faye Kennington has been part of our fibre retreats since the very beginning. Known for her thoughtful and creative approach to design, Faye creates patterns that inspire knitters and help them build new skills with confidence. Her designs often draw inspiration from the textures of the natural world and the quiet calm of the West Coast, the kind of projects that invite you to settle in and enjoy the rhythm of your stitches. Based on Vancouver Island, Faye remains a beloved part of the retreat community. You can find her patterns on Ravelry under UkeeKnits, and follow her knitting adventures on Instagram @UkeeKnits.

Rose Wilson is a Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ cedar weaver living in Hitacu on the inner-shore of Ucluelet Inlet. She is both self taught and has the traditional teachings from Elders in processing materials and creating traditional works of art. Rose and her son, Brian Wilson, work with red and yellow cedar bark and several types of specific grasses to create clothing, hats, baskets which incorporate traditional and meaningful designs that have been passed down through her family for many generations.

Megan Nodecker is a seasoned knitwear designer and instructor from Abbotsford, British Columbia, where she lives with her husband, daughter and cat, Fred. Over the past 15 years, she has been dedicated to helping knitters create their dream wardrobes. Known for her approachable teaching style and deep understanding of the inner workings of garment construction and customization, she thrives on sharing her wealth of experience to help knitters reach their creative potential. You can find her at @pipandpin on Instagram and click here to visit her website.

Robin is the owner of Sooke Yarn & Fibre, a cozy fibre arts shop in the heart of Sooke since 2020. Robin is a passionate knitter, spinner, and natural dyer with a love for hands-on crafting and local materials. Her shop specializes in ethically sourced, small-batch yarns from local farmers and mills, focusing on sustainability and community. Whether you're a seasoned fibre artist or just starting, Robin’s approach and expertise make her workshops welcoming and inspiring. Explore her website here!

RETREAT LOCATION

The 2025 West Coast Fibre Art Retreat will take place at the Black Rock Oceanfront Resort in Ucluelet, BC. Perched at the north end of Big Beach, the resort offers some of the best possible views for a retreat! One of our classrooms, the wine cellar, is situated at the end of an active surge channel and has spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean - a perfect location to peacefully craft while viewing the powerful waves.

Black Rock Oceanfront Resort will have some great rooms available at a discounted rate for retreat participants, starting at $188/night. A discount code will be provided with your ticket receipt.

ALSO INCLUDED

Also included in the cost of the retreat is morning coffee/tea and pastries, one lunch at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort*, a vendor market evening with wine, cheese, and desserts, plus a guided walk on the Wild Pacific Trail (non-participating travel companions, partners, spouses, and on-leash pets are welcome to join the guided-walk at no cost.) *Alcoholic beverages at the group lunch are the responsibility of the participant. There is no reimbursement if you cannot attend the scheduled group lunch.

ACCESSIBILITY

Activities for this event include sitting for long periods, listening, reading, moving between rooms to attend workshops, and walking for up to one hour on a gravel pathway. Please let us know ahead of time if you require accommodations to enable your participation and learning during these activities, and we will do our best to assist you.

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

West Coast NEST is committed to hosting a safe, equitable, and inclusive event. Discriminatory behaviours and harassment or any other emotional or physical harm will not be tolerated and anyone displaying such behaviour will be asked to leave the event. The event will adhere to any health restrictions in the Province of British Columbia that may exist at the time of the event. Participants will be responsible for ensuring they meet the requirements. No refunds will be issued if a participant does not comply.

REFUND POLICY

Refunds will be accepted within 7 days of the date of purchase until September 30th, 2025. Refunds will be issued for the ticket cost, less an administration fee.