West Coast Fibre Art Retreat - November 2026

RETREAT SCHEDULE (Example)

*The final schedule will be sent out to participants closer to the date.

Tuesday, November 3rd

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

Wednesday, November 4th

• 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
• 6-8 PM: Special event at the Ucluelet Brewery (optional)

Thursday, November 5th

• 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 6th

• 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

Beading with Cecilia Smith of Sea Wolf and Sage

During this workshop, students will learn about the design process and techniques used to create brick stitch fringe earrings. The class will walk through the steps of ladder stitch, brick stitch and fringe design.

Materials supplied by the instructor:

Beading kit containing various coloured beads, thread, fireline, needles, beading mat, hooks, wire guards, original seawolfandsage.co beading pattern, blank pattern templates.

• Materials you bring to class: n/a
• Skill level: beginner and up 
• Required skills: enthusiasm!

Bunchberry Headband: An Introduction to Intarsia with Faye Kennington

Curious about colourwork but not quite ready to juggle floats? This west coast–inspired workshop is a gentle introduction to intarsia knitting.

Using the Bunchberry headband pattern, we’ll create a simple garter stitch band featuring a sweet little flower with a contrasting centre and two leaves, loosely inspired by the bunchberries that brighten the temperate rainforests along the Ucluelet coastline.

This class is designed especially for knitters who are new to intarsia. We’ll walk step by step through how to join new colours, twist yarns to avoid holes, manage small sections, and read a simple colour chart with confidence. No prior colourwork experience required.

The finished headband is practical and charming, perfect for keeping the west coast wind out of your face while adding a pop of handmade colour.

You’ll walk away with:

• A solid start on your Bunchberry headband
• Confidence working basic intarsia techniques
• A downloadable pattern with clear, step-by-step instructions to finish at home

Materials supplied by the instructor:

• A Bunchberry yarn kit with a choice of colour combinations
• Printed and digital Bunchberry pattern

Kits feature Winfield yarn, a 100% Canadian Dorset-base down-type wool sourced from Ontario, spun in New Brunswick, and hand-dyed in the Sweet Paprika Designs Montreal studio. It’s woolly, soft, and beautifully suited to showing off crisp colour shapes.

Materials you bring to class:

• 4.5 mm knitting needles (straight or circular)
• Stitch markers and a tapestry needle

Skill level: Beginner and up

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!

Quick Fit Fixes with Kim McBrien Evans

Shoulder seams that fall off the shoulders. Sweaters fit in the chest but don't fit anywhere else. Sweaters that stretch across the bum or the belly but seem loose everywhere else. Sleeves that are tight and twist when we move. There are many sweater fit issues that have simple solutions you can implement right now.

Materials you bring to class: 

• pencil/pen, notebook for taking notes
• measuring tape
• wear a light layer, such as a t-shirt, in case we need to take some measurements
• Optional: bring a sweater or two that don't fit you as you would like. If you do this, it will be helpful to bring a printout of the pattern as well.

Skills Required: Beginner and up

INSTRUCTOR BIOS

Cecelia Smith is a Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ knitter and beader. She currently lives and works on Syilx territory in the South Okanagan. Her earrings and accessories are thoughtfully designed, incorporating her love of the desert (her current home) with the beauty of the west coast. Follow her creative journey on Instagram @seawolfandsage.co.

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.

Kim McBrien Evans is a Canadian knitwear designer and indie hand dyer. A lifelong love of colour, texture, pattern, and shape prompted Kim to transition from working artist to textile maven. Her knitwear designs are known for their ability to turn an abstract idea into a wearable reality while simultaneously fitting and complimenting a wide range of bodies. She lives and works in the woods of Central Ontario, Canada.

Her yarn company, Indigodragonfly, is renowned for its vibrant colours, offbeat names, and ever expanding plan for world domination. She is co-author of Custom Shawls for the Curious and Creative Knitter (with Kate Atherley). Her work has appeared in Vogue Knitting, Knitty, Knitscene, Knit.Wear, Knitting Magazine (UK),A Stash of One’s Own (ed. Clara Parkes), The Sewcialists, Digits & Threads, and Uppercase. Patterns available at Indigodragonfly and Ravelry.

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.

RETREAT LOCATION

The 2026 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 $202.5/night.  A discount code will be included with your ticket receipt and can be used to book your stay until September 20th.

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 August 31st, 2026. Refunds will be issued for the ticket cost, less an administration fee.