Knit Ireland with Laura Nelkin Sept '22

September 13th – 22nd, 2022

I LOVE Ireland in all seasons, but in September it is particularly spectacular, especially for us knitters. The sights, the history, and the culture will certainly whet your appetite for autumn knitting. This trip includes a special visit to my favorite place on earth, to the Aran Islands, and a slew of educational workshops. I can’t wait to see what inspires each of us! 

Day 1: We’ll start our day with a hearty breakfast, and then make our way to Newbridge, in County Kildare, and home to Newbridge Silverware. We’ll visit the Museum of Style Icons, and then the National Irish Stud and Japanese Gardens. After this busy afternoon, we’ll head to Kilkenny where we’ll make our home for the next three nights. 

Day 2: We’ll breakfast at our B&B, and then head off to Zwartbles Irish Sheep Farm where we’ll be hosted by Susanna Crampton who, along with her family, breeds Zwartbles sheep. (It goes without saying that we’ll have the opportunity to add some of this wool to our stashes!). We’ll move along to Cushendale Mills where we’ll see natural Irish fibers go through the manufacturing process to become beautiful yarns and textiles. After returning to our home base, we’ll have a late afternoon Happy Hour Workshop with Lola! 

Day 3: A busy day that starts with a visit to the National Design and Craft Gallery (housed in a former stable of the castle), then Kilkenny Castle, and lastly a walking tour of Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile. After dinner at our hotel, we will meet Carol Feller, our instructor for the next day’s workshop. 

Day 4: We’ll start our day with an insightful and educational workshop taught by Carol Feller, author of Contemporary Irish Knits. When we’ve finished our lesson, we’ll head west, stopping along the way at Gothic style Kinnitty Castle Hotel for an amazing afternoon tea! Our final stop for the day is Galway, where we’ll rest up for a busy Day 5! 

Day 5: Our eyes are in for a feast today! Our first stop will be Connemara, considered to be one of the most beautiful unspoiled landscapes around. We’ll travel through the village Cong onto Joyce County Wool, a sheep farm run by Carina Coyne and her husband. Carina specializes in spinning and dyeing her own wool using the natural dyes she finds on her farm. Our last stop of the day is Kylemore Abbey, a beautiful and serene respite. 

Day 6: Whew–a free morning for exploring (and maybe an opportunity to grab souvenirs?)! After lunch, we’ll be on our way to Spiddal Craft and Design Center where we’ll meet Cairin Hogan. Cairin is a weaver, and he’ll demonstrate Irish Willow Basket weaving techniques, and show us some more modern Irish weaving designs. After our time with Cairin, we’ll hop on the ferry to Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands, where we’ll meet up with Una McDonagh our Aran Island knitting instructor who’ll introduce us to a bit of Aran Island life! 

Day 7: Our first morning on Inis Mor starts (after breakfast, of course. We NEVER knit on an empty stomach!) with a knitting lesson on traditional Aran stitches and techniques from Una McDonagh. After our lesson, we will tour the island, seeing pre-Christian and Christian monuments. We’ll stop at Dun Aonghasa, a fort, with terraced walls and STEEP (!) climb for those inclined to hike a bit to see beautiful Atlantic Ocean views. Later in the afternoon, there will be time to visit some local knitwear shops. 

Day 8: It’s good-bye to Inis Mor, as we head back to the mainland after breakfast. We’ll travel through Ireland’s heartland and make a stop at Ireland’s oldest licensed distillery, Kilbeggan. After a tour and tasting, we’ll make our way to Dublin and visit This Is Knit, an independent LYS, in the heart of the city. 

Day 9: Lisa Sisk from This is Knit will join us for a morning knitting workshop (yay!) on moebius knitting and her Glenties Cowl pattern. We’ll be experimenting with Soft Donegal yarn from Studio Donegal in nearby Kilcar. After our lesson, we’ll travel to the Guinness Storehouse to tour the St. James Gate Brewery (which has been brewing Guinness since 1759). After lunch, we’ll head over to Trinity College Library and visit the Book of Kells before returning to our hotel for our last dinner together. 

Day 10: After breakfast, it’s time to pack up (your challenge–to fit everything back into your suitcase!) and head for the airport! 

The Tour includes:

• Transfers on arrival and departure by private coach
• Sightseeing as per itinerary in a luxury coach with an experienced driver and licensed guide and Laura Nelkin, knitting designer and teacher
• 4* Accommodation in rooms with private facilities for 11 nights
• Irish breakfast daily, 3 lunches, 3 dinners, 1 farewell dinner
• Entrance to all museums and attractions per itinerary
• Roundtrip ferry to Inis Mor
• Tours of Inis Mor, Zwartbles Sheep Farm, Cushendale Mills, Kilkenny, Ciarin Hogan basketry Workshops/Knitting Activities Included in This Tour: Dinner and knitting Workshop with Carol Feller An Aran knitting workshop with Una McDonagh
• Happy Hour Workshop with Laura/Lola
• Joyce Country Wool demo
• Moebius Knitting with Lisa Sisk

VERY Detailed Itinerary with pricing and sign up form available, e-mail Laura for more details!