Register Here (Will show as sold out until October 10th at 8AM!)
July 22nd - 24th, 2026. This retreat opens for registration October 10th at 8AM Mountain Time (10AM Eastern Time).
We look forward to learning from Mary Jane Mucklestone in 2026! 
Join us high in the Colorado Rockies to explore the art of Fair Isle Knitting with colorwork expert Mary Jane Mucklestone. We will retreat over three days and two nights to knit and hike surrounded by gorgeous alpine nature at the Shrine Mountain Huts above Vail, Colorado.
Mary Jane loves knitting, especially with lots of colors. Specializing in stranded knitting, she loves learning about the traditions behind the discipline, especially Fair Isle, Scandinavian, and, closer to her home, Maine and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. From Mary Jane: “Sharing my knitting knowledge is a joy, and learning new things is my passion. My goal is for my students to have fun while learning new skills. Working one-on-one with my students, I aim to give them the courage to try something new.”
MJ has written six books: 200 Fair Isle Motifs, 150 Scandinavian Motifs, Fair Isle Style, Geo Knits, Fair Isle Weekend, and Grand Shetland Adventure Knits, which she co-authored with her good friend, designer Gudrun Johnston. We are so excited to have Mary Jane join us!
Relax and explore the mountain trails with us amidst stunning summer foliage, hopefully including bursting wildflowers. Dive into the vibrant world of Fair Isle knitting without distraction. Mary Jane’s class will offer expert, hands-on, in-depth instruction in the art of Fair Isle.
In this signature workshop, held over two sessions, Mary Jane will guide you through the practical wisdom of traditional Fair Isle knitting, showing how its principles make stranded knitting more efficient and color selection simpler.
Take the fear out of choosing colors by exploring color placement, value, and harmony. By examining Mary Jane’s trove of swatches and hands-on experimentation, we’ll see how different color combinations can completely transform a motif—and how to confidently create your own palettes using easy, accessible color theory.
With our days together, we’ll have time to enjoy the creative process and come away with a solid understanding of Fair Isle techniques, and a more confident approach to color.
Skill Level:
Some experience in stranded colorwork required.
Technique Requirements: knit/purl, cast on/bind off, working in the round on a small diameter piece, chart reading, experience with easy stranded colorwork.
Our retreat starts when we meet at Maker+Stitch in Edwards at 11 AM Wednesday morning. From the shop we will drive up to the top of Vail Pass where we will depart on a leisurely, under-two-mile hike to the hut. The wildflowers should be blooming, and llamas will hike with us, carrying most of our gear!
We'll enjoy a big, well-earned afternoon snack at the cozy hut while we settle in and prepare for our first afternoon session with Mary Jane.
Wednesday evening is for relaxing, eating a home-cooked dinner, and sharing each other's company around the campfire. With a clear night, star gazing will be a highlight.
Thursday we'll wake up to a yummy, light breakfast then head out to hike Shrine Pass through green meadows, wild flowers, and forest, and incredible high mountain vistas. Our hike is 4.5 miles round-trip; we will munch on snacks on the trail, and if weather permits we'll sit for a knit looking out over the Rockies.
When we arrive back to the huts, we'll enjoy a delicious buffet lunch, and Mary Jane will hold her second teaching session of the retreat.
Again, we'll spend the evening knitting, dining at the hut, and relaxing around the stove and campfire.
Friday we wake up to another tasty light breakfast then pack to head down the trail for our drive back to Edwards. We will arrive back at the shop by 12PM, which marks the end of our retreat.
Important: For those traveling from afar, Edwards is at 7,200 feet and the hut is over 11,000 feet above sea level so you may want to plan a day here at altitude prior to the retreat to help acclimate. To get to Edwards, you will fly into Denver or Vail-Eagle and either rent a car or take an Epic Mountain Express or Peak 1 Express van. It is not a difficult drive but Edwards is a two hours and 15 minute drive from the Denver airport. It is also possible to stay in Denver Tuesday evening and meet the group at Vail Pass (about 1.5 hours from Denver) on Wednesday. If you plan to choose this option, please let us know!
Accommodations at Jay's Cabin are double and up-to-five person communal occupancy. You will bring a sleeping bag to use on the hut’s beds. If you are not comfortable sleeping in a sleeping bag in a room with others, this retreat may not be for you. The hut does have hot and cold running water, two indoor bathrooms with flush toilets, one with shower, one with bathtub. The hut is heated by a central wood-fired stove. There is running, potable water at the cabin. There is a communal, wood-fired sauna behind our hut for our use.
Our hikes are at an elevation of over 11,000 feet above sea level. We take them at an appropriate pace (hiking to the pace of our slowest participant). Each day has at least a mile of uphill hiking that can feel more challenging because we are at a high elevation. Many first time hikers and sea level participants have succeeded! We encourage you to try, but no one is required to hike, either. If you choose not to hike, that is fine -- we can bring you into and out of the huts without the necessity of hiking, and there is fun knitting time while others hike.
Make sure to check back October 10th at 8AM Mountain Time to register!
Retreat pricing $1775 per person. Includes all lessons, two nights hut lodging, meals at hut, snacks, llama hike, transport to and from shop to huts, and 5 balls of Jamieson's of Shetland Spindrift yarn.
Please feel free to contact us at hello@makerandstitch.com with any questions.
More details about what to bring will be available after registration.
All cancellations must be received by May 1st, 2026 for a full refund, except a $175 non-refundable deposit. All cancellations must be received in writing via email. No refunds for cancellations will be issued after May 1st 2026. If you cannot attend, you may send a substitute in your place at no extra charge. Substitution requests must be received before June 15, 2026.
