Cocoknits at Chateau Dumas, France

Friday 20-Saturday 28 August, 2027 (8 nights)

Cocoknits is back at Chateau Dumas for an 8-night knitting retreat after a break of ten years.  Join us at this sensitively renovated 18th century Chateau deep in the rolling French countryside and enjoy delicious food, interesting excursions and knitting tuition from Cocoknits’ founder Julie Weisenberger and expert knitter Tracy Russell. 

Chateau Dumas is located one hour north of Toulouse on the edge of a tiny village and 5 miles from the market town of Caussade.  Built around 1796 in a neo-classical style, the Chateau’s delightful accommodation is spread across two buildings which stand side by side across a courtyard parterre garden.  Sit, knit and relax outside on comfy wicker sofas under the shade of an umbrella, enjoy the cool comfort of the large air-conditioned studio or take your knitting inside and relax in one of several sitting rooms.

We meet on day one in Toulouse early in the afternoon of Friday 20 September when we load our bags into the coach then head to De Rerum Natura, known for producing ethically sourced natural yarns, to buy the yarn for our Cocoknits knitting project.  We arrive at Chateau Dumas later that day in time to settle in and enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by our private chefs. 

The knitting tuition begins the following morning with Cocoknits’ founder Julie Weisenberger and expert knitter Tracy Russell constantly on hand during the 4.5 days of guidance and tuition.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore some of the beautiful and unspoilt Quercy region of southwest France during the retreat. Our first trip is to the atmospheric Sunday morning farmer’s market in St Antonin-Noble-Val. Founded in the 9th century,  St Antonin has featured as the backdrop to two major films, Charlotte Grey starring Cate Blanchett and The Hundred Foot Journey with Helen Mirren and you can stroll down winding stone streets lined with Romanesque buildings and discover independent artisan shops and the lively market.  

Our next excursion is to Cahors, a medieval city on the river Lot, famous for its medieval Pont Valentré bridge,  and the full-bodied Malbec wine produced in the area.  It is the historic home of the Malbec grape which has been continuously cultivated in the area for more than 2000 years.  Explore the outdoor market on Place Chapou and the nearby covered market (one of the best in France),  tour the 12th century cathedral cloisters or see how many of the 25 small hidden gardens and courtyards you can find tucked away behind medieval buildings, monasteries and quiet squares.  Cahors is on the Camino de Santiago route and you can follow the pilgrim path over the the iconic 14th century fortified Pont Valentré, one of the best preserved defensive bridges in Europe. After leaving Cahors we call into the charming hilltop village of Montpezat-de-Quercy to admire the recently-restored, magnificent 16th century Flemish tapestry depicting the life of St Martin which hangs in the Collégiale Saint-Martin. 

For our final excursion we head off the beaten track to Bruniquel, a village perched dramatically above the Aveyron Gorge. After a climb up the steep cobbled streets past honey-coloured stone houses you are rewarded with one of the finest views of southwest France from the courtyard of the two Castles: the 12th century (Old Castle) and 18th century (New Castle). Inside you’ll see ceremonial rooms, a 12th century donjon, a 17th century kitchen with a rate stone cooking range amongst other things.

Get away from it all and come to France with us for a quiet and relaxing knitting retreat full of bonheur and fraternité.

Please note that this retreat is suitable for people with good mobility. The trip to Bruniquel in particular requires you to walk up a steep cobbled street to reach the Castles at the top. The Chateau is a historic building comprising 3 storeys with no lift.

A note about Cocoknits knitting retreats: the retreat is open to knitters of all levels. However, you must be able to perform the following knitting skills competently: casting on and off, knitting and purling. This is an immersive “terroir” knitting retreat and you will be required to buy the yarn for your knitting projects from De Rerum Natura. There’s no formal classroom instruction during the retreat as we knit as a group - or in smaller groups -  with Julie and Tracy helping each person with their chosen sweater pattern and customizations as needed.

During our retreats, we steer clear of games and goodie bags, striving instead for authentic and interesting experiences carefully chosen by us to introduce you to some of the culture, food and customs of the area where we are staying and the places we visit. 

“Perfect, once again exceeded my expectations. I love the laid back atmosphere. I don’t think you can improve, it’s perfect.”

Dede L, United States

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Cocoknits at CHATEAU DUMAS, france

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