Knitting with Cocoknits in Spain

Tuesday 21-Wednesday 29 April 2026

Join us in the heart of Don Quixote country in Andalusia in Spain for an 8-night knitting retreat with Cocoknits from 21-29 April 2026.  We meet in Madrid before heading southeast to the region of La Mancha and to WoolDreamers, a family-run artisanal yarn business founded by fibre enthusiast Ramon and brother-in law who are on a mission to revitalise Spanish wool production.   

From sheep to skein, the full production at WoolDreamers takes place under one roof and you’ll get to see the entire process from sheep shearing to the fully operational mill before we buy the yarn for our knitting projects. You’ll choose your Cocoknits pattern in advance from your copy of the Cocoknits Sweater Workshop or from their website as a downloadable pdf and Cocoknits founder Julie Weisenberger and expert knitter Tracy Russell will be on hand to advise and guide you on the best yarn to purchase for your project. 

After a fascinating first day, interrupted only by lunch at a typical Spanish restaurant, we transfer to our hotel for the week, El Bálsamo, which is located in the charming medieval walled town of Belmonte just 15 minutes from WoolDreamers. 

El Bálsamo is a small and friendly hotel located in a converted 16th century manor house. The simple yet comfortable rooms are ranged around a large covered courtyard where we will gather to knit - or on the patio outside in fine weather. Refresh in the outdoor splash pool or book a private session in their spectacular indoor thermal saline cave pool chiselled out of natural rock and maintained at a steady 91º Fahrenheit/33º Celcius all year round. Massage and other treatments are available to book.

The excursions and entertainment planned during the week include a wine and Manchego cheese tasting with an award-winning lcoal producer, a performance from a flamenco dance troupe and a visit to Cuenca, a hilltop town famous for its gravity-defying cliffside homes overlooking the gorge. In his famous novel Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ knight-errant Don Quixote mistook the region’s windmills  for giants and a visit to La Mancha would not be complete without a tour of one of the windmills. 

Breakfast will be at the hotel with lunch, our main meal of the day, taken at one of the many restaurants in the town of Belmonte where our hotel is located. The town is dominated by its magnificent medieval castle (open to visitors) which is located within walking distance on the edge of town.  Dinner will be light comprising a selection of regional tapas, soups, tortilla, cheese and charcuterie and so on.

With its sunbaked plains dotted with windmills, vineyards and whitewashed villages and its hearty dishes of rustic stews and robust wines, La Mancha is an off the beaten track destination waiting for you to discover. Join us on our Spanish adventure and experience some old world charm and leisurely pace. 

Please note that you will need to fairly fit to join this retreat as our trip to Cuenca will require walking up and down hills. The retreat is open to knitters of all levels, but 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 WoolDreamers which we visit on the first day of the retreat.

“My learning experience more than met my expectations! Julie and Tracey were engaging and helpful. I enjoyed that it was help as needed without a classroom setting”

Jamie J, United States

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Cocoknits knitting retreat in spain

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