~ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ~
COCOKNITS KNITTING RETREAT IN PORTUGAL
2-10 November 2023
We hope you will be able to join us for our Portuguese knitting adventure this autumn. Please read these notes before booking your place.
Is this the right retreat for you?
A visit to Portugal can feel like stepping back in time. Although a thoroughly modern economy, it cherishes its traditions and heritage. One example of this is the cobblestone roads and pavements you’ll find in every city, town and village. A tradition that dates back to the 15th century, the streets and pavements are beautiful to look at but very uneven and they could present a hazard to anyone who is unsteady on their feet or not completely mobile. If you are not a confident walker this may not be the right Cocoknits retreat for you and you should wait to sign up for another knitting retreat. Most of the restaurants we are visiting are within an easy 10-minute walking distance of the hotel. We are planning to walk both ways rather than take taxis and so it’s important that you feel comfortable with that.
Pousada Convento, Evora
The Pousada Convento de Loios hotel where we are staying is a renovated and converted monastery built in 1485 for the friars of Loios. It is a historic building and has no elevator. The majority of rooms are on the first floor and are accessed by a flight of stone stairs with a handrail. The bedrooms are all former monk’s cells! All the bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms with bathtubs and overhead showers rather than walk-in showers.
There are four types of rooms available to book:
• Classic Room ensuite: (107.5 -129 sq feet/10-12 sq metres). Price: £4250
• Family Classic ensuite: (129-161.5 sq feet/12-15 metres). Price: £4350
• Family Superior ensuite: (193.75 -236 sq feet/18-22 sq metres. (5 x twin rooms available). Price: £4400
• Suite: ensuite: (358.5-355 sq feet/24-32 sq metres). Price: £4500
• Special Suite: ensuite: Not sure of size. Price £4600
• Twin occupancy price in a Family Superior room: Price: £3850 per person
• Non-participating partner (sharing a room with a participant: £1800)
Unlike previous Cocoknits retreats which have taken place in private properties, we will be staying in a hotel for this retreat. There is no washer/dryer for your use but the hotel does offer laundry facilities at extra cost. There is good wi-fi throughout and a swimming pool if you fancy a dip. There is also a wonderful Roman Bath in the town where you can enjoy a spa and massage experience so you should pack your swimming costume.
Every room in the hotel has free WI-FI access, air-conditioning, a hairdryer, mini-bar, safe, TV and the Suites also have coffee machines.
The cost of your accommodation, breakfast and the hotel meals specified in the itinerary are included in the retreat but you are responsible for any extras such as laundry, bar bills, etc.
You should think about packing light/bringing an extra bag with you as you will definitely see things you will want to buy. Many of the places ship so that is always an option.
We strongly recommend that you take out adequate insurance before your trip with us in case your situation changes and you are unable to join us. The Textile Retreat Company offers refunds in the event that you cancel but we reserve the right to retain any costs that we are unable to recover as a result.
Retrosaria Rosa Pomar, Lisbon
We will be using Cocoknits patterns during the retreat and knitting with Portuguese yarn created by Rosa Pomar, an artisan designer with a background in medieval history. We visit Rosa’s Lisbon store on the first day of our retreat to choose and purchase our yarn (we can let you have UK/US stockist details for Rosa Pomar yarn if you want to order samples before you come).
For the past 15 years, Rosa has devoted herself to the research and documentation of Portugal’s wool heritage. She has made friends with shepherds, spinners, and weavers throughout Portugal and writes a regular blog focussed on raising awareness of the imminent extinction of many of the native Portuguese breeds.
In Portugal, as in other countries, a shocking quantity of wool is discarded as waste and never makes its way into the textile industry. Once a precious source of income, most native wools are not considered soft enough to be made into textiles or not worth the cost of collection from small, isolated farms. Rosa’s yarns and designs convey the message that #softnessisoverrated and that qualities such as durability, traceability and an ecological footprint are of real importance. Rosa has proved that it is possible to create high-quality products from native / not-so-soft wool and she is inspiring similar projects in other European countries.
You can view Retrosaria Rosa Pomar yarns here: retrosaria.rosapomar.com
You can follow them on Instagram: instagram.com/rosapomar and instagram.com/retrosariarosapomar