Okanagan Knitting Retreat

In 1999, three knitting friends – Janet Armstrong, Gloria Hanson and Wendy Henderson – planned and presented a retreat for knitters. Knitters with a variety of skill levels and backgrounds, from those designing their own patterns to knitters who had only recently mastered the knit and purl stitches, attended. This event definitely met a need and proved so successful that the Okanagan Knitting Retreat has been held every year (except the COVID years) on the weekend following Victoria Day.
 
Since 2005 the retreats have been held at the beautiful Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre on Shuswap Lake in BC. 

The topics change from year to year and have been wide-ranging, from techniques such as Fair Isle knitting and garment construction to free-form knitting, lace, and socks as well as colour and design. The purpose has remained the same — to support knitters in building skills and knowledge so that they can become confident and independent.

The retreat runs Friday, May 22nd – Sunday, May 24th, 2026, with an option to arrive earlier on Thursday afternoon. The fee covers your Saturday workshop, the Friday and Saturday evening festivities and the Sunday morning event. Thursday afternoon and evening are free time to knit and hang out, with an optional potluck for dinner on Thursday evening.

The Retreat fee is $275. The Friday afternoon optional workshop is an additional $50. If you or someone you know would like to attend the retreat but cannot afford the full price of the weekend, please email us at okknittingretreat@gmail.com to inquire about financial assistance.

Accommodations and meals are extra

• choose one full day workshop for Saturday
• choose if you would like the optional Friday workshop (this is an additional $50 on top of the weekend fee of $275)
• pay for your registration here on our website
• Book your stay at Sorrento Centre

Registration begins Tuesday, March 24th, at 9 am

Please register for your courses first on the Oanagan Knitting Retreat website, then register for your accommodations through the Sorrento Centre’s website. All payments for the retreat fee are made through the Okanangan Knitting Retreat website. All payments for accommodations and meals are not included in the retreat fee and are made through the Sorrento Centre (see below).
Please review the available workshops, and on registration day, you will:

You can book your stay at 9 am on Tuesday, March 24.

Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre looks forward to welcoming you! The grounds of The Centre include a covered amphitheatre, a private beach on the beautiful shores of Shuswap Lake, a labyrinth, a shop, an outdoor kitchen, washhouses, laundry facilities, housekeeping upon request, and beautiful gardens and forest trails. Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre offer many different types of lodgings, including cabins, and cabanas, apartments, lodge rooms, campsites and RV spots.