Autumnal Retreat 2025: Crafting as Self-Care
September 19th - 21st
Welcome to the Slow & Serene Crafting Retreat
Unplug, unwind, and reconnect - with yourself, your creativity, and a community of like-minded makers. Set in the charming village of New Glarus, Wisconsin, a tiny Swiss town nestled in the rolling hills of Green County southwest of Madison, just about 16 miles from the Sow's Ear, this retreat is a celebration of self-care through the joy of making.
This mindful approach to crafting will help guide our weekend of intention and inspiration. Enjoy a peaceful and supportive atmosphere, cozy craft-a-longs, creative art projects, and opportunities to give back through community-focused making.
Read on for more information, or use the button below to jump straight to our booking website.
Can't make it to the Retreat? Don't despair! Check out our classes & events blog post to see what else we've got going on through the end of September, which includes our 25th Birthday Party and Shop Hop Weekend!
Welcome to the Chalet!
The main retreat events will be taking place here, at the charming and whimsical Chalet Landhaus. We have reserved a block of 30 rooms for retreat participants to book as needed (just like you would for a wedding), if you would like to stay close to the heart of the event - but there are other options!
Unlike previous years where we held the retreat in the country so there wasn't much choice about where to stay, this year we decided that, in keeping with the theme of self-care, we would let all participants make their own choice about what a "retreat" looks like to you:
🌟 Many people sleep better in their own beds; if you live close enough to go home for the night, that may be the right option for you!
🌟 You may want to plug in and be very present for the group events all day, but then have a very private place to retreat to come evening; we have a curated list of nearby AirBNBs for you to browse.
🌟 Or maybe you want to stay close to the heart of the retreat and book a room at the Chalet itself - or get together a group of friends to go in on a shared room for a slumber party vibe! If you want to reserve a room at the Chalet, call 608.527.5234 to make a reservation under group #169963
🌟 Wherever you choose to stay, the common areas in the hotel will provide space to hang out with your fellow attendees into the evening.
Details
💡 The overall price is $550, giving you access to all workshops (with most materials included) and all group activities throughout the weekend, and all meals.
💆 There will be a licensed massage therapist on site, giving you the option to book a massage session as a $60 add-on. These should to be booked ahead of time, and you'll be given the link to book your slot after you register.
🧶 As part of your swag bag, everyone at the retreat will get a complete kit of 6 skeins of dreamy Blue Sky Metalico + pattern - see yarn details here, and then click over here to see Sara and Deb modeling the cowls you'll be working on in community with your fellow knitters and crocheters! You'll get to choose knit or crochet and select from a warm, cool, or rainbow color palette.
🛍️ The Swag Bag is truly epic, folks, and the Metalico is just the beginning. We're giving you a little sneak peak of some of the goodies here: a skein of the heavenly Suri/Huacaya Alpaca blend Prairie... the funky and functional custom wood-burned Sow's Ear gauge swatchers from Katrinkles... these truly unique stitch markers that Shannon, a local artist who is also going to be at the retreat, has lovingly hand-crafted just for you... and more!
What's Happening at the Retreat?
🍂 Friday from 6:00–8:00 PM – Opening Celebration at Baileys Run Winery & Distillery. Ease into the weekend with a relaxing evening at this scenic winery just north of New Glarus, enjoying a full buffet dinner and open bar on their covered outdoor patio. Mingle with fellow crafters and take in beautiful views. A complimentary shuttle will run between the Chalet and the winery.
💡 Saturday & Sunday – Workshops begin at 10am. All day, you'll be able to choose the crafting path that seems right to you at the time. Workshops and activities include:
Knit/Crochet-A-Long with Crystal to work through your Blue Sky Alpaca Metalico kit. Crystal will offer guidance and support as you work through your pattern in a peaceful, process-focused session with no pressure; just good yarn and good company.
Wet Felting with Jarka. A Madison-based fiber artist and long-time friend of the Sow's Ear will help you explore the tactile beauty of wet felting. You’ll learn traditional techniques and create your own felted floral masterpiece.
More highlights include:
🏊 The Chalet's pool, hot tub, sauna, and steam room! Even if you're not staying at the hotel, you’ll receive a pass to access these amenities.
🥗 Lunches catered by Chef Laura of Thyme Savor Cuisine.
🎨 Live painting demonstrations with artist Shannon Clayton
🌱 Build-your-own terrariums with all supplies included
🧵 Open crafting spaces to gather, chat, and make in community
💗 Optional charity projects
🧶 Knitting Mastery Workshop with Leanna Worrall
🧵 Embroidery as a Practice of Pause Workshop with Amber Burton
🌿 Foraging Walk with Belle
💝 Unhurried Making: A Space to Create, Reflect & Play
🤩 Evergreen Fiber Works and Knitz and Pearlz Fiberworks vending all weekend
Please feel free to share this with your crafty friends (even/especially those who don't live locally!), and we sincerely hope to see you in September for this very special weekend!
