Retreat Summer 2026 with Sandy Barnes and Britt-Marie Brehmer
A Retreat Unlike Any We've Done Before
Some retreats are lovely weekends away from the demands of everyday life. Good food, good company, beautiful knitting.
This one is that — and something more.
This July, I'm bringing two of the most interesting minds in contemporary yarn design to Leonardtown for a long weekend that is equal parts retreat and master class. It's a first for Crazy for Ewe. I think it's going to be extraordinary.
Meet Sandy Barnes and Britt-Marie Brehmer
Sandy Barnes has a gift. She takes the thing that scares you and makes it feel completely natural.
If you knit with Shibui yarns, you experienced her work — that quiet, diligent work that gives you an understanding of what happens when you hold two strands of yarn together to create something entirely new. It was Sandy's stack of swatches that gave voice to those possibilities. Ito, a beautiful Japanese line of extraordinarily fine yarns, is now fortunate enough to have Sandy to bring her magic to their fibers.
Sandy has knit, quite literally, hundreds of swatches. She knows things about yarn combination that most people spend years trying to figure out. She's going to share those things with us.
Britt-Marie Brehmer designs clothes you actually want to wear. Beautiful fit, luxurious fabric, and a kind of relaxed effortless look.
If you knit Lova or Kiki, you know exactly what I mean.
Originally from Sweden, she brings a Scandinavian spare aesthetic to everything she makes — nothing fussy, nothing overdone. The shape and the fabric do the talking. She has designed for Shibui, Pascuali, and others, and now works under her own label. If you've seen her put cola-colored Sensai on top of charcoal So Kosho and watched an entirely new color emerge from that pairing, you understand what she does.
Together, Sandy and Britt-Marie are going to walk us through two days of fiber blending and color exploration — teaching us to hold multiple strands together and create fabrics that are genuinely ours.
This is a different kind of retreat, and I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time. I'm thrilled we're finally doing it.
The Workshop
Day One — Mixing Yarns to Create Beautiful Fabrics
We'll start at the beginning: the fear. If you've never held two strands together, you're not alone. More knitters than you'd imagine have quietly confided that they're scared to try. The physical logistics, the doubled number of skeins, the very real possibility of missing a strand — it's a lot.
Sandy and Britt-Marie will take that fear apart, piece by piece, and replace it with something much better: a swatch in your hands and an understanding of what's happening in the fabric.
We'll explore how different fibers interact, how drape changes when yarns are combined, and how to read what the fabric is telling you.
Day Two — Color Mixing with Mohair
This is where it gets really interesting.
Mohair is one of the most powerful tools a knitter has — and one of the most underused. The second day is devoted entirely to what happens when you bring mohair into the equation. Depth of color. Highlights. Lowlights. An enchanting shimmer. The ability to shift a color in a more neutral direction or push it somewhere bolder.
Sandy and Britt-Marie will show you how to make these decisions intentionally rather than accidentally. You'll leave with a new way of seeing yarn combinations — and a stack of swatches you'll want to turn into something immediately.
Prior knitting experience required. Basic knit and purl skills needed. Bring knitting needles US 3 through US 9 and scissors — yarn and materials provided.
The Weekend
Thursday, July 9
Arrive when you're ready. At 5pm, join us at Crazy for Ewe for a champagne reception — a chance to settle in, meet Sandy and Britt-Marie, and find your people for the weekend. Dinner together at The Front Porch. The evening is yours for knitting, talking, and the particular pleasure of being in a room full of people who understand you completely.
Friday, July 10
Day One of the workshop. We'll work together through the morning and afternoon, with a beautiful catered lunch in the middle. In the evening, dinner together at a second Leonardtown restaurant — our town has more good tables than you'd expect.
Saturday, July 11
Day Two of the workshop. Same warm structure: morning, catered lunch, afternoon. Saturday evening, everyone is on their own for dinner. I'll have a table reserved at Sweetbay, my favorite restaurants in the area, for anyone who wants to join me. It's always a wonderful evening. No obligation, no pressure. Just good food and good company for those who would like to join us.
Sunday, July 12
A lovely show and share breakfast together. This is such a fun time to share what you've made or what you're working on with people who really appreciate what goes into a handmade item.The shop opens at 1pm, and you are welcome to come hang out there or head home.
The Details
Dates: Thursday, July 9 — Sunday, July 12, 2026
Location: We begin at Crazy for Ewe, 22845 Washington Street, Leonardtown, MD. The workshops are at The Inn at Leonardtown, 41655 Park Avenue.
Price: $699 per person
What's included: Champagne reception Thursday evening, dinner Thursday and Friday, catered lunch Friday and Saturday, Sunday breakfast, workshop instruction both days, Ito yarn and materials for the workshop, and a tote bag with a few things I think you'll enjoy.
What's not included: Hotel accommodations (book your own room from our room block below), dinner Saturday.
Spaces: Limited. This is an intimate weekend by design.
Book Your Room
We have a room block at The Inn at Leonardtown. Book directly using the link below to receive our group rate.
Register
Questions? Call us at 301-475-2744 or email hello @ crazyforewe.com
We can't wait to see you in July.
~Ellen
Designated an Arts and Entertainment District, Leonardtown is a perfect retreat destination.