Portugal 2024 - Terroir Knitting Retreat

We began as a group of approximately twenty strangers in Lisbon, starting out with a visit to Retrosaria Rosa Pomar. There Rosa Pomar herself taught us about the beautiful Portuguese wool yarn we purchased for our Cocoknits Method sweaters. We then headed to our home base for the week, hotel Pousada Convento de Loios - a former monastery built in 1485 - ​in Evora, a beautifully preserved medieval town encircled by Roman walls​.

We balanced our time between knitting at the Convento, exploring Evora, and venturing out to explore the wider area. We saw the bustling flea market in Estremoz, ​t​he hilltop medieval village ​o​f Monsaraz, and Fabricaal - where ​w​e watched wool blankets and rugs being woven on antique looms. We also visited Corticarte cork factory and Chocalhos Pardalinho, a Unesco heritage site​ and sheep bell factory. The musician bell makers demonstrated their skills making and tuning the bells - exactly as they have for hundreds of years.

Good food and wine is at the heart of Portuguese culture and​ we happily explored both! ​We had our fill of seafood and famous black pork made from pigs that graze on acorns​. (Vegetarians were also accommodated with lovely dishes). The food paired perfectly with smooth reds and fruity whites ​for which the Alentejo region is famous​.

By the end of our week, we were a group of friends who had a solid start on new sweaters - knitted from Portuguese yarn, in Portugal. A perfect (and functional!) souvenir and a reminder of our time spent with fellow fiber and culture enthusiasts and new friends.