9555 Nall Ave.
Overland Park KS 66207
Sun Closed Mon - Sat 11-3
816-531-4466
Jan 30 - Feb 1, 2026
The Historic
Elms Hotel & Spa
Excelsior Springs, MO
Imagine cozy hangout spots, happy stitching companions and helpful classes. Add a few happy hours, healthy food and hilarious late-night capers. And don't forget a delightful Yarn Market, door prizes and divine runway shows. What do you have? The Studio's Annual Winter Retreat. You don't want to miss it!!
The Retreat promises to be a weekend full of all things stitching, learning and hanging out with folks who share our passions for our crafts.
This event is a build your own weekend experience.
Step 1 - purchase the retreat package. Step 2 - book your room at the venue. Step 3 - select the classes you wish to take
STUDIO RETREAT PACKAGE INCLUDES:
5 meals: Friday Dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch & banquet, Sunday breakfast
3 snacks: Saturday morning, afternoon, and after dinner
Designer and Student Fashion Shows
Yarn Market, including yarn not yet available in the Studio
Goodie Bag
Pajama Party on Saturday Night
Assorted planned (and spontaneous!) fun activities with old friends and new
$459 per person
VENUE
Excelsior Springs, MO
king or 2 queens
Online booking: Use link below
Bristol Ivy is a knitting designer, teacher, and author from Bangor, Maine. Her work has been published with PomPom Magazine, amirisu, Quince & Co., Making Magazine, and her own eponymous pattern line. She has taught at such events as Squam Art Workshops, Edinburgh Yarn Festival, and Vogue Knitting Live, as well as yarn shops worldwide. Her recent books, Knitting Outside the Box and Knitting Outside the Box: Drape and Fold, both with PomPom Press, explore her lifelong commitment to breaking rules and finding beauty in unexpected places. When not knitting, she’s sewing, running, watching far too many British murder mysteries, and baking a mean loaf of oatmeal honey bread. Find her online at bristolivy.com and on Instagram and Twitter as @bristolivy.
Homework & Supplies
Education
Friday Night 8 pm
- Cindy Craig
Ready to turn fingering weight yarn into a show-stopping bulky scarf? In this inventive class, you’ll use striping yarn and clever construction to knit a multi-directional scarf that’s full of movement and personality. Learn Navajo plying (also known as chain plying) to triple your yarn into a bulky weight strand—perfect for bold texture and faster knitting. Then dive into short row shaping to create directional shifts that make your stripes dance.
- Lynn Haffner
Tip-toe into needlepoint with this class which focuses on learning the main stitch of needlepoint, the basketweave stitch. You will start with a simple bookmark so you can master the stitch.
Saturday Morning Classes
9am - noon
Introduction to Intarsia
- Bristol Ivy
Intarsia often conjures up images of voluminous ‘80s sweaters covered in puppies, chicks, and Laura Ashley florals. But the technique itself is super easy, super fun, and lends itself incredibly well to modern, linear, and graphic shapes. In this class, we’ll learn how to work intarsia flat, then how to shift stitches and even talk about how to work intarsia in the round. • Experience needed: knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing
Wingspan
- Lynn Haffner
This design is deceptively simple, knitted in one piece, shaped by short rows and completely in garter stitch. It works up very quickly. The basis is a series of triangles knitted on to each other but staggered by a set number of stitches
Clark Santa
- Theresa Schmitt
Join us for a holiday-themed needlepoint class. In this class, you’ll learn three decorative stitches that add texture, personality, and polish to your needlepoint projects.
Saturday Afternoon Classes
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Darn It
- Bristol Ivy
In this class, we’ll discuss when bad things happen to good, well loved knits, and how we can fix it. We’ll discuss basic repair techniques, as well as yarn structure and picking yarn for projects to make our knits last as long as possible. • Experience needed: knitting, purling, decreasing
Speedy Selbu Mittens
- Monta Morris
Speedy Selbu Mittens, is a 2 color Norwegian mitten in worsted weight yarn. You’ll learn: reading colorwork charts, managing floats, understanding color dominance, and shaping both the thumb and mitten top. • Experience needed: comfortable with knit and purl, increases and decreases, and working in the round using DPNs or magic loop.
Clarence Santa
- Theresa Schmitt
Celebrate the magic of It’s a Wonderful Life with a needlepoint class that’s truly angelic. This class will guide you through five decorative stitches that bring texture, sparkle, and personality to your work. You'll leave with skills that make your canvas sing and a heart full of holiday cheer. After all, every time a stitch is placed… an angel gets its wings!
Sunday Morning Classes
9:00 am - noon
Fit That Knit
- Bristol Ivy
How do you pick a sweater size? How do you calculate positive ease? How about negative ease? And really, have you ever tried to measure your own bicep? Each of these tasks can be a stumbling block on the path to knitting your own garments. In this class, we’ll develop a comprehensive set of measurements for our own bodies that we can reference for future sweater knitting. In addition, we’ll talk about how we can use the sizing info included with patterns, and pick the perfect size to start knitting your new favorite sweater! Please note: this class will be based on body positivity. All sizes and shapes are welcome, and no self-criticism or shaming is allowed. All bodies are worthy of a well-fitting sweater!
Canasta Cowl
- Jessica Kerrigan
Inspired by the lively textures and brilliant hues of Mexican street markets, the Canasta Cowl blends slipped stitches and simple knits to create a rich, woven fabric full of movement and charm. In this class, you’ll learn how to work the Canasta pattern, explore color combinations that pop, and master techniques that give your knitting a basket-like texture with minimal fuss. Perfect for adventurous beginners and seasoned stitchers alike, this cowl is a joyful tribute to tradition, color, and the beauty of handmade craft.
Ralphie Santa
- Theresa Schmitt
Celebrate the holiday classic A Christmas Story with a needlepoint class that’s as charming as Ralphie’s pink bunny pajamas. This workshop will teach you five decorative stitches that bring texture, whimsy, and personality to your project. Whether you're dreaming of a Red Ryder BB gun or just want to add some festive flair to your stitching skills, this class is the perfect way to relive the magic of the movie—one stitch at a time. Just don’t forget your decoder pin!
Weekend Schedule
(abbreviated)
8:00
Classes
9-12
12-1:30
2-5
6:00
8:00
Classes
Lunch
Classes
Dinner & Student Fashion Show
PJ Party
9-12
Classes