Our Home on Monhegan Island.

A lovely capture of a hike to Pulpit Rock, taken by Tara.

On a g2k knitting retreat, we create a tiny but intentional community for a few short days. We share a love of the craft of knitting, a love of beautiful places in nature, and then the magic happens. We don't all know each other when we start, but over the course of our time together, we form beautiful threads of connection. Naturally, our conversations include lots of knitting, pattern, and yarn talk — that's one thing for sure when you get a group of knitters together! This year's 2026 Solstice Retreat to Monhegan Island included tips about favorite cast ons and bind offs, as well as how we each orient ourselves to a new pattern or designer's approach to a pattern. (See a new g2k Tiny Book on the topic here!)

But we also talk about books. Recipes. Someone fabulous on YouTube. Knitting physical therapy stretches. Health topics always come up. Someone's favorite brand of tea (and where to order it from). A fabulous pair of hiking pants that zip off! Backpacks, and finding the "just right" one for your body (with room for your hiking stuff AND knitting, of course!).

As retreat leader and former librarian, I collate all these great tips and recommendations in one handy document, then send it out to participants after we all return home. It's a nice reminder of the community we shared — plus then we all don't have to race for our phones every time someone shares another gem.

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Though there's no pressure to knit anything (or do anything) that doesn't seem fun, ever, on a g2k retreat, this retreat's project was a really fun little knit — a pair of pulse warmers by Kris Gregson. Each participant received a beautiful skein of ontheround's Cottage DK yarn in the colorway Seafoam (pictured above, center). Rachel, from ontheround, is a local Maine indie dyer and I so pleased to include her yarnin the retreat "goodie bags."

I also had a bit of fun making hand-drawn "shrinkydink" charms for each participant to serve as a shorthand for the simple 8-round pattern (above left).

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Our home on Monhegan is the cozy and comfortable Monhegan House where the hospitality, and 3-course breakfasts, are unmatched. Innkeeper Melanie and her staff convey a warm, joyful welcome so that we truly can feel at home, whether knitting on one of the porches or in the parlor, or just lingering after breakfast. This year, we enjoyed the community Solstice BBQ hosted by the Monhegan House — open to all, with live music, to benefit the Monhegan First Aid Station and Island Volunteer Firefighters.

Last year, participants offered the feedback that a three-day retreat was their preference. And they were absolutely right! Adding a third night in this special place allowed each of us to relax more deeply, sharing more laughs and companionship, and also the quiet comfort of simply being together in silence.

With our knitting in our hands.