2027 Retreat · November 6 - 10, 2027
The Knitting Salon
A Knitting Retreat in France with Julie Dubreux
The Knitting Salon is a small autumn retreat at Château de Borie for knitters who already love the craft and want the rare luxury of several uninterrupted days to make something beautiful. Over five days and four nights you will learn new techniques from Julie Dubreux, work on a project designed especially for the château, and knit alongside a small group of people who understand why anyone would travel to France to do it.
Led by Julie and hosted by Abby Carter, the retreat alternates three guided workshops with long stretches of relaxed, communal knitting. Julie is on hand for all of it, so a tricky decrease or a colour question never has to wait. The word salon is meant in the old French sense: a gathering with good company, good conversation and something in your hands. Chef James cooks, there is an afternoon out to see a little of southwest France, and nobody is expected to finish anything by Wednesday.
November suits this. The fires are lit, there are baskets of yarn within reach, dinners are long, and nobody needs to be anywhere else.
€3,250 private
“Bring your needles. Leave the to-do list. Knit by the fire with people who understand.”
Five days of knitting
Learn from Julie
- Three workshops, each building on the last. One square, one technique, so there is always something new to try.
- Colourwork in the round, steeking or double knitting: you choose how far to stretch. A brioche stitch workshop adds another way to play with yarn and colour.
- Prefer to go deeper on fewer techniques? Pick a selection and leave the rest. Nobody is expected to do it all.
- Julie is with you for the workshops and the informal knitting time, with individual guidance whenever you need it.
- Everyday tips for reading your knitting, understanding what is happening on your needles and trying new things without fear.
Your project: the Château Sampler
- A collection of same-size squares designed by Julie for this retreat, to become a cushion cover or the start of a blanket. Knit as many squares as you like, one technique at a time.
- One square is a colourwork chart of the Château de Borie logo, a souvenir you will have made yourself. Leaf patterns and details from the château round out the collection, and you are welcome to chart a square of your own.
- Your kit is included: Ulysse, a carded merino from De Rerum Natura in Toulouse, in autumn colours drawn from the château. Bring your own needles and basic notions.
- Julie brings a large trunk show of her designs, so you can look closely at finished work and try pieces on.
- Real progress without pressure: there is no need to finish before you leave.
Time to gather
- Welcome drinks on arrival, when Julie introduces the project and hands out the kits.
- Fireside knitting in the evenings: conversation, wine and an entirely optional continuation of your project.
- A relaxed afternoon out to see a little of southwest France, such as a nearby village, market, brocante or café, depending on what is open in November.
- One long, unhurried knitting day: an open salon with Julie close by and nothing else on the agenda.
- Long château lunches and dinners with Chef James, including a farewell dinner.
- Shared meals, wine and conversation with your fellow knitters.
Your teacher & your host
Julie Dubreux
Knitwear Designer & Knitting Instructor
Julie Dubreux is a knitwear designer and knitting instructor whose love for the knitting community shows in her colourful collaborations with independent dyers around the world, and in a particular fondness for brioche.
Her designs have been published in Pom Pom Quarterly, Laine Magazine and Knit Now UK, and in books including I Knit Paris, My Favourite Things and Homecoming.
An outgoing, dynamic teacher, Julie draws on her experience as a high-school teacher to manage groups of knitters with different levels of ability, so that nobody feels left out and everyone learns something new. Her teaching is patient, friendly and inclusive, and just as much about everyday tips (reading your knitting, understanding what is happening on your needles, trying new things without fear) as about the intricate stuff.
When Julie takes part in a retreat, she takes part fully: the workshops, the open knitting hours and the evenings by the fire. Bring your questions, and bring your needles. She brings a trunk show of her designs.
Abigail Carter
Host · Château de Borie
Abigail Carter is an American author and the owner of Château de Borie, the centuries-old château in southwest France she has called home since 2022. After building a life and career in the United States, Abby did something she never quite expected: bought a crumbling French château and began creating a new chapter on the other side of the Atlantic.
Today, she opens the château to small groups of curious travelers who want to experience France a little differently—not rushing from sight to sight, but settling in, sharing meals, exploring the surrounding villages and getting to know the rhythms of life here.
Abby believes some of the best experiences happen around a table, on an unplanned detour, or in conversations between people who were strangers a few days before. Her retreats are built around that idea: come as you are, make yourself at home, and see what happens.
Meet Chef James
Chef James Lee Gordon brings more than a decade of experience in organic and Michelin-rated kitchens to Château de Borie. A remarkably creative cook, James transforms fresh, seasonal ingredients into dishes that are as beautiful as they are delicious—often looking more like works of art than dinner. Founder of The Chocolate Bear Kitchen in England, he is also particularly skilled at creating thoughtful, inclusive menus for guests with food allergies and intolerances.
Meals with James are an experience in themselves, often enjoyed outside on the château terrace. Depending on the season and the menu, that might mean a summer barbecue, a pizza night, or a little culinary theatre—such as his spectacular tableside Crêpes Suzette.
James brings imagination and a sense of occasion to every meal, making the food at Château de Borie an unforgettable part of the retreat experience.
Who this retreat is for
Come with a few projects behind you
This retreat is for intermediate to advanced knitters: people who have already followed a pattern to make accessories or garments and would like to stretch a little. You do not need to have tried colourwork, steeking or double knitting. Julie teaches each technique from the beginning, and if one feels like too much, it can wait for another day.
The group is small, up to ten knitters, so Julie can see what is on your needles. Whether you knit quickly or slowly, take on every square or only a few, you will find your own pace. The aim is progress, not a finished blanket.
If you have been meaning to try colourwork but never had someone patient to sit beside you, this is that week.
What you'll take home
A project well under way, and the skills to finish it: techniques you may never have tried, a souvenir square of Château de Borie, and the confidence to read your knitting and rescue it when it goes sideways. You will also have the yarn to keep going at home, and a few new friends who will not blink when you mention gauge swatches.
Voices of Past Participants
“The people - the staff & participants became like friends.”
~ 2026 Participant
“I am overwhelmed with what Abby has accomplished both at the chateau and with the retreats. It’s wonderful how she shares it with others. James, our chef created delicious dishes from local fresh ingredients. Finally making ten new, wonderful friends is truly a gift that keeps giving.”
~ 2026 Participant
The week, day by day
SAT Nov 6th
Arrival
Arrive at Château de Borie before 4:00 pm and settle in. Over drinks, meet Julie and the group; she introduces the project and hands out the kits. Welcome dinner with Chef James.
SUN Nov 7th
Making begins
Breakfast, then the first workshop with Julie: the project, the first techniques, and individual guidance as you get started. Lunch together. The afternoon is a second, more relaxed session, either more teaching or open studio time with Julie on hand. Dinner at the château, then fireside knitting, wine and conversation, entirely optional.
MON Nov 8th
Knit, explore & gather
Breakfast, then a workshop or communal knitting session. Lunch. In the afternoon, a change of scenery and a taste of southwest France, depending on what is open and interesting in November. Back at the château for drinks, knitting and dinner.
TUE Nov 9th
The long knitting day
A deliberately luxurious day with nowhere else to be. The main workshop with Julie builds on the week and takes on the more advanced parts of the project. Lunch at the château, then an extended open knitting salon: work at your own pace, with Julie circulating to help. Farewell dinner that evening.
WED Nov 10th
One last stitch
Breakfast and a relaxed final gathering: share your progress, talk about finishing at home, photograph your work and ask any remaining questions. Depart before noon, with transfers to Agen station.
The order of workshops and outings follows the group, opening hours and the weather. Full details are shared after booking.
Rooms & investment
Premium
€3,250 solo, per person
€2,850 shared, per person
Cygne, Étoile, Gingko, Rossignol, and Jasmin — all are second-floor, private bathrooms down the hall, except Jasmin, which is a third-floor room with a full ensuite.
Standard
€2,950 solo, per person
€2,650 shared, per person
Magnolia, Colibri, Chouette, Renard, Lapin, Paon — third floor bedrooms with private bathrooms down the hall. Shared pairings available in Lapin, Paon, and Cygne.
What’s included
What's Included
- Round-trip transport from Agen train station
- 4 nights, private or shared
- All meals, beverages, and wine
- Three workshops with Julie, plus open knitting time with her on hand
- Your knitting kit: Ulysse yarn from De Rerum Natura
- Afternoon excursion in southwest France
- A trunk show of Julie's designs
What's Not Included
- Airfare or international travel
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities
- Personal spending money
- Knitting needles and basic notions (bring your own)
- Occasional lunches during excursions where indicated
Getting here & getting around
Book your own flights into Toulouse or Bordeaux, then a roughly 90 min, train to Agen — or fly into Paris and take the 3-hour TGV from Montparnasse. We recommend arriving a day early in Toulouse if you can, to shake off the jet lag before the week begins.
Transportation is provided for all group excursions, so a rental car isn't necessary. Trip and medical cancellation insurance is strongly recommended. The château is multi-level with stairs throughout, so comfortable, unassisted walking is a must — and you'll likely meet Lulu, the resident Boston terrier.
Cancellations & refunds
A deposit holds your seat. Here's exactly how refunds work as the date approaches.
Deposit is refundable up to this date.
Full refund if your spot is filled from a waitlist; otherwise 50% refund, or a 12-month credit transfer to a future retreat.
No refunds. We strongly recommend trip/medical cancellation insurance.
A small group. Five days. Something beautiful to take home.
Have a question before you commit — about your skill level, a room, or the dates? Reach out directly and we'll help you figure out if this retreat is right for you.