CRIAR — Retiros em Agenda

Knitting Creative Retreat

Simplifying Stranded Colorwork in the Alentejo

With Filipa Carneiro

October 16 to 18, 2026

3 days / 2 nights

From the 16th to the 18th of October, join us for a unique experience of creativity and inspiration with the incredible Portuguese knitting designer and tutor, Filipa Carneiro, at O Val Farmhouse!

It will be two and a half days of learning, sharing, socializing, and tasting delicious Alentejo food. In addition to the practical workshops—where you will learn to knit a small Talego(bag) using Portuguese-style stranded colorwork—you will also get to:

•Visit the charming Estremoz Clay Doll Interpretive Center.

•Take part in a clay modelling workshop to create your own knitting stitch marker (inspired by the Estremoz dolls).

•Explore the famous Estremoz flea and antique market.

Every single detail has been though to thought make your experience unforgettable!

Secure your spot now and come awaken your creativity with us.

What to expect from the retreat

“Simplifying Stranded Colorwork in the Alentejo” is a creative retreat, led by Filipa Carneiro at O Val Farmhouse, that celebrates Alentejan cultural heritage through a distinctly Portuguese approach to this stranded colorwork technique. A unique experience that merges tradition and modernity, inviting you to explore new forms of artisanal expression inspired by the region's rich legacy.

During our stroll through the Flea and Antique Market, you can relax and discover regional products and local crafts. A true journey through the arts, crafts, and flavours of the region!

The guided tour of the magnificent Estremoz Clay Doll Interpretive Center will offer a close-up look at the Estremoz clay figures, recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Set in the beautiful palace that houses the center, you will be able to explore the history and production of these iconic dolls, meet the clay artisans, and immerse yourself in the themes of this traditional Alentejan art. Following the tour, you will take part in a clay modeling workshop to create your own traditional Portuguese knitting stitch marker.

This entire experience unfolds from Monforte, at O Val Farmhouse — an inspiring space that invites us to create, simply be, and knit at a slow, peaceful pace.

Come and learn stranded colorwork at an unforgettable retreat!

If you love the look of stranded colorwork but hate the tangled mess of yarn cakes, this retreat is the perfect getaway for you. More than just a simple workshop, this will be a space for sharing and tranquility, where we will knit stranded colorwork using the Portuguese way. You will discover how this traditional method can transform and simplify the way you work with multiple colors. No mess, no tangled yarns, and perfect tension!

As well as mastering the technique, we will draw inspiration from the colors and landscapes of the Alentejo, and from the iconic Estremoz clay dolls, to choose some chart motifs. Our shared practice project will be knitting a traditional "talego" (the typical Alentejo cloth bag, here reinvented in knitting) — the perfect project to apply everything you will learn.

At this retreat, you will learn to knit in the round from the wrong side of the work, purling every stitch. This approach naturally improves yarn tension, keeping the floats perfectly uniform and preventing the fabric from puckering — making it ideal even for beginners. Since each colour is neatly organized on a shoulder pin (or a knitting necklace), tangles become a thing of the past. Requiring only a minimal movement of the left thumb, it is the most comfortable, ergonomic, and fastest technique to create colorful pieces with truly flawless results.

Come and spend a few days with us, get inspired by the Alentejo, and make stranded colorwork effortless!

Filipa Carneiro

Filipa Carneiro lives in Lisbon and is a knitting teacher and designer who loves the art of handmade crafts. She began crocheting as a child, then moved on to embroidery, sewing, and finally discovered knitting. What draws her most to knitting is its unique ability to combine both sides of her personality – creativity and mathematics –in a single craft. A collector of vintage books and magazines, her projects are often inspired by retro aesthetics. She enjoys exploring new techniques and designing pieces that are both beautiful to wear and fun to knit. As a teacher, she focuses on simplifying knitting techniques and making them accessible to all skill levels. Her goal is to help her students feel confident enough to transform their ideas into real garments – and above all, to enjoy the process of knitting them. Filipa runs the largest Portuguese -language knitting channel on YouTube, where she shares weekly tutorials and hosts the live podcast “Knit for a Happier World.”

INSTAGRAM

FACEBOOK

WEBSITE

YOUTUBE

Retreat Information:

2 nights / 2,5 days

Minimum: 5 participants — Maximum: 10

Participants Level: Intermediate. Participants should be comfortable casting on and binding off, knitting basic textured stitches, and making simple increases and decreases.

Languages: Portuguese, English, and Spanish

What’s included?

Accommodation – 2 nights

Continental breakfast × 2

Lunch at the farmhouse × 2

Welcome aperitifs

Tea/coffee and biscuits × 3

Guided visit to the Estremoz Clay Figure Interpretative Centre and clay modeling workshop.

Free time to explore the Estremoz flea and antiques market

3 Workshops with Filipa Carneiro

A knitting kit with Portuguese wool – Folclore by Rosários 4 – and instructions to make a small Talego (drawstring bag)

What’s not included?

Needles (please bring sizes 4, 4.5 and 5 mm)
Transport to/from O Val and during the stay
Saturday lunch in Estremoz
Dinners and any other expenses not mentioned in the program.
Travel insurance.

Program: October 16 to 18, 2026

Friday, 16th October

Check-in starting at 12:00 pm.

1:00 pm – Welcome lunch at the farmhouse.

3:00 pm /6:00 pm - Workshop with Filipa Carneiro

• Introduction to Stranded colorwork;

• How to hold the two colors;

• Stranded Colorwork Knitting and catching floats on the wrong side;

• Explanation of the "talego" (traditional cloth bag) project;

• Reading charts and choosing motifs.

Free dinner

Saturday, 17th October

9:00 am/10:00 am – Continental Breakfast

10:30 am /12:30 pm – Free time at Estremoz Antique and Flea farmers market.

Free Lunch in Estremoz

2:30 pm – Guided tour to the Estremoz Clay dolls interpretive Center folowed by the clay modelling workshop.

5:00 pm/7:00 pm – Time to drink tea and knit with Filipa at the farmhouse.

Free dinner

Sunday, 18th October

9:00 am /10:00 am– Breakfast

10:00 am./1:00 pm : Workshop with Filipa Carneiro

Continue to work on your project.

1:00 p.m. – Lunch at the farmhouse

3:00 pm/6:00 pm: Workshop with Filipa Carneiro

Finishing projects, completing all details, and showcasing the work created during the retreat.

6:30 p.m. – Check-out.

Please note:

The program may be subject to minor changes during your stay.

Guests are welcome to use the kitchen for independent dinners.

Prices and Payment Conditions:

Single Room –€400

Shared Room (2 people) –€340 (each)

We have 2 single rooms and 3 double rooms available.

A deposit of €200 (non-refundable) is required to confirm the reservation, with the remaining balance due by 30th August.

More Information About the Retreat:

Download PDF [Portuguese]

Landscape & Artistry: A Knitting Creative Retreat in Alentejo

A knitting retreat inspired by the serene landscapes and colors of the Alentejo region.

With Anna Husemann

September 22 to 27, 2026

6 days / 5 nights

From September 22 to 27, 2026, join us for a unique experience of creativity and inspiration with the amazing German knitting designer, Anna Husemann, at O Val Farmhouse!

This unique experience blends tradition with contemporary knitting, offering an inspiring journey inspired by the region’s beauty.

Join us for 6 days, including 5 workshop sessions with Anna Husemann, in addition to the following activities and visits:

A visit to to Nisa’s Embroidery and Pottery Museum, where you can learn about the history and manufacturing processes of traditional embroidery and pottery. The famous art of Nisa embroidery, is applied across various types of needlework.

A visit to “Castelo de Vide”, a charming medieval town, famous for its historic castle, well-preserved Jewish Quarter, and picturesque flower-lined streets.

A stroll through Estremoz’s Flea and Antiques Market, where you can unwind and discover regional products and local crafts.

This entire experience is based in Monforte, at O Val Farmhouse – an inspiring space that invites you to create at your own pace.

What to expect from the retreat

This immersive, creative experience features 5 hands-on workshop sessions.

Creative Intarsia

Explore the world of colourful motifs and exciting material contrasts: In this workshop we’ll take a closer look at the intarsia technique. You will learn how to work the intarsia join and how to read colour charts and we will create a swatch in stockinette stitch intarsia, garter stitch intarsia as well as seamless intarsia.

Marled Intarsia

Discover this modern variation of the intarsia technique: We combine intarsia with marling, the creative mixing of different yarns, colours and materials. During the workshop, we will knit swatches that explore several ways to create subtle, marled motifs.

Brioche Intarsia

In this workshop, the intarsia technique meets two-colour brioche. We take a look at both knitting techniques in detail and learn how to combine them to create a particularly interesting combination of three-dimensional ribs, vertical lines and colourful motifs.

Moodboard

Our source of inspiration is the landscape, crafts, colours and shapes of Alentejo. In this workshop, you will create your own moodboard by gathering colours, materials, notes, photos, sketches and swatches — and begin shaping ideas for your own intarsia design.

Create your own intarsia scarf design

Turn your inspiration into a knit chart for your own design! Based on your moodboard, we will plan your own intarsia scarf, discuss yarn and colour combinations and create a colour chart you can immediately begin knitting from.

Anna Husemann

Anna Husemann is a textile and knitwear designer based in Hamburg, Germany. Her work is all about colour, shapes and materials and how they interact with each other. She interprets the traditional craft of knitting in a modern, abstract way, taking a step back from small, repetitive motifs to instead create an expressive and pictorial character. In doing so, the intarsia technique is her favourite tool.

She is always on the lookout for interesting surfaces, structures, or textures that she can use as inspiration for her designs. Her biggest source of inspiration is nature, especially the seaside: In the natural world she finds endless inspiration for motifs and compositions, as well as for beautiful colour combinations and special colour nuances. It was during her master’s degree in textile design where she discovered the collage technique for her work. Most of her paper collages are created on the spot, by capturing the mood of a landscape, scenery, or specific motifs in an abstract way. She then translates these illustration into knitted textiles by filling their shapes with various materials.

Anna published her first book INTARSIA KNITS in October 2024, which contains 12 exclusive knitting patterns as well as many tips and tricks for mastering the intarsia technique. To follow her work and her current projects, visit:

INSTAGRAM

Retreat Information:

5 nights

Minimum: 5 participants — Maximum: 8

Participants skill level: basic knitting knowledge required

Languages: English and German

What’s included?

5 nights + 5 Continental breakfasts with regional products
2 Lunches at the farmhouse
1 welcome dinner + 4 light dinners at the farmhouse
Welcome aperitivo + Tea/coffee and biscuits break
Food restrictions – We will do our best to find alternatives available in our region to respect the food restrictions of our guests, but the meals we serve are traditional Portuguese and Mediterranean cuisine.
Visit to Niza’s Embroidery and pottery museum.
Free time for lunch and visit to Castelo de Vide.
Free time for lunch and to explore the Estremoz flea and antiques market
5 Workshops (total 15 hours) with Anna Husemann.
Transfers between Lisbon Airport and O Val farmhouse in shared van or car (two hours’ drive). The pickup time will be determined by the arrival and departure times of most of the group. You may have to wait for the arrival of another guest at the airport.

What’s not included?

Workshop materials – Supply list provided latter on.
Extra drinks - The meals include 1 glass of wine, water or soft drink per person.
Free lunches in Castelo de Vide and in Estremoz.
Flights - if your flight is delayed and you’re not in time for the group pick-up at Lisbon airport, you’ll be charged an additional fee for a personalized pick-up.
Any expenses not mentioned in the program.
Travel /health insurance.

Program: Sempember 22 to 27, 2026

Tuesday, September 22

TBC – Pickup at Lisbon airport – not before 13:00

16:00 - Check-in

19:00 - Welcome dinner at the house

Wednesday, September 23

9:00 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:00 - Workshop Session 1 - 3 hrs

13:00 - Lunch at the house

15:00 - Workshop Session 2 – 3 hrs

19:00 – Light dinner at the house

Thursday, September 24

08:30 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:30 – Visit to Nisa’s Embroidery and pottery museum

13:00 – Free Lunch in Castelo de Vide

15:00 – Free time to visit Castelo de Vide.

19:30 – Light dinner at the house

Friday, September 25

09:00 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:00 - Workshop Session 3 - 3 hrs

13:00 - Lunch at the house

15:00 - Workshop Session 4 - 3 hrs

19:00 – Light dinner at the house

Saturday, September 26

09:00 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:30 - Estremoz antique and flea farmer’s market

12:30 – Free Lunch in Estremoz

15:00 - Workshop Session 5 - 3 hrs

19:00 – Light dinner at the house

Sunday, September 27

08:30 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:30 - Check-out

TBC – Arrival at Lisbon not before 13:00.

Prices and Payment Conditions:

Single Room – 2200€

Shared Room (2 guests) – 1900€ (each)

We have 2 single rooms and 3 double rooms available.

A deposit of 500€ (non-refundable) is required to confirm the reservation.
Second payment, 1000€ is due by June 30.
Remaining balance, 700€ for the single bedrooms and 400€ for shared bedrooms, by July 31.

More Information About the Retreat:

Alma Flor, Alentejo - Creative Retreat

Alma Flor, Alentejo - Creative Retreat

With Victoria Johnson

May 26 to June 1, 2026

7 days / 6 nights

From May 26 to June 1, 2026, join us for a unique experience of creativity and inspiration with the amazing British artist, Victoria Johnson, at O Val Farmhouse!

This unique experience blends tradition with contemporary art, offering an inspiring journey into creative, intuitive expression inspired by the region’s beauty.

Join us for five days, including six workshop sessions with Victoria Johnson, in addition to the following activities and visits:

The small Joaquim Vermelho Museum in Estremoz Castle showcases local folk art collections of horn, cork, and wood by master artisans. Three of the rooms recreate an Alentejo Home from the late 19th to the early 20th century. It also houses Estremoz UNESCO clay figures and historical local pottery.

A visit to the inspiring Azulejo (tile) Museum in Estremoz.

A stroll through Estremoz’s Flea and Antiques Market, where you can unwind and discover regional products and local crafts.

Lunch at “Fundação de Veiros” an NGO in the lovely village of Veiros. The foundation responds to the urgent needs of children entrusted to its care by Social Security through a Residential Care Home.

This entire experience is based in Monforte, at O Val Farmhouse – an inspiring space that invites you to create at your own pace.

What to expect from the retreat

This immersive, creative experience features six hands-on workshop sessions. During your week with Victoria, you’ll learn to draw from the Alentejo cultural and historical aesthetic and combine its rich visual bounty with your own taste and style to create unique floral artworks.

Victoria will share her painting and drawing techniques, focusing on curiosity and exploration, and can’t wait to show you the architecture, textiles, ceramics, and natural beauty of the region. She’ll demonstrate a charming and exciting way to record visual treasures, so you can use them in the future, as a reference library to inspire your artwork or to bring back wonderful memories.

Throughout the week, Victoria will be hands-on, delighted to help with a huge range of queries, whether they’re about painting techniques, how to photograph and edit your inspiration or artwork, the logistics of running an art business, or anything else you can think of! Victoria loves to have a chat - especially one that helps you reach your goals!

Victoria Johnson

Victoria Johnson is an English artist based in Italy. Her design career began in America, where she opened a New York / London studio, collaborating with leading women’s wear designers and retailers.

After many years in New York, Victoria moved her creative business to Rome. Her

artwork has featured on a variety of beautiful products for well-known clients, including Anthropologie, Gap, Hallmark, Papyrus, and Windham Fabrics.

Victoria distills thirty years of experience into powerful online art and design courses, motivating and inspiring thousands of artists to create authentic and original artwork that’s true to their taste and style.

At her art retreats, Victoria encourages guests to understand what makes them different, value what they gravitate towards, and lean into it!

Victoria will show you how to be curious and open to new things while staying true to yourself. You’ll gather inspiration from the cultural and aesthetic riches of stunning parts of the world, combine that with an exciting array of media and techniques, and create intuitive works of art, vibrant with colour and texture.

INSTAGRAM

Retreat Information:

6 nights

Minimum: 5 participants — Maximum: 8

Participants Level: all.

Languages: English and Italian

What’s included?

6 nights + 6 Continental breakfasts with regional products
3 Lunches at the farmhouse + 1 Lunch at Fundação de Veiros + 1 lunch in Estremoz.
5 Dinners at the farmhouse + 1 Dinner in Estremoz
Welcome aperitivo + Tea/coffee and biscuits breaks
Food restrictions – We will do our best to find alternatives available in our region to respect the food restrictions of our guests, but the meals we serve are traditional Portuguese and Mediterranean cuisine.
Visit to Joaquim Vermelho Folk art Museum + free time to visit Estremoz’s Castle area.
Visit to Azulejo (tile) Museum in Estremoz
Free time to explore the Estremoz flea and antiques market
6 Workshops (total 18 hours) with Victoria Johnson
A mini- exhibition and aperitivo
Transfers between Lisbon Airport and O Val farmhouse in shared van or car. The pickup time will be determined by the arrival and departure times of most of the group. You may have to wait for the arrival of another guest at the airport.

What’s not included?

Workshop materials – Supply list in the next page.
Extra drinks - The meals include 1 glass of wine, water or soft drink per person.
If your flight is delayed and you’re not in time for the group pick-up at Lisbon airport,
you’ll be charged an additional fee for a personalized pick-up.
Any expenses not mentioned in the program.
Travel /health insurance.

Program: May 26 to June 1, 2026

Tuesday, May 26

TBC – Pickup at Lisbon airport – not before 13:00

16:00 - Check-in

19:00 - Welcome dinner at the house

Wednesday, May 27

9:00 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:00 - Workshop Session 1 - 3 hrs

13:00 - Lunch at the house

15:30 - Visit to the local art and crafts museum Joaquim Vermelho and walk in the Estremoz’s castle area.

19:30 - Dinner in Estremoz

Thursday, May 28

08:30 - Continental breakfast with regional products

09:30 - Workshop Session 2 – 3 hrs

13:00 - Lunch in Estremoz

14:30 - Visit to the “Azulejos” - tile Museum in Estremoz

19:30 - Dinner at the house

Friday, May 29

09:00 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:00 - Workshop Session 3 - 3 hrs

13:00 - Lunch at the house

15:00 - Workshop Session 4 - 3 hrs

19:00 - Dinner at the house

Saturday, May 30

09:00 - Continental breakfast with regional products

10:30 - Estremoz antique and flea market

12:30 - Lunch at Fundação de Veiros

14:30 - Workshop Session 5 - 3 hrs

19:00 - Dinner at the house

Sunday, May 31

08:30 - Continental breakfast with regional products

09:30 - Workshop Session 6 - 3 hrs

12:30 - Lunch at the house

15:00 - Pack up

18:00 - Mini exhibition and aperitivo

19:30 - Dinner at the house

Monday, Jun 1

09:00 - Continental breakfast with regional products

11:00 - Check-out

TBC – Arrival at Lisbon not before 13:30, and depending on traffic.

NOTE: Please do not book any flights until the retreat is confirmed and make sure you have travel insurance.

Prices and Payment Conditions:

Single Room – 2900€

Shared Room (2 guests) – 2600€ (each)

We have 3 single rooms and 2 double rooms available.

A deposit of 900€ (non-refundable) is required to confirm the reservation, with the remaining balance due by March 15th, 2026.

More Information About the Retreat: