OLIENA & SAMUGHEO, SARDINIA

After breakfast, we will head out for a private, guided tour of the Murats Museum, a place dedicated to Sardinia’s extraordinary tapestry traditions of the island. Discover the techniques, symbols, and colors that have been passed down through generations, and begin to see how these elements can inspire your own work. We will then make our way into a local village for a wander and lunch before returning to our hotel in the evening, where you’re free to enjoy dinner on your own.

OLIENA & ATZARA, SARDINIA

Our adventure this morning will focus on the plants that provide the vibrant colors seen in yesterday’s tapestries. We head out for an interactive dying workshop at La Robbia, where you’ll explore Sardinia’s vibrant natural dyes and learn techniques that have colored local textiles for centuries. We will then head to the village of Mamoiada, the heart of Sardinia’s Blue Zone. We’ll dine among the vines with a lunch of abbamele, a traditional Sardinian treat, and take part in a wine tasting in a scenic vineyard. It’s then home to our hotel for a relaxing evening and dinner on your own.

OLIENA & CHEREMULE, SARDINIA

After breakfast this morning, we will proceed from inspiration to design-our first design workshop with Hailey Hodge. Drawing from the tapestries seen at Murats and the colors of La Robbia, you’ll learn how to translate these traditional patterns into your own unique knitting designs. This will certainly help us work up an appetite for lunch together at the hotel, after which we will venture to the Necropolis de Mosedu, an evocative archaeological site that invites contemplation of Sardinia’s spiritual heritage and of its pre-Nuragic ancestors. We will head into town where you will have time for dinner on your own  before heading home for some knitting time together and perhaps a nightcap. 

OLIENA & CAL GONONE, SARDINIA

Another design workshop with Hailey Hodge begins our day, allowing you to refine and expand your knitted creations inspired by Sardinia’s rich tapestry tradition. We then set off for a scenic boat tour of Sardinia’s coastline, where the azure waters, striking cliffs, and secluded coves reveal the island’s wild beauty. We’ll explore the various grottos carved into the coast for a glimpse into Sardinia’s famous sea caves and enjoy lunch on board. We head home to our hotel in the evening for our final dinner and a celebration of creativity, friendship, and the enchanting spirit of Sardinia.

OLBIA, SARDINIA

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before our journey back to Olbia Airport, departing at 9:00 am for a 10:30 am arrival, where we will wish each other a fond “Adiosu” and until we meet again on the yarn trail!

Sydney is a knitter, spinner, crocheter, dyer, and felter. She loves to explore how different local cultures work with fiber.  At one time Sydney managed Quail Hill Farm including sheep for fiber and meat as well as pigs, goats, horses, donkeys, too many cats and dogs, plus various types of poultry. She took her sheep wool from shearing to dying, using her own dye plants, to spinning to knitted garments.  Sydney grew up in NYC and Switzerland and is fluent in French, Italian, and German. She worked for many years as a French teacher and mentor in Waldorf Schools. Before that she worked as a financier on Wall Street and she now uses those skills for strategic planning at Rowan Tree.

Hailey, a professor of studio art, specializes in painting, printmaking, drawing, knitting, and crochet, and is currently based in Florence, Italy. From childhood, her artistic journey has been intertwined with the tactile allure of yarn crafts, working with yarn since she was 7 years old. Her true passion lies in transforming intricate designs into wearable pieces of art, crafted with simplicity and ease. She grew up in the United States, but has found her home in Tuscany. She is fluent in English and Italian, and she loves to share the rich and historic Italian culture around yarn and fabrics with others. When she’s not working or knitting/crocheting, she enjoys being in the outdoors, and exploring Italy in an attempt to try all of the different local cuisines.