“Kate's retreat in Isle of Palms, SC was exciting, informative, well planned and simply amazing! I thoroughly enjoyed all the activities and workshops. Would definitely take part in another workshop. Thank you Kate for an amazing few days!”
—Susan G.

"The inaugural stitch and beach was such fun! from the local culture we experienced through outings and learning events to the workshops taught by Kate, there was something to learn and enjoy each day."
—Terri S.

“Great house, great classes, super people Glad I was able to be a part of it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”
—Pat S.

“New-ish knitter heading to a retreat knowing not one person, sharing a room and bathroom with strangers, what could go wrong? (Spoiler alert: nothing. Absolutely nothing went wrong.) Although I attended Stitch & Beach with seasoned pros of the craft, I never once felt out of place among them. I don’t know how Kate did it, but our group of 16 was simply the best. Whether one-on-one in a quiet corner of the beach house or the whole kit and caboodle of us laughing and stitching away in the big open kitchen and living room, there wasn’t a sourpuss to be found. But what we did find was lots of shared interests, experiences, and boatloads of laughter. Our classes weren’t just technical, they were fun. And the food—oh, my, bring your stretchy pants. But just one pair because you’ll want to keep all the room in your suitcase for all the yarn you can carry. Do I really want to write this and tell you how wonderful it was to get away in the winter to Charleston? Not really, because then you’ll want to steal my spot!”
—Jenni A.

"I attended my first knitting retreat in February of 2025. It far exceeded any expectations I had for the 5 day stay in isle of palms, Sc. Hats off to kate Oates for planning her first retreat with such incredible detail. The long weekend included classes in various knitting skills, an afternoon of indigo dying, a presentation by one of Charleston’s most well known basketweavers, a day in Charleston that Included a boat tour and dinner at one of the city’s wonderful restaurants. There were hours of knitting with the other participants, amazing meals prepared by different chefs and the offering of beautiful hand dyed yarn by Dianne of suburban stitcher. And an amazing goodie bag. I definitely made Some good friends and took home a lot of inspiration to “knit all the things”. Congratulations kate Oates on what I know is the first of many great retreats to come."
—Nancy B.

“Kate was a fantastic part of our 2023 Knitting in the Hills Retreat! Our attendees loved her passion and enthusiasm for her craft and we got wonderful feedback on all of her classes (and more than a few requests we have her back again for more!)”
-Hill Country Weavers
Knitting in the Hills Retreat

“Kate did us the honor of coming to teach at our flagship store when it was still brand new, and she was so flexible with our tiny teaching space! She’s been one of our favorite designers to work with through the years because her attention to detail results in patterns that are so flattering and show off the yarns so nicely. That’s why it was exciting for us to bring her in to teach her tailoring class, on modifying your knits for your own measurements! Being able to modify your pattern is an absolute game changer and is something every knitter will benefit from. Also, big shout out for the seamless zipper class. Get ready to have your mind blown!"
-Rachel Price
Spincycle Yarns

“We received so much positive feedback from our class members about Kate and her mind-blowing classes! Like some other reviews shared, learning the ability to make alterations to existing patterns is a game changer! Our students loved Kate's attention to detail, her ability to explain and teach new techniques or concepts, and her gorgeous patterns. We plan on bringing Kate back year after year!” 
-Danni Ertter
Black Mountain Yarn Shop

“We have invited Kate to our shop for a couple of classes. They were very informative and Kate is always a joy. The tailoring workshop has proven to be a staple of knowledge to achieve a great fit!”
-Missy Waddell
Copious Fibers

“Kate is a favorite guest instructor in our shop!  Her classes are engaging, fun, and very well organized.  She shares helpful tips, explains techniques clearly, and brings her students on the learning journey in a very supportive way.”
-Mindy Owen
A Yarn Less Raveled

"Kate is an enthusiastic and focused instructor who clearly has a passion that a fitted sweater should fit all body types." 

"Best class I had at the retreat, Kate knew her stuff and gave great professional information."

"Kate is an excellent teacher and her handouts are the bomb!"

"The best class I've taken at Stitches! A true in-depth learning experience! Great teacher, easy to understand materials. Thanks!"

"Very helpful. Great handouts. Never had a teacher who gave so much and was so helpful. She knew her class. Very enjoyable."

"Excellent class! Helpful tips and really great explanations." 

“I really enjoyed the May tailoring workshop. I immediately used some of the information on the tee shirt I was working on.”

“I used tailoring measurements to get my sleeve length right THE FIRST TIME. This is it before BO. Perfect with gently bent arm. Thank you for your teaching.”

“Thank you SO much and thank you for an amazing workshop. I learned so much!”

“Thank you so much for the wonderful workshop! I could have used a couple more hours!  If you offer more classes, I am definitely interested!”

“The course was packed with lots of useful information. The sweater type breakdown was of particular interest to me. I’d never had that explained so clearly before. It explained why some of my previous modifications didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. The way you presented the modifications in the class was very thorough and clear. I love that you did an example and then had us work through them again with our own measurements—a good way to reinforce the concepts. Overall I thought it was an excellent class!”

“I'm so glad I took this course. I think the timing was right for me. Definitely going to be using allll the info! Thanks for sharing.”

“Just wanted to let you know that I’m ready to frog and reknit two older sweaters. This class gave me the tools I need to figure out why they don’t fit and correct that so I can be happy with my finished product. Thank you so much!! I wish we could have done the class in person and then all sat around after working on our new sweaters 😊”

“Kate is so enthusiastic and approachable and motivates her students to want to learn how to improve their techniques. I wish the 2nd day had been longer. I would have liked to spend more time on the alteration techniques for sleeve length and waist shaping. I would suggest either adding an extra hour or possibly trying to tighten up the material reviewed on day 1. Overall an excellent and valuable class! Thank you, Kate!”

“Course was great, and very well suited to zoom. Breaking it up into two days, 2 hour sessions also worked well. I have already recommended the course to a number of friends who have asked these exact questions while attempting to adjust a pattern to truly fit them, hopefully they will be able to catch another session soon!”

“This class makes me excited to start a new project that I’d previously been apprehensive to try.”

“You make the material easy to understand. Having several sweaters to put on helps with the understanding, I am sorry I missed the first day, But the best laid plans are easily changed by the airlines. Your smile helps.”

“Your knowledge is vast. It was a delight to take your class and see your beautiful designs. You obviously put a huge amount of work into them.”

“I truly enjoyed this class. The math formulas, technique tips and methodology are invaluable. I will use all of this information going forward. Kate is a fabulous teacher. I would definitely be interested in any future classes.”’

“This is a brilliant course, and something I have been looking for for years! I liked the fact it was delivered via Zoom which made it easy for me to attend. I would like to attend more of your classes via Zoom, as it was very well done.”

“I thought you were very well prepared & have created well organized, clear worksheets that can easily be followed on my own. You are a very good teacher! Thank you!”

“It was a pleasure participating in the class. I'm always looking to improve my tailoring skills as I knit and your class quite helpful. Thank you.”

“Great course! Moved along well. Everything was very clear. Thanks”