Crochet Retreat
The Art of Crochet in Tuscany
A 6-night all-inclusive creative escape in Lucca |
1st – 7th May 2026
Lose yourself in the rhythm of your stitches, the warmth of Italian sun, and the beauty of handmade creation!
Join us in the heart of Tuscany for a soul-soothing crochet retreat: six luxurious nights of connection, inspiration, and calm, set against a backdrop of vineyards, olive groves, and timeless villages.
This is your invitation to pause, create, and breathe deeply.
What Makes This Retreat So Special
A blend of creativity, culture, and utter indulgence.
This is more than just a retreat.
It’s a celebration of art, rest, and connection.
Maybe you’ve just rediscovered your love for crochet, or maybe you never put your hook down…. Either way, this retreat is here to sparkle your creativity and bring fresh inspiration to your craft.
Every detail has been lovingly curated: from the luxury villa and organic meals to exclusive workshops and intimate excursions.
It’s all here to support your joy, your rest, and your craft.
Why This Is Exactly Where You Belong
Because you deserve time to do what you love, in a place that fills your soul!
Crochet is a form of quiet magic.
With every stitch, you create beauty, find calm, and reconnect to yourself.
Imagine doing this in Tuscany, surrounded by golden hills, with yarn in hand and nothing on your to-do list but to feel good!
This retreat is perfect if you’re craving:
Creative rejuvenation
Deep relaxation
A meaningful community
An unforgettable Italian adventure
No rush. No pressure. Just joy.
The Venue
Our charming villa, with its rustic elegance, sits high on the panoramic Ciciana hill in one of the most picturesque corners of Terre di Matraia: an area known for its excellent wines and some of Tuscany’s most beautiful historic villas. Just 20 minutes from the heart of medieval Lucca, the villa offers a peaceful, timeless atmosphere with breathtaking views all around.
Once a hunting lodge, the house has been lovingly restored by its owners with great care and attention to detail. Traditional Tuscan materials like cypress beams, pietra serena, and terracotta tiles blend beautifully with refined, simple furnishings to create a space that feels both welcoming and inspiring, a place where memories are made.
Spread across three spacious floors, the villa offers plenty of room for everyone. Thoughtfully designed common areas make it perfect for groups, while still giving guests the space and privacy to relax at their own pace. Each of the 11 beautifully decorated bedrooms is air-conditioned, has Wi-Fi, and boasts sweeping views of the surrounding Forci estate: 1,000 acres of olive groves, vineyards, and woodland.
The heart of the home is its Tuscan-style kitchen, where you’ll be introduced to the region’s culinary traditions and feel the warmth and hospitality of this magical place. Outside, the colorful garden unfolds in layers of beauty: elegant lounge areas, a panoramic swimming pool, and a wisteria-draped pergola with a long table perfect for alfresco meals. There’s also a barbecue and plenty of quiet corners for soaking in nature’s charm.
The garden invites you to unwind and reconnect: with the land, your creativity, and yourself. It's an ideal setting for outdoor crochet or simply walking and breathing in the fresh country air.
The swimming pool, set about 50 meters from the villa, is a true gem. Surrounded by sun loungers, large tables, and umbrellas, it’s the perfect place to relax under the Tuscan sun. The pool measures 6 x 14 meters, with a depth that gently slopes from 1.20 to 1.80 meters: ideal for a refreshing dip at any time of day.
Nourishment for the Soul
Handmade stitches meet handmade meals because artistry belongs in the kitchen, too.
Just as every crochet project begins with quality materials and intention, so too does every meal at our retreat. During your stay, you'll be treated to the kind of food that makes you close your eyes and savour every bite: fresh, organic, seasonal, and deeply nourishing.
Prepared by our private chef Karolina with love and local ingredients, each dish is a celebration of Tuscan traditions.
You’ll enjoy long, leisurely meals under the pergola, warm conversations over wine, and that unmatched feeling of being deeply taken care of.
This is more than just eating: it’s coming home to your senses!
What to Expect at the Table
A bountiful breakfast buffet with fresh fruits, pastries, eggs, cheeses, breads, yoghurts, juices, tea, and rich Italian coffee to start each day slowly and beautifully.
Delicious 2- or 3-course lunches and dinners, featuring homemade pastas, locally grown vegetables, wild herbs, fresh cheeses, and meats or vegetarian dishes.
Organic wines from nearby vineyards, served with meals and selected for their balance and character.
Unlimited teas, herbal infusions, coffees, and fruit juices, always available so you can sip and stitch at your leisure
A traditional pizza-making evening, where we gather for handmade pizza baked in a wood-fired oven and eaten beneath the stars.
A farewell prosecco celebration, with canapés and sweet treats, to toast to a week well spent.
We believe food is part of the creative experience. Just like crochet, it invites you to slow down, connect with what’s in front of you, and savour the beauty of process and detail.
About the Activities
Your retreat is set in and around the historic town of Lucca in the Tuscan region of central Italy on the Serchio river. Nicknamed Citta d’Arte (City of Art), Lucca is surrounded by walls that date back to the 16th century and were designed by the famous architect Leonardo da Vinci.
In Lucca, Puccini’s birthplace, you can enjoy the music of Puccini’s operas, in concert, throughout the year.
Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer, descended from a long line of composers and regarded as the greatest and most successful advocate of Italian opera after Verdi. You will enjoy some of his most renowned works such as La Boheme, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly whilst surrounded by the most amazing Romanesque church setting.
A trip to Tuscany is not complete without visiting Florence!
This amazing city doesn’t need much of an introduction: famed as the birthplace of the renaissance, Florence will immerse you in the arts, culture, history, and architecture. We will spend an entire day taking in the wonderful sights of Florence, whilst enjoying some much-loved outdoor crochet.
No doubt your love of crochet also extends to a love of yarn and all things soft and squishy?
For that reason, we have also included a visit to the most delightful historical yarn shop, where you can shop Italian quality at its finest.
Here’s What Awaits You in Tuscany
A luxurious, all-inclusive experience designed around your passion.
6 nights in a stunning private villa overlooking Lucca and the Tuscan valley
Daily crochet sessions with expert crochet tutors Marina and Emma
Exclusive patterns & luxury yarns provided
A thoughtfully curated gift bag full of beautiful surprises
Private chef preparing 3 nourishing meals a day + snacks, drinks & wine
Wine tasting excursion at a local biodynamic vineyard
Tour of Lucca with outdoor crochet session
An unforgettable Puccini concert in a Romanesque church
Dinner at our favourite local restaurant in Lucca
Full-day excursion to Florence, yarn shop visit & city crochet
Traditional handmade pizza party under the stars
Final evening crochet showcase & celebration with prosecco
Optional cooking class with our Italian host
Return transfers from Pisa or Florence airports or Lucca station
What You Can Expect, Day by Day
A perfect blend of creativity, culture, rest, and celebration.
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Welcome to Tuscany!
- Arrival between 3–5pm
- Meet your hosts
- Gift bags
- Welcome dinner
- Optional evening crochet -
Crochet & Wine
- Buffet breakfast
- Morning crochet workshop
- Lunch
- Afternoon wine and olive oil tasting at a local biodynamic vineyard
- Villa crochet time
- Dinner & evening crochet session -
Lucca & Music Workshop
- Buffet breakfast
- Crochet Workshop
- Early lunch
- Lucca walking tour + crochet outdoors
- Evening Puccini concert within a Romanesque church
- Dinner out at a popular restaurant -
A Creative Day at Home (Full day at the villa)
- Buffet breakfast
- Morning crochet workshop
- Garden picnic
- Optional Italian cooking class
- Free time & Crochet
- Dinner & unwind -
Florence Day Trip
- Buffet breakfast
- Explore Florence
- Visit a charming yarn boutique
- City crochet moments
- Return to villa
- Pizza night -
Farewell Celebration
- Buffet breakfast
- Crochet showcase
- Picnic lunch
- Free time
- Farewell dinner & prosecco celebration -
Goodbye for now
- Final buffet breakfast
- Departures at 10am
Should You Join Us?
If your heart is saying yes, then this was made for you!
You don’t need to be an expert crocheter.
You just need to be open: to beauty, to joy, to the creative spark within you that’s waiting to be reignited. This is your space to rest, explore, and reconnect to what lights you up.
Our past guests say they came for the crochet, but left with so much more: friendship, freedom, and a deep sense of being nourished in every way!
What our Previous Guests Say
An Investment in Rest, Creativity and Connection
Starting from £2800, this is more than just a retreat… it’s a richly layered, soul-nourishing experience designed to stay with you long after your suitcase is unpacked!
The true value lies in what can’t be listed on a schedule.
Our retreat fosters a deep sense of community: one that past guests from the UK, USA, Australia, and India still cherish long after they’ve returned home.
Friendships formed in 2023 and 2024 are still going strong, with WhatsApp chats buzzing, handmade gifts exchanged, and reunions already planned.
You’ll walk away not only creatively inspired, but deeply restored: with new friends, beautiful memories, and perhaps even a little more of yourself.
This is not just a holiday.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime creative escape, crafted with intention and care and it’s worth every single moment, every stitch, and yes, every penny.
About your Hosts
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Hi, I'm Marina and I go by Bloodimaryart.
After 7 amazing years living and exploring in places like Spain, Australia, France, and Southeast Asia, I now live in my home country: Italy!
I've always been a creative spirit, and crochet has been my companion since 2011: I started designing one-of-a-kind crochet patterns at the end of 2019, mainly for the English crochet community, and began selling my creations.
Over the years, I evolved into a crochet teacher, opened a YouTube Channel where I share free tutorials and tips about this craft, and started collaborating with yarn brands and crochet magazines.
You'll also find me at craft shows and markets, not only showcasing my crochet pieces but also my handmade wire jewelry. Yes, I do make jewelry too!
One of my biggest dreams was to organize crochet retreats, and I'm incredibly thankful to have met Emma. Our first editions were a blast, and I can't wait for the next one!
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Hi! I'm Emma, and I'm the founder of Oh So Pretty And Clever crochet courses and retreats.
I live in Cheshire with my 3 daughters and 2 cats. If it's not been said enough already, I'm an absolute crochet addict! I can't go a day without picking up my hook.
I've always loved crafts, and knitted from a young age.
I later learned to crochet, which has been my main obsession for about 13 years now.
Since the launch of my crochet workshops and retreats, I have been honored to receive several awards and accolades, as well as great reviews.
This has given me the encouragement to develop Oh So Pretty And Clever further and embark on this amazing journey with Marina.
I really enjoy teaching crochet, and have a patience I never imagined I had (or so I'm told!).
My WIP pile is massive, and my yarn stash is ridiculous, but if you're reading this, you can probably relate!
FAQs
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Not at all! We welcome all skill levels. Our expert tutors will meet you where you’re at and help you grow.
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Absolutely.
Many of our guests come solo and leave with lifelong friends. -
Of course, you're very welcome to bring your significant other!
While the retreat is designed specifically for our crochet group, partners are welcome to stay at the villa, join our wonderful activities and excursions, and enjoy the surroundings at their own pace. -
Your accommodation, all meals, workshops, excursions, and transfers are included.
What’s not included are:
- Flights or travel to Florence or Pisa
- Travel insurance
We don’t include flights because our guests join us from all over the world, and it would be impossible for us to coordinate travel arrangements (especially since we’re not a travel agency). -
It is recommended that you fly into Pisa (PSA) or Florence (FLR) airport as our transportation for the retreat will be coordinated from there between 3 – 5 pm.
We can also arrange transportation from Lucca train station if necessary.
Departure is scheduled for 10 a.m. Please make sure your return travel is coordinated with this departure schedule and traveling time. -
Of course! We’ve intentionally built in time for rest, reading, journaling…or simply enjoying the view.
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The food is thoughtfully balanced (nourishing without being excessive) and we accommodate different needs and preferences.
Just let us know in advance!
We also make sure to offer lots of non-alcoholic options like herbal teas, fresh smoothies from the garden, juices, and great coffee for people who do not drink alcohol. -
Unfortunately, due to the age of the farmhouse villa, it is currently not wheelchair accessible.
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We understand that paying the full amount upfront may not be feasible for everyone, so we’re offering the option to pay a DEPOSIT of £500 now and the remaining balance in INSTALMENTS at a later date.
This way you can secure your reservation without having to worry about paying everything all at once!
Join us for the next edition!
1st – 7th May 2026
Crochet Retreat in Tuscany, Italy - May 2026
Join us and like-minded people for the most amazing crochet experience of the year!
Crochet Retreat in Tuscany, Italy - November 2024
Join our crochet experts Emma and Marina on this all-inclusive 5-night Tuscan crochet retreat. Indulge in your favourite hobby whilst taking in the best of what Tuscany has to offer!
Crochet Retreat in Tuscany, Italy - October 2023
Join our crochet experts Emma and Marina on this all-inclusive 5-night Tuscan crochet retreat. Indulge in your favourite hobby whilst taking in the best of what Tuscany has to offer!
Still have questions?
Contact us here or email me at bloodimaryart@outlook.com.