Our Tuscan crochet retreats include: 

• 5 nights all-inclusive luxury villa accommodation. 
• Private chef. 
• All meals – buffet breakfast, 2/3-course lunch & dinner. 

• Unlimited teas, coffee, water, & juices, plus wines with meals. 
• All crochet workshops & excursions with our expert tutors & designers. 
• A wonderful gift bag containing luxury Italian yarns plus, all other materials and patterns to complement the retreat projects. 
• Wine tasting excursion at the beautiful Fabbrica San Martino bio-dynamic winery. 
• A guided walking tour of Lucca with a scenic outdoor crochet session. 

• Lunch out in Lucca Town. 
• Tickets to the renowned Puccini concert within a spectacular Romanesque church. 
• Dinner at our favourite restaurant in Lucca after the concert. 
• A day excursion to Florence. 
• A visit to the most charming local yarn shop in Florence. 

• Outdoor ‘city crochet’ in Florence, accompanied by local crochet designer Hailey Hodge (subject to Hailey’s availability). 
• Traditional pizza festival dinner party at the Villa. 
• Crochet showcase with prosecco & appetizers. 
• Fiesta gala dinner on the final evening. 
• Coordinated pick up & drop off from & to Pisa airport, Florence airport or Lucca train station (between 3pm – 5pm). 

Tuscan crochet retreats itinerary 

Day 1 – The arrival day! 😊  

Welcome to your Tuscan crochet retreat! 

Upon your arrival in Italy coordinated private transport will be available, from Pisa and Florence airports, as well as Lucca train station, to meet you.  From there you will be taken to our Villa in the heart of the Tuscan Hills to begin your retreat.  Check-in is from 3 pm. 

Once you have unpacked and settled in, we will gather for an introduction and a relaxed afternoon crochet workshop set in one of the many amazing spaces within the villa. 

Dinner is served around 7 pm and is specially prepared by our own private chef.  You will enjoy a 3-course meal with wine, featuring the best of Italian cuisine.  All made with fresh local seasonal produce. 

After dinner, it’s time to really unwind and relax in to your amazing home from home for the coming days. 

Day 2:  

Morning starts with a wonderful selection of breakfast items that will get you ready for the first session of the day.   

Weather permitting, we will enjoy an outdoor morning workshop within the villa’s beautiful grounds, amidst breath-taking views of the Lucca Hills. 

Lunch will be ready for 1 pm and is prepared again by our private chef. After lunch, we will continue with our morning project, and then prepare to depart for our first outing together.   

At around 4.30 pm we will depart for wine tasting at the beautiful Fabbrica San Martino, a bio-dynamic winery set in 20 hectares of 18th-century Italian estate. 

Once back at the Villa, a 3-course Tuscan dinner with wine awaits. 

After a wonderful day, the evening remains your own to continue as you please. 

Day 3: 

Breakfast is served at 8.30 am today, and our first crochet workshop of the day will follow.   

The morning’s events will take us to around 12 pm when we will embark on a guided walking tour of Lucca and enjoy lunch within the local area.   

Visiting Lucca will give you an opportunity to bring your project(s) and/or current WIP along for our ‘city crochet’ afternoon session.  Taking in the scenery whilst blissfully crocheting outdoors in one of the town’s picturesque locations. 

A special evening awaits, with the chance to enjoy a world renowned Puccini concert within a spectacular Romanesque church.   

After the concert, we will enjoy dinner at our favourite restaurant in Lucca town and reflect on a truly memorable day. 

Day 4:  

In preparation for a day of crochet and exploring, your breakfast buffet will be served at 8.30 am today. 

At 9.30 am we will depart on a journey to the vibrant city of Florence for an unforgettable crochet excursion.  You will have time to visit some of the most spectacular sights, including the charming yarn shop Campolmi Filati, and enjoy some crochet time in a fabulous location hand-picked and accompanied by local crochet & knitting artist Hailey Hodge. 

By early evening we will return to the villa to freshen up and prepare for a delicious pizza festival starting at 7 pm. 

Day 5:  

The penultimate day of your crochet retreat will be spent soaking up the surroundings of villa Selva.  

Breakfast will be served at the later time of 9 am today after a busy couple of days out and about. 

With a morning crochet workshop to finish up the weekend’s projects or your current WIP, everyone will have a chance to feel a great sense of accomplishment and pride in what they have achieved. 

Lunch will be served by our private chef at 1 pm, and will bring us to our final afternoon session together.  A relaxed affair, it will focus on achievements, reflection, and winding down after our glorious time away.   

You will have the opportunity to share your work during our crochet showcase and exchange stories, hacks, and tips with your peers over prosecco and appetizers. 

Enjoy the final evening of your retreat with a fantastic dinner fiesta watching the sunset over the hills of Lucca. 

Day 6 – Departure day! 🙁 

A farewell breakfast is served at 8.30 am on Wednesday to set you up for your journey home.  You are free to take an early start and enjoy the villa before checking out.   

Coordinated transport will be available once more to take you to your place of departure. 

Final farewell and safe journey onwards, and of course more happy hooking! 

Our Tuscan crochet retreats are set at the charming Villa Selva, a 350-year-old rustic Tuscan-style farmhouse located on the panoramic hill of Pieve Santo Stefano overlooking the historic town of Lucca.  This beautifully restored residence will be your home for 5 luxurious nights.  The villa boasts typical Tuscan panache, with high wooden beamed ceilings and quintessential terracotta tile floors, whilst ensuring superior modern comforts such as central heating and Wi-Fi. 

As you enter the home, you are greeted by a grand fireplace and the smell of an impressive wood-fired oven.  The fully equipped professional kitchen is where your private chef Karolina will prepare the best of Tuscan and Italian cuisine throughout your stay.  

There are 7 twin/double rooms in total, all of which are finely furnished and complete with their own ensuite bathrooms. 

Each bedroom offers magnificent views over the surrounding Forci estate, with acres of olive trees, vineyards and forests stretching as far as the eye can see.  The name Villa Selva literally translates as Forest House.  

The villa provides a peaceful and relaxing place to enjoy the outdoors, and you will be able to take advantage of the extensive private gardens.  With three pergolas, the space is perfect for alfresco dining and peaceful crochet.   

The swimming pool terrace is fully equipped with large tables, parasols and loungers, perfect for unwinding and enjoying the fresh Tuscan air. 

Italians have a great talent in being able to put their worries aside, even for a moment, to enjoy their surroundings and interact with their community.  This lifestyle refers to the art of slow living and is aptly named ‘lo struscio’.  Crochet is artful in its ability to melt away stress, and we have designed our Tuscan retreat to reflect this perfect Italian motto. 

Tuscan cuisine is appreciated all over the world for its fine, natural, and flavourful ingredients.  Our private chef (and villa host) is Karolina Lenart, trained in one of the best international culinary academies under the watchful eye of chef Gianluca Pedrini.  She has worked with the best chefs from Canada, Italy, Australia, and the US, and now takes pride in preparing the most amazing Italian gastronomy for you to enjoy during your retreat.  Each meal prepared for you by Karolina is in harmony with great taste, local produce, and the season. 

Pieve Santo Stefano 

The small town of Pieve Santo Stefano is host to our wine tasting excursion to Fabbrica Di San Martino winery.    

At Fabbrica Di San Martino nature rules!  All of the wines are organic and biodynamic certified.  Guiseppe, who takes personal care of every step of the production, will guide you through a walk in the vineyard and the wine cellar, where you will enjoy only natural flavours and indigenous grape varieties. 

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.