Knitting holiday: Cornwall

Whether it's due to the recession or a return to nostalgic pastimes, the make-do-and-mend trend has taken off in recent years, with thousands of Brits indulging their creative side. It's estimated that there are between four and seven million knitters in the UK and this number is rising as Stitch & Bitch or Knit & Natter groups flourish.

With our busy 24/7 lifestyles, it's important to find downtime and knitting has been shown to be beneficial for this, helping to boost self-esteem and ease depression. People have knitted for hundreds of years, and especially by the sea. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, knitters in fishing communities all around the coast, notably on Guernsey, Jersey and on the Scottish islands, produced weather-resistant fishermen's sweaters called ganseys. (The Moray Firth Gansey Project – www.gansey-mf.co.uk – is currently locating and conserving examples of traditional patterns in order to pass on the skills to a new generation.)

On the contemporary knitting scene, British knitwear designer Erika Knight is something of a legend to craft converts such as myself. The chance to hone my technique with Erika while spending time by the coast was too good to miss.

Day one

10am: Needles at the ready
Our group of nine troops into the lounge of the Bedruthan Steps Hotel in North Cornwall, which has a wonderful view of the vast sandy beach. We're women of varying ages and some are beginners, but all with the same desire – to knit! Erika tells us about her background. She has had an incredibly varied career, working with designers such as Paul Smith and retailers like M&S. It's great to hear how passionate she is about her work. 'It motivates me to create a textile,' she says. She feels the latest resurgence in knitting is to do with being homely and in control of our lives again, plus wanting to achieve something. 'It's like going into a sweet shop full of colour,' Erika says.

11.30am: Getting cosy
Erika, along with her right-hand woman Sally Lee, who has worked with her for years, hands out kits. Inside is a copy of Erika's latest book ('Simple Knitting', Quadrille, £16.99) plus all we need to make a stripy tea cosy, which we’re going to work on this weekend. She tells us about the basic stitches – garter, stocking stitch and moss – and we’re then given our first task, to make an egg cosy. It's a quick and easy way to create something, and the satisfaction that permeates the room as we show our finished products – some more 'artisan' than others – is fantastic. As we're all at different levels, we can help each other out, too. I learn how to do mattress stitch – a new method to sew up – so it looks neat.

1pm: In, over, under, off
As we tuck into lunch, I chat to Kitty Smith from Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. A full-time mum, this weekend was her 30th birthday present and is proving a welcome 'me-time' break. She's been knitting for just a few months but is already addicted. Erika and Sally sit with us and stress how basic knitting is – 'in, over, under, off'. Once mastered, you can look at the variations of stitches. I'm already hooked but embrace their enthusiasm for making it seem so easy. Maybe I can attempt something trickier…

2pm: Earning our stripes
The tea cosy is to be knitted in two halves – one stripy, one plain. I decide to do the stripy one first, as that’s the one I think I'll need more help with. As I go to change colour, Erika advises that I do so on the last stitch of the row rather than the first one of the next. Good tip.

2.30pm: Check your tension
I keep going and, after a few rows and a bit of practice, manage to change to another colour on my own. Result! We're all deep in concentration but it's still very relaxing. Erika and Sally check that we’re all getting on OK and help out where needed, giving us lots of pointers. Sally says it's vital to knit a tension square before doing a whole item and tells us how to correct ourselves if our tension isn't right. I've always been a bit lazy about doing this but I like her thinking – to keep the squares and turn them into a blanket.

3pm: Coastal creatives
Some of us go onto the terrace to sit in deck chairs overlooking the sea. This really is my idea of a perfect afternoon – knitting with a coastal view. Rachael Wilson, a writer from Bodmin, is having fun, too, and Claire Brown, a full-time mum from North Dorset, is enjoying knitting again after a few years off. 'This has exceeded my expectations. I wanted to reignite the flame!' she says. We finish at 5pm and the evening is ours. After a walk along the peaceful, stunning beach and a tasty dinner of sea bass, I retire to my room to get on with my stripes, ready for the next day.

Day two

10am: Swiss embroidery
Everyone's raring to go and can’t wait to crack on with more knitting. Today is about perfecting what we learned yesterday, so, to begin with, we carry on with our tea cosies. I'm quite amazed at how my stripy side is coming along and I'm shown how to decrease when shaping to give a fully fashioned – or neater – edge. Erika wonders if there's anything we'd particularly like to focus on, and someone mentions Swiss embroidery – creating a design on an item. I have finished one side of my tea cosy, so decide to give it a go. Sitting next to Sally, I watch and learn as she deftly darns a pattern on my egg cosy, on top of the knitted stitches.

2pm: Knit without limits
After lunch, we carry on with our projects throughout the afternoon and talk about how many different things you can knit with – wire, plastic bags, cotton fabric strips, string and so on. Erika has included patterns in her books to create useful items with such materials. She suggests that we look at her patterns and change them however we want.

2.30pm: It's good to talk
The weather is still beautiful, so once again we pull up our chairs on the terrace and knit in the fresh air to the sound of gulls. I am determined to finish my tea cosy! Erika, who lives in Brighton, comes out to join us and says she often goes down to her local beach to knit. It really is turning into a sociable event, and this is how Erika champions the cause – to increase social interaction in communities.

4pm: We want more
This inspirational weekend has been about not being afraid to give something a go. Everyone is so pleased with what they've created and we vow to go home and continue. I've nearly finished my tea cosy – but time has gone so quickly. I wonder if Erika would consider a week-long course?

The next Simple Knitting weekend at Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall (01637 860555, www.bedruthan.com), is from 11-13 November 2011 and costs from £264 per person for a two-night break, including meals. Find out more about Erika at www.erikaknight.co.uk.

Where to stay
Bedruthan Steps Hotel, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall (01637 860555, www.bedruthan.com). With amazing views of the North Cornish coastline, the Bedruthan is both family friendly (there are family eating areas and kids' clubs) and inviting to those who stay without children. Accommodation includes contemporary rooms, apartments and villas. The Ocean spa, with oversized pool and numerous therapies, offers various day packages. Double B&B from £116; £140 with dinner.