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Feature
Jolly Holiday
LK’s Kerry Knight Maher finds the best knitting holidays from around the world
I
t's the summer time and with it comes the daydreaming of holidays abroad, sipping sangria, lounging in a hammock and listening to waves lapping at the shore. An almost perfect moment. Add the soothing clickclack-clacking of a pair of knitting needles working to create a masterpiece in your hands. Now that's a daydream we all want to be a reality!
Popular pastime Over the past few years knitting holidays have become more and more popular, both in the UK and abroad. With everything from weekends away to 21-day cruises, there really is a holiday to suit every type of knitter. The UK has Arena Travel on offer to provide a wide variety of knitting holidays, retreats and cruises in and around Europe, whilst the US company Craft Cruises offers knitting tours both on land and by sea to the more farreaching destinations for many UK knitters. Craft Cruises' Melissa Gower-Pence says, “With over 24 years in the cruise industry and 14 years of experience arranging knitting cruises, our holidays are very successful.” David Caddick from Arena Travels also discusses the popularity of knitting cruises, “There's been a steady increase in knitters joining our cruises
since we started three years ago. Where else can you experience magnificent scenery, good food and a fantastic area on-board for knitting?” But if jumping on a ship and cruising around is really not your cup of tea, there are plenty of options closer to home, or just across the English Channel. Gosia Dzik-Holden from Stitchville offers knitting holidays in various locations across the UK, “The holidays are always the same size, up to six participants at any one time. It's all about quality versus quantity.”
In good company The majority of these holidays also offer expert tuition from the rock stars of the knitting world. With names like Debbie Abrahams, Jane Crowfoot, Marion Foale and Kaffe Fassett to whet your appetite, it would be hard to turn down the
opportunity to learn from such well-established names in the industry. Les Soeurs Anglaises' owner, Katie Armitage, explains, “The best thing about the workshops is without a doubt the wonderful people that attend. Travelling here from as far afield as Australia, Canada, the US and Korea, they are invariably cheerful, enthusiastic and genuine.” These types of holidays are a great opportunity for single travellers to travel to beautiful destinations and meet like-minded individuals – another added bonus to the joys of a knitting holiday. If this hasn't convinced you to make your next holiday a knitting one, turn over the page to see a selection to choose from. I'm itching to try out a knitting holiday and my friends have been more than helpful in finding a variety to add to my wish list. www.letsknit.co.uk 41
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Reader Offer
Receive a copy of Jane Crowfoot and De bbie Abraham's new bo ok 'Kaleidoscope' wh en booking on the Kn itting Cruise along the River Douro and receive £50 off your non-knitting trave l companion's cost when sharing a cabin
Knitting = Te jer con agujas Yarn = Hilo Knitting need le (s) = Aguja s para tejer Patterns = Pa trones
Kerry I saw this and th ou My sister went to ght of you. Stitchville holid the last ay minute of it. You and loved every ge relaxing holiday t a great where you can learn a few knittin have that uninterrg tricks and work on your curr upted time to project that you'veent knitting The next holiday been craving. is a beautiful Georgi taking place in in Bath where I an town house kn itching to go for ow you've been ag perfect opportunity es! It's the deserved rest, kn for some wellitt English architect ing and classic ure. All the best , Georgina
Arena Travel pt 2013, Knitting Dates: 22 – 27 Se r of Carmona, Retreat in Parado owfoot Cr Spain with Jane 13, Knitting in 20 t Oc 28 Sept – 2 ie Abrahams Iceland with Debb itting Cruise 2 – 7 Oct 2013, Kn uro with Do r along the Rive ot fo Jane Crow 660800, Contact: 01473 atravel.com enquiries@aren l.com ve www.arenatra
DON'T MISS!
20-28th March 2014 Northern Lights Knitting Cruise with Jane Crowfoot
Stitchville Dates: 9 - 13th Sept 2013, Th e Elton House Kn itting Holiday Contact: info@ stitchville.co.u k www.stitchvill e.co.uk
DON'T MISS! Stitc
hville eNew s for future holidays
42 www.letsknit.co.uk
Kerry whilst cruising Do you fancy knitting A knitting ? down a river this year riched with en be retreat in Spain to Or a trip knitting knowledge? ry that has nt cou a , nd ela around Ic in its culture? th wi d rse me im g knittin lidays with ho of I've found a variety e all about Arena Travel that ar itting! All kn enjoying our craft – perts and ex m fro g in rn lea whilst tural beauty. na by being surrounded g other half And your non-knittin ise along the can come too – the cru on board to y River Douro has plent a special as ll occupy them, as we around the itinerary for day visits ink? Hayley th region. What do you
Kerry t a fan of I know you're no but with es im cl the colder steeped in les Is d lan et the Sh one place knitting history, it's your on t’ that is a ‘mus -do list. to ay lid ho knitting A lovely four-day g visits exploration includin ing mill, inn sp a s, to museum d lace a weaving studio an t a few. knitting to name bu atic am dr The inspiring and ing az am an be scenery will erful nd wo is th to back drop ing itt insight into the kn d. I'm all lan et Sh of age rit he nnah Ha u? for it – are yo
Globalyell g 2013, Dates: 22 – 25th Au etland Tours Sh Textile Journeys – tile Tex 13, 20 17 – 20th Oct urs To d an etl Sh – Journeys , 55 43 74 7 95 01 ct: Conta m co ct. ne globalyell@btcon ies str du ein www.creativ shetland.org.uk
It's a jolly holiday (F)_LK Regular Template 17/05/2013 11:41 Page 4
Reader Offer
Quote LK68 when booking with Craft Cruises to receive $100 off your holid ay
Knitting = Stricken Yarn = Wolle oder Strickgarn Knitting needle (s) = Stricknadel (f) Stricknadeln(pl) Patterns = Strickanleitung (f)
Kerry I've found it - your next holida lifetime! How would you like y of a to knitting with cruising around mix Alaska, the Baltics or even New Englan d Canada? Craft Cruises has a in huge selection that cater for knitter s of ages, and their trips include yar all Craft around cities, expert tuition on- n crawls Da Cruises tes: 6 - 13th Jul 2013, board, Alaska and fabulous scenery to boot! Inside Passage Knitting Cruise Personally, I think we (yes, I'm with Ginger Luters and coming too!) should hold out Marly Bird until 15 - 27th Aug 2013, Baltic January next year and go on Knitting their Cruise Merike Saarniit 21-day Antarctica cruise – and the list of Anna Zilboorg places alone is amazing, starting in 5 - 18th Oct 2013, Canad Buenos Aires, rounding Cape a New Horn and England Knitting Cruise finishing in Santiago. with Chris Bylsma and Edie Tie that with 21 days of uninte Eckman rru Contact: 001 877 972 knitting – Magnifico! Angie pted 7238 www.craftcruises.com
DON'T MISS!
Kerry I know you've been contemplating learning how to machine knit anday by I stumbled across this week aw ters Metropolitan Machine Knitshops when looking at their other workknitters for myself. They're offering a tures dream week where you attend lec ut and workshops every day, all aboht up machine knitting – it sounds rig tion is your street! Plus the accommoda ewe. at Hunters Lodge Hotel in Crfew If you have time there's quite aarea too! non-knitting things to do in the Freddie
29th Jan - 19th Feb 2014 21 Day Antarctica Knitting Cruise
ine Knitting Metropolitan Mach 2013, Dates: 2 – 6th Sep rs itte Metropolitan Kn Dream Week 038, Contact: 01270 610 it@ kn ine ch ma tro me btconnect.com
WIN ME! Turn to p38 to win a knitting machine worth £399, courtesy of Silver Viscount
Kerry You've not stopped talking about your rece nt trip to the Fren ch Rivi era so I thou ght a knitting holid ay in Fran ce wou ld be the perfe ct excu se for you to go back! Les Soeu rs Ang laise s offe r a rang e of needlecra ft work shop s at thei r rura l locat ion in Sout h West Fran ce. The one that caug ht my eye was Cha pter and Vers e with Ma rion Foale. She'll be teaching how to mak e any shape knit by approaching han d knitting tradition s and tech niqu es in a com plete ly diffe rent way. Plus she'll dem onst rate how to achi eve that profe ssion al finis h for which you're alwa ys striv ing. It's exactly what you're looking for! Mu ch love The resa
t Knitting = Trico ne lai la De = Yarn (s) = Knitting needle r te co tri à Aiguilles èles od M = s rn tte Pa
Les Soeurs Anglaises Dates: 15 – 21st October 2013, Chapter and Verse with Marion Foale Contact: 07973 699892 www.lessoeursanglaises.com
To combat any language barriers when pairing your knitting with holiday pursuits, head over to www.planetpurl.com for their run down of knitting terminology in a variety of different languages.
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