knit to the music at iceland airwaves with Stephen West and Ragga a Knitting Iceland tour October 30th to November 5th 2012
At a glance Tour dates: October 30th to November 5th Accommodation: Kex Hostel Knitting Instructors: Stephen West and Ragga Eiriksdottir Organizer: Knitting Iceland Travel agent partner: LT Travel, Rochester NY Included in the tour price: Accommodation 6 nights, some meals as stated in program, an exciting fiberly day tour out of town, knitting classes as stated in program, a pass to the Iceland Airwaves music festival, wool for knitting your very own Icelandic Lopi sweater. Price: 2250 USD Early bird price*: 1750 USD Ask us about our discount for non-knitting companions. Note: Airfare and transport to and from Keflavik International Airport is not included in the tour price. *Valid if tour is paid in full before June 1st 2012
The instructors Stephen West – also known as Westknits, is one of the fastest rising stars in today’s knitting world. His innovative shawl and accessory designs first caught our attention but he’s also a fantastic teacher and gets raving reviews for his workshops. Stephen currently resides in Amsterdam where he studies dance and choreography but fortunately he also finds time for new designs. Find out more about Stephen on his web site www.westknits.com Ragga Eiriksdottir – is the owner and manager of Knitting Iceland and an international knitting instructor. She teaches with passion and loves liberating knitters by teaching them new tips, tricks and techniques. She has a couple of DVDs out and her popular Lopi sweater patterns can be seen on www.knittingiceland.is. You can also follow Ragga’s knitting ventures on www.raggaknits.com
The knitting classes Top down shawl design with Stephen – in this class Stephen tells about his design process and shares the stories behind some of his most popular shawl designs. You will cast on for your very own shawl or scarf inspired by Stephen’s methods and get his feedback as you proceed in working on your shawl. Lopi knitting with Ragga – you’ll learn to knit a tiny little Lopi sweater that contains all the elements and techniques you need to know to knit aof a full sized one. Then you will get expert tips from Ragga before casting on your very own full sized sweater. While knitting Ragga will tell you about the history of Lopi sweaters and the Icelandic knitting heritage and today’s Icelandic knitting scene. Knitting together – we’ll have plenty of time to knit together and work on our projects and you’ll of course have access to your instructors during the tour.
Other fun stuff on the agenda: A fiberly escape from the city We’ll hop on a bus and ride out of the city to see some of the most awesome natural wonders Iceland has to offer. We’ll see Geysir (erupting hot spring), Gullfoss (ginormous waterfall) and visit Þingvellir (the old parliament site where you can stand between the European and American tectonic plates). Of course we’ll also meet sheep and visit a wonderful wool collective run by a group of local knitters, spinners and dyers. Ragga’s design and yarnie city walk Ragga will take you to her favorite spots and places in down town Reykjavik. She loves it and you’ll love it! Geothermal pool lounging Pools are everywhere in Iceland and we’ll do as the locals and go hang out in a hot pool out in the fresh air.
Meals Don’t’ worry, we will not eat the super cute lamb on the photo. But we’ll have some fabulous meals together. These meals are included in the tour price: Breakfast – all days except for the arrival date. Kex serves a mean breakfast and they even make their own skyr (look it up). Lunch – on the day we escape from the city we’ll pack an authentic Icelandic picnic. Dinner – on the day after you arrive we’ll have a fabulous “welcome to Iceland knitters” dinner and the day before the tour ends we’ll have a “goodbye see you soon” dinner together. Of course these will be at two of our favorite restaurants in down town Reykjavík. For other meals you’ll be on your own, but not to worry, we’ll give you good tips on the best grub in town. Please make sure to let us know if you have any special dietary restrictions.
The Music The first Iceland Airwaves was held in 1999 in an airplane hangar… since then the annual music festival has grown tremendously and become one of the most interesting showcases for new music in the world. The Rolling Stone has called it “the hippest long weekend on the annual music-festival calendar”. To give you an idea, here are just a few of the bands that have performed in the past: Of Monsters and Men, John Grant, Owen Pallett, The Shins, Florence and the Machine, Flaming Lips, Bloc Party, Hurts, Fatboy Slim, Sigur Rós, FM Belfast, Múm and Gus Gus. The bracelet included in the tour package grants you entry to all the festival venues for all five festival days. We will keep you posted about this year’s program as it unveils.
Iceland in the fall
First of all the weather is really unpredictable. October mornings can be lovely and sunny followed by heavy horizontal rain in the afternoon. An old Icelandic saying goes “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes!”. We ask you to come well prepared in terms of clothing and bring shoes that are OK for walking on wet, uneven terrain. If the clothes are right nothing will stop you from enjoying the city and scenes in all weathers.
Physical activities This tour will include moderate physical activities. To fully enjoy it you should be able to climb a few flights of stairs, to walk outside on the hilly streets of Reykjavík for 2-3 hours, and to climb onto a bunk bed.
Good to know
The “official language” of the retreat is English and all classes will be taught in English. However, the Knitting Iceland staff is multilingual, so don’t worry if your English is a bit rusty.
What to bring
Your knitting equipment such as knitting needles (32”/80cm circulars in US 6,7 and 8 / 4, 4,5 and 5mm), darning needle, small crochet hook, sketchbook etc. If you forget something don’t worry. We’ll get you sorted or you can buy what you need at the LYSs. A camera is a must! Good shoes for shorter walks on uneven terrain to wear on the sightseeing tour. Clothes that will keep you dry and warm. There is little use for umbrellas in Iceland, they blow away all to fast! Swimwear is very important, whatever the weather is... Your favorite band T-shirt for all the concerts and of course the clothes you like to wear. You’ll be able to wash clothes at Kex. Your laptop or other equipment you like having around. You’ll have access to WiFi at Kex and in many cafés and restaurants in Reykjavik.
Terms of payment / Booking conditions In the following text KI refers to Knitting Iceland
VALIDITY OF PRICES: All rates quoted or shown in our tariffs are based on current purchasing prices in Iceland. KI reserves the right to change prices already quoted or published in our price lists without notice in the event of currency fluctuation, government taxes, or due to any other cost increases that are outside our control. Any eventual changes in rates will not be made with less than 8 weeks’ notice prior to arrival. After the invoice has been issued the price is guaranteed against any surcharge, unless an increase is due to government laws or currency changes. KI will absorb an amount equivalent to 5% of the package price. Amounts that exceed the 5% will be charged and clients will be entitled to cancel their booking with a full refund if the surcharge exceeds 10%. CANCELLATION: All cancellations must be made by letter, fax or e-mail. In conformity with business practices within the Icelandic travel industry, the Travel Agent is obliged to charge cancellation fees to passenger(s) as follows: CANCELLATION CHARGES: KI reserves the right to keep USD 150 confirmation fee to cover costs, if clients do formally cancel their participation within three months of departure. CHANGE FEE: If one requests changes to the package, such as adding nights, changing hotels or dates a change fee of USD150 will be charged. Please note that there is no fee for booking additional nights in Reykjavík before or after the tour if you book everything at the same time. Last minute change fee: If a confirmed service is changed less than two weeks prior to arrival of the client, change fee of USD150 will be charged. INSURANCES: We advise all our clients to have travel insurance. Upon booking you will have the opportunity to also book a travel insurance. COMPLAINTS: All complaints must reach KI within 5 days from departure from Iceland. Otherwise possible compensation is not valid. NOTE: KI reserves the right to alter tours and itineraries due to weather or road conditions. All programs can be changed or cancelled at any moment during the trip to assure the safety of the clients and staff of KI. No responsibility is accepted for losses, expenses due to delays, changes of flights, or other services or because of strikes, accidents, sickness, damage, negligence, weather, war, changes in schedules, or other similar causes. KI does not assume responsibility for accidents or death that can be traced to the participant´s negligence, acts of third parties or exterior circumstances such as weather, natural occurrences, war or other similar causes. KI reserves the right to change prices due to inflation or changes in oil price.