14-Day ~ Baltic Knitting Cruise (May 2024)

14-Day Jewels of the Baltic Knitting Cruise with Kristin Drysdale
May 25-June 8, 2024

This Baltic Jewels knitting cruise visits nine cities in seven countries on this 14-day cruise sailing round-trip from Amsterdam. Cruise from the Netherlands to Norway, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland and Sweden while being luxuriously pampered as you travel from one fabulous port to the next. While the ship is at sea, the onboard educational program will feature classes taught by Kristin Drysdale; while in port, you will have the opportunity to shop for yarn and connect with local fiber enthusiasts. We invite you to pack up your needles and come along for some fun.

Northern Europe is home to many leading-edge designers and has some of the most notable yarn shopping opportunities in Europe. Your onboard Scandinavian instructor, Kristin Drysdale, is very passionate and knowledgeable about Scandinavian knitting and the knitting techniques from this region.

Kristin will teach some of her most popular classes on this cruise, including Swedish, Estonian, Norwegian and Danish knitting techniques. Classes will include Scandiwork Slippers, Selbu Mittens and Symbolism in Norwegian Knitting Motifs, Ambidextrous Knitting and Swedish Lovika Mittens, Estonian Fingerless Mitts and Danish Nattrøjer.

All of the countries visited on this cruise are known for having rich knitting traditions. Estonia, in particular, is often a favorite and is well known for its Estonian Folk Art and Craft Union, Eesti kasitoo. This craft union brings together organizations and individual craftsmen and craftswomen in an effort to preserve and develop traditional Estonian hand crafts to not only keep this part of their culture alive.

14-Day Jewels of the Baltic Knitting Cruise Highlights

• Shop for gorgeous yarn at Amsterdam's leading yarn shops, including Stephen & Penelope, home of Westknits.


• Visit the knitting studio of Annemor Sundbø, a true historian of Norwegian knitting, in Kristiansand. If you own her new book, Norway's Knitted Heritage, you can bring it to get signed.


• Shop for popular Scandinavian yarns such as Sandnes, Rauma, Isager, Knitting for Olive and more at Karmin in Kristiansand, Norway.


• Meet Lotte Kjaer in her studio near Aarhus and shop for locally dyed yarn. Lotte will give a talk about what inspires her and some of the popular designers from this part of Denmark.


• Shop at Tøndering Strik in Aarhus. This shop is the best in town, founded by Marianne Isager, on a very colorful, winding street that is not far from the cruise ship pier. iAarhus is a port that is rarely visited but never disappoints.


• Take the train into Berlin or stay in the quaint port town of Warnemunde where you can walk on the beach, eat fish and chips with a pint of beer or take the train to Rostock to shop for yarn at Prunkist.


• In Estonia experience the coolest "Old Town" in modern Europe, Tallinn, which has retained its medieval character and is home to some of the best design studios and art galleries in Europe.


• Shop for locally produced lace shawls and a wide range of knit-wear at the Estonian handwork union craft guild stores.


• Enjoy shopping for linen and wool yarn at the lowest prices in the region at one of Tallinn's yarn shops.


• In Helsinki shop for yarn at Snurre, featuring the largest selection of natural fibers in Helsinki.


• Shop for local handcrafts and sample the fresh catch of the day at Kauppatori Market on the waterfront on the west side of Market Square.


• Spend the day in Stockholm exploring the architectural beauty of Old Town, strolling through five centuries of Swedish history at Skansen Open-Air museum or shopping for Swedish yarn at one of several popular yarn shops located throughout the city.


• In Visby tour the only wool scouring mill in Sweden and learn about Swedish wool and then shop for both local and other yarns at shops before heading back to the ship.


• Shop at Sommerfuglen, the largest yarn store in Denmark and see work by many popular Danish designers.


• Take a historical walking tour of Copenhagen ending at Uldstedet, the most popular local yarn shop in Copenhagen.